How do I make my paper longer!

I’ve seen more than a few students say that they have written everything possible on a given subject in only 600 or 2000 words and that it is impossible to add the two more pages that the assignment requires.

The bad news: you aren’t that much of a genius. The good news: there is more to say. It is perfectly normal to get bored with something, even things you otherwise like. Whether you like, dislike, or are indifferent to a subject, you can get bored in the middle of a class or set of classes where you have read countless pages, heard who knows how many hours of lecture, and have probably already written about and discussed a topic. You can’t think of what there is to think about or say about this topic that everyone doesn’t already know. There are ways to work through it.

Imagine, or re-imagine, your audience. Think of yourself as the expert explaining the subject to someone a year behind you. When you go back and edit the paper, imagine that you will be graded on how well they do on a quiz they will take on the subject after reading your paper.

Another technique is to write the paper as though you are the audience. How would you have liked to have the information given to you? (Obviously, you have to remain professional but if this technique works for you, talk to your graders and see how flexible they are!) Think about times in the class where you have thought that something was poorly explained or glossed over, only later to find out it was really important. Delve into those details and find ways to articulate the aspects of the subject that eluded you.

Finally? Don’t pad the essay. You aren’t fooling anyone.