When I was in middle and high school, the outline was basically an assignment of its own. It had its own requirements, and it received a grade. If you’d didn’t use Roman numerals, put an equal number of points under each heading, or write complete sentences, you could lose points.

Because of this method of using outlines, I didn’t understand their value. I saw them as busy work that was completely disconnected from writing a paper. In fact, I couldn’t write an outline before I wrote a draft of the paper, so I often “cheated” by writing my entire paper first, creating an outline from that draft, turning in the outline, waiting a week while we were supposed to be creating drafts from our outlines, and then diligently turning in the paper that “magically” matched my outline. What a waste of time, I thought.

Then I got into college and the papers became longer, more complex, and harder to write. The teachers also didn’t assign outlines as graded pieces of their own. They were tools — tools you use to create a paper, communicate an idea, share your thoughts.

I often wished that outlines had been shown to me as the tools they are earlier in my writing life, so that’s what I aim to do now. Outlines aren’t for teachers to grade; they’re for writers to write. Neat or messy. Roman numerals or emojis. Full sentences of scrawled notes. Do what helps YOU write YOUR paper well.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of the outline as a tool.