Are students sick of staring at a blank screen every time they have to write an essay?

Absolutely. Essay writing has become a huge problem for students.

In fact, most students are struggling more than ever before with essay writing.

But here’s the good news…

When students know WHY it happens and the best process to use, everything changes. They go from hating essay assignments to actually having confidence in their writing.

When students feel overwhelmed and defeated by long, complicated writing assignments, they have a tendency to search for online help with the phrase “I need someone to write my essay” — Which assists in helping students alleviate the stress of their writing assignments. There are many other solutions that could help them write as well.

A methodical, step-by-step approach will help you write every essay with confidence.

In this post, we’ll cover:

• The Shocking Truth About Student Writing Skills
• Why Modern Students Struggle More Than Ever
• The Core Problems Holding Students Back
• Simple Solutions That Actually Work

The Writing Crisis Is Real

Let’s start with some shocking data…

• The stats are pretty scary. Only 25% of students from grade 8-12 perform at proficient level in writing.
• Worse yet? 75% of both 12th and 8th graders are not proficient in writing.
• Research found that only 1% of 12th graders nationwide were able to write a sophisticated, well-organized essay.

Whew. That’s not a great reflection of our educational system, is it?

What does this mean for students?

If someone is struggling with writing essays, it’s not just them. The fact is that the system is broken, and it’s not their fault that they don’t have good writing skills yet.

Why Students Struggle More Than Ever

The writing crisis didn’t happen overnight.

Specific factors have combined to make essay writing as hard as it is today.

Social Media Has Changed How We Communicate

The first problem to realize is that most of the communication students do every day isn’t academic writing.

It’s texts

• Social media posts
• Comments
• Emoji reactions

These are short-form communication.

Students are used to processing a lot of information at once in a very small space.

Texting is 140 characters. Academic writing is 1,400.

We simply aren’t trained to write longer-form content in school these days.

Schools Focus on Multiple Choice Tests

The other problem is that many schools don’t require students to write essays.

Multiple-choice tests have become the norm in modern schools because they’re easier to grade.

Tests with essay questions take much more work for the teacher.

The problem? Multiple choice tests don’t teach you how to:

• Organize your thoughts
• Develop an argument
• Clearly state complex ideas
• Structure your paragraphs

The education system is teaching us less and less how to do academic writing every year.

Reading Skills Have Declined Too

Reading and writing skills go together. In order to write well, you have to be able to read with skill.

If students struggle to:

• Identify the central arguments
• Process complex text
• Synthesize information from various texts
• Understand different styles and formats of writing

It’s going to be difficult for them to respond to that information in writing.

The Core Problems Holding You Back

Understanding the specific reasons students struggle with essays will help them know where to focus.

Here are the main issues that most students face.

Vocabulary Limitations

One of the biggest issues with student writing is a lack of vocabulary.

In one research study, 85.1% of students reported that insufficient vocabulary (especially academic vocabulary) is a source of difficulty for them.

This matters because students can’t:

• Write about complex ideas
• Use proper, formal language
• Show sophistication in their writing

If students don’t have the vocabulary to do that, their writing will seem simple.

Poor Organization Skills

Organization skills are a huge issue with student writing.

Students typically struggle with:

• Creating clear thesis statements
• Structuring the arguments they use to support their thesis
• Writing effective introductions and conclusions
• Using transition words between different parts of their essays

Grammar and Syntax Issues

Mechanics issues (grammar, punctuation, etc.) also cause big problems.

Students have a lot of difficulty with:

• Sentence structure
• Punctuation
• Subject-verb agreement
• Using the proper verb tense consistently

Lack of Practice

Here’s the dirty little secret most teachers won’t admit…

Students just aren’t writing enough these days.

Schools assign fewer and fewer essays, which means students don’t get the practice they need.

Simple Solutions That Actually Work

The good news is, these problems are totally fixable.

Here are the best solutions for each one.

Master the Essay Structure

Strong essays all follow a basic structure:

• Introduction: Hook, background information, thesis statement
• Body paragraphs: Topic sentence, supporting evidence, analysis, transition sentence
• Conclusion: Restate thesis, summarize main points, impact statement

Build Your Vocabulary Systematically

Don’t try to memorize random words.

Instead:

• Read academic articles in your subject area
• Keep a vocabulary journal
• Practice using new words in sentences
• Focus on learning transition words and phrases

Pro tip: Learn word families. For example, if students know the word analyze, they should also learn analysis, analytical, and analytically.

Practice Different Types of Essays

Understand the differences between essay types.

Different essays require different strategies:

• Argumentative: Take a position and argue your point
• Analytical: Analyze and evaluate a topic
• Descriptive: Use details and imagery to describe a topic
• Narrative: Tell a story with a clear point

Read Like a Writer

When reading anything, students should pay attention to these questions:

• How is the author organizing their ideas?
• What makes this writing strong (or weak)?
• How are they transitioning between different points?
• What vocabulary choices stand out?

Start Small and Build Up

Don’t expect to be able to write perfect essays from the beginning.

Instead:

• Practice writing single paragraphs at first
• Focus on one skill at a time (e.g. thesis statements)
• Get feedback on shorter pieces first
• Slowly increase the length and complexity of your essays

Use a Writing Process

Good essays take more than one writing session.

Follow these steps:

• Planning (25% of your time): Understand the assignment, brainstorm, outline
• Drafting (50% of your time): Write the first draft. Don’t worry about it being perfect
• Revision (25% of your time): Review for organization, clarity, grammar. Make final improvements.

Take Action Today

If students follow the steps in this post, they can learn how to write essays with confidence.

Here’s what they need to remember:

• Most students struggle with essay writing
• The problems are systemic and not their fault
• Improve one small thing at a time
• Practice and feedback is crucial

Making one small change today can help. It could be using a better outline, learning five new vocabulary words, or practicing one paragraph.

Whatever students choose, they’ll be building a better foundation for their essay writing.

Concluding Thoughts

Most students struggle with essays because modern schools don’t focus on the reading and writing skills that students need most.

But when you understand the underlying issues, it’s much easier to fix the problems.

The ability to write well is still one of the most important skills you can learn.

It will help you:

• Express your thoughts and ideas clearly
• Excel in college and your future career
• Think more critically
• Improve your communication skills

The good news is, with enough practice, writing essays will get much easier.

You’ll have a step-by-step process that works, every time.

Don’t let poor writing skills be a roadblock. Starting now, and making small, consistent changes, students can become much more confident, skilled writers.

Every student’s future self will thank them.