Approach your essay topic differently. Think outside the box. Spend time with your essay topic and the research. Find the things that interest you and which you would like to include in your essay. If you have a unique take on the material you might want to run your ideas past the tutor and also your friends. Very often the best thing to do is to compare two ideas. This often results in a new way of thinking that is outside the box.

Pay attention to the format and presentation of your essay. Don't get bad marks for poor spelling, improper margins and other stylistic errors! These mistakes can be easily avoided. Familiarize yourself with all the essay writing requirements set by your tutors. If you are unsure of your school's standards for essays you should get a copy of the guidelines and review them. Use a word processor and spell check your entire essay. Print it out on paper and then check it again the following day.

Write concisely and clearly.  Writing concisely and clearly forces you to think more clearly. Since language is a tool to express thought, sloppy use of language implies sloppy thinking. Try to write active sentences with active verbs. Communicate your ideas and arguments in a consistent tone. Always check definitions of words that you are unsure about. Print out your essay and cross-out words that are not needed. Review the language to make sure the language continues to flow throughout the whole essay.

Write multiple drafts of your essay. Think about whether you need to rearrange the structure of paragraphs. If you reorganise by cut and paste, be sure to integrate the merged sentences to flow. Most of all, look at the overall flow of ideas and words. Keep checking your essay introduction and conclusion for consistency. Does your introduction set-up the subject and the content? Does your conclusion clearly summarize your main arguments? Does your essay make all of the points you set out to make? Does one idea flow to another?