Writing an essay can be a very long and stressful process. However, most universities and job applications today require you to write at least one in order to get a clearer, more personal picture of yourself. Rushing to complete essays before the deadline is a common mistake many high school students make, one that leads to grammatical errors and clumsy wording, which can negatively influence the reader's opinion of the author. Fortunately, it's easy to eliminate the stress associated with writing and produce a quality essay by following eight simple steps. Before you even put pen to paper, it’s important to conduct research on the topic you’re writing about. Writing about a subject without knowing anything about it is like waging war without weapons: it is fruitless and harmful. Local schools and libraries are great places to discover information. There you can search for books related to the topic that interests you. Books often contain more information than necessary. However, additional information might give you better perspective on your arguments....