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Writing your College Essays with Passion When You Have None

I write every single day of the week for anywhere from six to twelve hours a day. That is a lot of time to devote to the keyboard, so you’d think that I would at least enjoy what I do. Sadly, you couldn’t be further from the truth. I may act like I love to write, but my true passion is math and design. I have never enjoyed the writing process, but I’ve always been good at it. That’s why I chose to pursue it as a career.

If you hate writing like I do, you probably have trouble conveying your ideas in college essays because the hate comes across as a lack of care. I have been down this road many times in my day, so I thought it may be nice to provide some quick writing tips for people who hate writing. Whether you’re applying for minority scholarships or you’re writing an essay for class, you will need to learn how to fake it with the best of them. Here are some tips that should help you fool the school and anyone else that comes across your writing in the future.

Write Everything at Once

When you hate to write, you will inevitably stop in the middle of what you are doing to “come back to it later.” This may work in some situations, but it is not ideal in most cases. Instead, you want to write down all of your thoughts in one sitting so that they flow together consistently. I started writing this article at 12:24, and I plan to finish it before 12:36. Seeing that it is 12:26 now, I’d say I’m making pretty good time. I always write from beginning to end, without any pauses in between. That is what keeps my thoughts moving on the page, and it is ultimately what makes me efficient at my job.

Don’t Procrastinate

I am the king of procrastination (not that I’m proud of it), and I have been that way since I can remember. I always assume that there is way more time in the day to do things than there actually is. Of course, I always pull off a project in the end, even if I push it off to the last minute. Nevertheless, I have learned that this is a vicious cycle to get into. If you hate to write, you need to just get it over with. Rip it off like a Band-Aid and push through it early on. Then you will have time to review your work and relax in the wonder of your writing freedom.

Use Elevated Language

As much as you may want to half-ass your work when you hate doing it, you need to maintain the quality standards for your writing. I’m not saying that you have to write like Charles Dickens or Emily Dickenson, but you do need to write like the college student you are. None of this three words per sentence crap or paragraphs that have a statement without a supporting sentence. Your professors will know when you just bullshit to get through something. You can’t let them see the frustration in your writing.

I am well aware of how hard it is to write when you don’t have a passion for it, but it is something that you will have to do throughout your life. You might as well learn how to grin and bear it now so you can fake your way to success. I do it every damn day, and I feel pretty proud to say that. You just need a little practice to do the same.