Pitfalls to Avoid When Writing a Technology Essay

Essay writing is a real challenge for many students. There are so many things to take into account, not to mention that the topics are often too stressful and may seem quite complex, especially if you’re writing an essay on technology.

It’s a common mistake to think that technology essay is like any other essay. Yes, it shares the same structure and rules to complete bibliography, but there are quite a few things that are only characteristic of this type of essays. There are also some other mistakes that students often make in technology essays, that cost them that “A” they are craving for.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some more pitfalls to avoid when writing a technology essay.

1. You Have a Weak Thesis Statement

Imagine that you’re having an interview for a new job. Of course, you will come up with the best introduction for yourself to let everyone know how cool you are. Surely, it’s a bit out there, but it’s pretty much how thesis statement for a technology essay works as well.

When working on an essay on technology, thesis statement represents, how well you know the topic and the quality of the knowledge background you have to write the whole essay on it. So, having a weak thesis statement will show just how vague your knowledge of a certain technology-related topic is.

Here’s what the specialists at the University of Illinois recommend to write a strong thesis statement for a technology essay:

• While the whole introduction can be from two paragraphs to a page, the length of a thesis statement should not exceed two sentences. It’s enough to put the whole idea together, even on a technology-related subject;
• Don’t put the thesis statement in the middle of the paragraph. It should be at the end of the introduction to lay emphasis on it;
• A thesis statement should be as clear as possible, so no vague notions or ideas;
• Don’t start the thesis statement with “The point of this paper is…” Instead, create a strong emphatic sentence and underlines this point.

Pro tip: for a clearer thesis statement, avoid including too many coordinating and subordinating conjunctions just to put more information in these two sentences.

2. You Follow a Messy Structure

The structure is the foundation and the skeleton of an essay. Breaking it means that your essay automatically loses consistency and logical connection. However, this is one of the most common mistakes when writing a technology essay. There are often many points to be covered, and they often get mixed throughout the text.

So, a stream of consciousness is not the case with the structure of a technology essay. But following this structure is pretty much straightforward, and once you have it figured out, you’ll be able to put all your research together. Here’s how professors at UNSW Sydney recommend following the essay structure:

Image credit: UNSW Sydney

Pro tip: technology essays require a pretty straightforward structure with as little description as possible, so try not to beat around the bush and go straight to the main idea you want to describe.

3. Your Grammar and Punctuation Aren’t Flawless

Just like following the structure is absolutely crucial, having spotless grammar and punctuation is a must as well. When writing a technical essay, you may get carried away by a variety of industry-specific notions and terms, and completely forget about grammar and the overall readability of the text.

Many students get academic help to have their technology essays edited and proofread in terms of grammar and punctuation, and it’s a good choice. While you may have re-read your essay thousands of times, you could still skip some parts and leave some mistakes. Having someone proofread your technology, especially if it’s a professional, will help you not only find grammatical or punctuation mistakes, but will also help you make your essay more readable.

Pro tip: For a quick grammar and punctuation check you can use online tools like Grammarly. It also has a built-in thesaurus and checks the overall style of your essay to estimate its readability. 

4. Using Too Much Jargon vs Oversimplified Language

While you’re writing an academic essay on technology, overcrowding it with too much jargon and too many specific terms will complicate its readability. Moreover, some professors become suspicious when they receive such essays. They consider is a hind that the student might not have written it itself, or has a bad knowledge of the topic.

But oversimplified language is not an option too. Try to find the middle ground by introducing specific notions and giving explanations supported by your research. After all, academic essays are aimed at showing how well your research skills are, so don’t overcomplicate your writing.

Pro tip: introducing too much jargon in a technology essay is a common mistake, which is quite hard to avoid. You can try using Hemingway App, which is an online tool that checks overall readability of the text according to its style.

5. Your Facts Lack Backup

As it was already said, students write academic essays to train and showcase their research skills. So, you’re writing your technology essay primarily to show how well you can support the facts with already existing data.

Usually, there are plenty of resources for technology essays. However, the students often make a mistake by referring to the resources that are not credible or are outdated. Be careful when providing backup for the factual information in your essay. Technology changes fast, and there’s plenty of research done every single year. So make sure that you provide high-quality resources to back up facts in your technology essay.

Pro tip: don’t ignore filters when looking for resources online. You can set the browser to give you only recent results, which is very helpful if you’re looking for updated studies and research.

Wrapping Up Technology essays are very specific and need your close attention. Make sure to follow these tips to avoid the most common mistakes when writing your technology essay, and you’ll get the “A” you deserve.