Students face a number of challenges during their academic careers. Those challenges are unique to each student, as some excel in certain subjects that their classmates find difficult, and vice versa.
At some point in their academic careers, students will be asked to write an essay. University applications typically feature student essay portions, but essays are even incorporated into elementary school curricula. Indeed, students of all ages are periodically asked to write essays, which underscores how useful some basic essay-writing tips can be.
• Identify the assignment. Essays run the gamut from personal essays to papers on historical figures to precis on particular texts. Before students can write an effective, engrossing essay, they must first identify what’s being asked of them. Does the instructor want students to argue a point? Is the idea to examine a meaningful personal experience? Is the essay similar to a book report? Once the ball gets rolling and writing begins, it’s easy to lose track of the assignment. But an effective essay must follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. Students can routinely read the assignment provided by the instructor so they stay the course.
• Identify the point of the essay. Once students gain a firm grasp of what the instructor is looking for, they can then identify what their point of view or argument will be. This can require some research and should conclude with a thesis statement that will determine the rest of the essay.
• Write an outline. Outlines can help frame the essay and keep writers on track. An outline also serves as a time for writers to determine what to keep and what to omit from an essay. Longer essays typically require ample research, and it’s unlikely that all of that research will make it into the final essay. Writing an outline provides a chance to narrow the scope of the essay and cut it down, which should prove useful when sitting down to begin writing the composition.
• Engage readers early. An engaging question or assertion at the beginning of an essay will entice readers to want to continue reading. The question should be one writers can answer while an assertion should be supported throughout the rest of the essay. But some engaging prose in the opening paragraphs can draw readers in and set the stage for a well-written essay.
• Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence. Topic sentences are similar to outlines because they establish the structure of a paragraph. Each new paragraph should include its own topic sentence. If a new topic needs to be addressed, then do so in a new paragraph. Paragraphs should flow into each other, but writers should avoid introducing more than one topic in a single paragraph.
• Write a strong conclusion. The thesis statement will help to define the introductory paragraph, and it also can be utilized to establish the conclusion. Revisit the thesis in the conclusion and show how the points made throughout the body of the essay support that thesis. Conclude the essay with a statement that highlights the significance of the point the essay attempted to make.
Students of all ages write essays. Some basic writing tips can help students master those assignments.
