How To Write a Term Paper: Final Words

If you are writing the closing paragraph of your term paper, you have already done the bulk of the work. You have chosen a topic, devoted hours to researching that topic, planned out a rough essay outline, filled in the majority of the text, and have composed a document that highlights all your research and provides convincing arguments. However, when the time comes to write the conclusion section, all this work may seem irrelevant and small.

Writing a conclusion is hard

Writing a strong closing paragraph is one of the most difficult writing skills you will ever develop. The average college student absolutely hates writing closing paragraphs, because there is so little guidance on what, exactly, you should be discussing. You have already conducted your research and analysis and communicated it clearly in the main text. Aren’t the main points already self-evident? Why do you need to tie a tidy bow on the whole project?

Writing a conclusion is essential

Despite these reservations, writing a concluding paragraph is essential. A good final paragraph gives the reader something to think about, and it helps him or her consolidate all the information they just read in the rest of the document. A conclusion can be inspiring or moving; it can call the reader to action or inspire them to seek out more information on the topic. A conclusion can change minds, or make the whole rest of the paper seem better and more convincing. Never underestimate the potential of a strongly composed discussion section.

How to write a conclusion to a term paper?

Go back to the introduction of your paper and see how you snared the readers’ attention. What were the most important theoretical or technical points to your topic? Scan the paper and look for the strongest sentences and points of analysis and underline them. Your conclusion should return to the absolute strongest points of argument you can locate in the rest of your text. Think about what another reader might find most emotionally involving or engaging in the text and focus on that.

Remember not to introduce any new data or citations in your conclusion section. The point of this paragraph is to introduce some fresh perspective on your data, not to provide new data that the reader does not know what to make of. Remind the reader of why the topic at hand is so importance. Do not be afraid to let your own opinion become obvious in this section. Get passionate. The reader will find this more interesting than dry prose.