7 Resources To Help You Nail Your Papers

Ah, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing…and you are not getting to enjoy any of it because you have papers to write. So yeah, papers are no fun. And let’s be real-you’re probably going to put it off until the last minute. But fear not-we’ve put together some useful resources that may just make cranking out those papers at least slightly less painful.

 
Writers Block

Writers Block is an app you can download on your computer for absolutely free. It’s helpful if you tend to get distracted while you write and wander onto social media/YouTube/anything not your paper.
Here’s how it works: Open a new document in the app, and set a number of words. Once you’ve set the minimum word count, Writers Block won’t let you click on any other window on your computer until said word count has been met. You have no choice but to write.
Hemingway Editor In case you haven’t noticed, Microsoft Word doesn’t always catch every error you make. And when you’re writing a paper at 3 AM with minimal sleep hours before it’s due, you’re bound to make a few.
Hemingway Editor, aptly named for the famed writer, is a website designed specifically to catch your mistakes. All you have to do is copy/paste and let the site do its magic. In addition to the basics like spelling, Hemingway will also tell you if you’re overusing words, writing in passive voice, gives suggestions to simplify where necessary, and tells you what reading level your writing is at. Coffitivity Coffitivity is a music playing website that plays ambient, coffee-shop type noises to help generate creative juices and productivity. (Without the drive to your local coffee shop).
You can also download it as an app on select devices.
Bibme Bibme.com is a website designed to help with your works cited page. It’s free and includes most major academic writing styles. Also includes a plagiarism checker!  
SynonymFinder.com Nothing gets your professor to mark down your paper faster than using the same word over and over. That’s where synonymfinder.com comes in. It’s like Google, but just for finding the right word. And unlike similar sites, it gives a full definition of each new equivalent word and how to properly use it in a sentence.  
Time Board Real Time Board is literally a dry erase board…but in virtual form! Create a free account and use it to brain storm and get your ideas out there! You can also send your work here to others, it’s great for collaboration.  
Written Kitten It’s easy to fall into the trap of  “Oh I’ll reward myself with one YouTube video”…and then that becomes two…and then you’ve wasted two hours.
Written Kitten generates a cute kitten picture to reward you for every one hundred words you write to give you a quick “reward” and get you back to writing. Or if you’re not a cat person, you can change it to a puppy or bunny. (You can adjust the number of words per picture as well).
Best wishes to all of you on your essays and other academic endeavors-you got this!