What if I finish my essay early?

[garylyon]

I'm pretty good at writing quickly, and sometimes I finish a decent essay with 10 minutes to spare. I suppose I could spend that time trying to make it better, but I think my essays are "good enough", so I'm wondering what you think I should do with the spare time. I haven't taken a real test yet, so I don't even know what I'm allowed to do. Can I make notes in my notepad? Like ABCDE columns, or R X T = W columns? Can I leave the room for a few minutes? Definitely don't want to just hit the next button and move on to IR.

[harisonrina]

First you should write down your point. After that explain your point briefly. It seems no matter how many times students are advised to do this, they keep ignoring it. It is most likely the single most important thing you can do to improve your essay. That means actually read it, don't scan it. If you find that your brain accidentally skims it, try reading it out loud and listen to how it sounds. Do the sentences sound jarring? Does it make sense? If you hadn't research it, If you're using a computer and don't bother spell-checking your essay, you deserve marks off for every spelling error you make. It only takes a few minutes, and an essay extensive with spelling errors looks thorough and incomplete.