A 1000-word essay is a specific type of writing in which the author stick to a 1000 word limit about any topic. The length of this type of paper is usually 4 pages.
So, before you begin writing this essay, organize your ideas according to the topic guidelines and know exactly what you will be writing about.
- The 1000-word essay is meant to achieve the following primary goals:
- Respond to an academic inquiry using a coherent argument.
- Describe the opinions of the author.
- Persuade the reader to take a particular position about an issue.
Furthermore, a 1000-word essay is currently a popular paper length used not only for a specific essay type but nearly any type of paper.
How long will it take you to write a perfect paper of this length? As a specialist in this type of essay, I will demonstrate to you how long it takes to complete an essay that is 1000 words long.
How Long Does it Take to Write a 1,000 Word Essay?
It takes a minimum of 1 hour 50 minutes to complete a 1,000-word essay. A small survey involving 51 students revealed that on average most writers require about 3 hours 09 minutes to complete a 1000 word essay.
Your speed of typing could be a major determinant.
Anything less than two hours is probably too fast and will not come out as a well-thought essay. Taking more than 4 hours is probably too slow. The most suitable duration is 2 hours 50 minutes to complete a 1000 word paper.
Time utilization in a 1000 Word Essay
The time needed will be split between five activities that include the following:
- Researching the topic
- Typing of the essay
- Formatting the paper
- A short break
- Proofreading your work
How much time will you need for each of these activities?
- Researching the topic – 60 minutes
- Typing of the essay – 40 minutes (25 words/minute)
- Formatting and citation – 30 minutes
- A short break – 15 minutes
- Proofreading your work – 25 minutes
Based on these estimates, a 1000 word paper will require just 2 hours 50 minutes.
How long does it take students to complete the Essay?
I had to find empirical evidence for this question. That is when an idea about actual research came about.
This simple survey was done in late 2019 just before COVID-19 started. I identified UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design Facebook Page as my target and sent DMs to 100 random students who had liked the page. I checked their profiles to confirm their affiliation with the university.
51 students responded. Fourteen of them were undertaking postgraduate studies.
Here are the four categories that my small survey identified:
- Less than 2 hours: 1 Writer
- 2 – 3 hours: 12 Writers
- 3 – 4 hours: 31 writers
- 4+ hours: 7 writers
Looking at those values, there are fewer people in the extremes. Only a few people can write quality essays very fast. Those who take too long are also not too many but they make up a significant portion (13.7% of the writers).
How long does it take me to complete a 1000 word essay?
I fall within the second category. From the first day, I started writing essays, I have always required at least 2 hours to complete a good paper.
If I write an essay that long in under 2 hours, it means two things:
- The topic was too simple
- A deadline was due and something had to be presented. This usually comes with a compromise on quality, especially if the topic is difficult.
There are a few occasions when I am too distracted and take more than four hours but that depends on many other factors.
What does a 1000-word essay look like?
A 1000-word essay is approximately 4 pages long and takes between 3-6 hours to complete depending on complexity. If it is a single spaced essay, it will be equivalent to about 2 full pages. All these are based on the assumptions that your font is Times New Roman at 12 pt.
What determines how fast you can write 1000 words?
- Time needed for research
- Typing speed
- Formatting
- A 10-minute break
- Proofreading
Time needed for research
- Some topics are quite complex and you will need a lot more time to understand existing literature on the subject.
- How quickly can you read and collect data to form your own opinion?
- What is your level of expertise on the topic? If you’re a pro, for instance, a registered nurse, you will find it easier to write an essay related to a clinical setting because you’ve gained enough experience on the subject.
Typing speed
- This is perhaps the most critical stage in your essay. Your head may be full of ideas but until you have typed them, your teacher cannot mark them by scanning your brain.
- How fast can you put your ideas or information you have read about on paper?
- You must consider that there are also potential distractions while typing your essay.
- An average writer types about 50 words per minute. That means you will need 5 – 6 minutes to write one full page.
- Faster writers who have enough experience can stretch this up to 80 words per minute. My best record is 68 words/minute.
Formatting
- You need to arrange your essay properly.
- Your paragraphs have to be standard and citation methods have to be accurate.
- Does your essay have/require subheadings?
- What font size, spacing, and other formatting options did your teacher provide?
- All those key issues matter.
A 10-minute break
- Taking a short break will allow you to refresh your mind and come back to proofread your essay.
- However, you do not necessarily need a break if you will spend less than 2 hours on the essay.
Proofreading
- The faster you have to type, the more mistakes you’re likely to make.
- Checking your paper for misspellings and obvious grammatical errors will also consume a little bit of your time
- Unless you want to submit a low-quality paper, do not try to ignore proofreading.
Please note – an essay is quite different from an article in that:
- An essay requires specific writing rules and formatting.
- An essay must have scholarly citations.
- Writing an essay must meet certain academic standards (outlined in rubrics).
Therefore, the time one needs to write a 1000 word essay will always differ from the time needed for an article of the same length.
How to write a 1000 Word Essay?
- To write a 1000 word essay fast, spend exactly one hour researching the topic. Organize your ideas to form an opinion within that timeframe.
- Begin typing your essay at a speed of 25 words per minute. This means you will need 40 minutes for typing. An average writer types 50 words in 60 seconds.
- Format your paper to meet the required style. Some formatting styles like MLA require less time compared to others like the Chicago style. Spend 25 minutes working on the essay’s format.
- Take a 15-minute break to freshen up. You can have a snack or make some coffee. Take a short walk outside or look out through the window. Avoid checking social media as you may end up spending an hour online. There are too many distractions and you shouldn’t take that risk.
- Come back and utilize the remaining 25 minutes proofreading your work. You will not only end up with a quality 1000-word essay but also a record time of 2 hours 50 minutes to finish four pages of writing.
- Lastly, celebrate your achievement. If you did not finish it in under three hours, try again next time.