The semester’s barely started, but for most of us, there’s already a plethora of papers to write. It’s definitely a good idea to get a head start on those papers early on, but sometimes, procrastinating by watching silly videos on YouTube is just too much of a temptation. The procrastination continues until we find ourselves with only the MLA heading on our laptop screens the night before the paper’s due. That’s why we at the Clog are here to share some tips and tricks for writing a paper the night before it’s due.

Equip yourself with the necessary snacks.

Motivate yourself to stay up all night with the prospect of eating your favorite snacks. If you cave in to the desire to sleep, you’ll never get to taste the wonderful flavors of your beloved snacks. Moreover, the snacks can serve as a motivational reward for whenever you finish a paragraph or page of the paper.

Stock up on some caffeine.

No matter how much willpower you’ve got, it’ll definitely be a struggle to stay up all night finishing that paper. This is where caffeine comes in to play a crucial role. Whether you get your caffeine fix from a matcha latte or a triple-shot espresso, simply know that the caffeine boost will be very helpful.

Outline the brief points of your paper first, then worry about filling in the blanks.

When you’re just starting a paper the night before it’s due, it can definitely be daunting to think about where to start. Some might try to just write the whole paper in order from the introduction to the body paragraphs to the conclusion, but this isn’t the best way to do it. Start with laying out the main points of your basic argument, then formulate your thesis from those ideas. Next, make a basic outline for how your paper’s going to go. Finally, fill in the outline skeleton with your evidence.

Turn off all distractions for the night.

Power off your phone, and restrict your internet access to educational sites only (there are a variety of web apps that offer this function). In order to finish the paper before it’s due, you’ll definitely need to hone all of your focus and power through the night.