How To Write A College Essay | Killer Tips To Write A College Essay
So, you’ve arrived at college and find yourself once again writing college essays for every subject and just about every topic imaginable. You spent much of your high school years dreading the essay, always putting it off until the last minute, the week before it was due, or even the night before it was supposed to be due.
In college, it’s time to stop putting yourself in that situation and start doing your college essay correctly allowing yourself time and creating less stress.
How we can start writing an essay
Writing a college-level essay can be an overwhelming experience at first. You may feel more comfortable with exams where you study and answer questions. It is a simple experience, in which you are either right or wrong. The college essay is completely different that can be quite awkward for inexperienced writers.
Time management while writing an essay
We’ve all heard of time management, and this is helpful when doing an essay. If you need help with general time management, there are many online resources that can help you with various methods as well as planning and tracking your time.
A key to managing your time around essay writing is to plan how you will structure it, when you will work on it, and the time frame in which you need to do it. Knowing your time frame will mean that you can set time limits for the different phases of essay writing.
Some general phases of writing an essay
- Outline and plan the structure of the essay.
- writing the essay
- Revision and editing of the essay.
Plan to invest the necessary time
The first draft is just that, a draft. The real job of the college essay is to rewrite it. And your teacher will surely be able to tell if you rushed through the work or took the time to carefully construct your work.
It starts with proper grammar, sentence structure, and spelling, but the truth of the time that has passed will always show in the presentation of ideas. The smart essay writer will leave plenty of time to work on this process, so start early to give your essay the feel of a significant investment.
Research Topic Question
When you are given an essay assignment in class, you are usually given a topic to explore or a question to address. So, as you prepare to work on your essay, review your assignment and make sure that what you plan to write sufficiently covers the requirements.
Read the topic several times before you start writing and ask for clarification if you need it. The last thing you want is to spend weeks writing an essay, only to find out that it’s not what the professor is looking for at all.
Also Read: Why Students Should Learn Essay Writing To Upgrade Their Career
The college essay follows a recipe like any dish served in the cafeteria. You will introduce the topic in the first paragraph, explore it from various angles in the body, and then conclude in a paragraph.
Have you followed this structure successfully? There is room for deviation, but if you don’t feel comfortable typing, you should stay as close to the traditional model as possible. Look up the rules of essay writing and compare them to your work.
For deeper consideration
It is also important to consider whether you present new information, points of view, or analysis of the topic in your essay. Remember that your professor grades dozens of these essays every week, and if you’re looking to get to the top of the pile, you need to bring something new to the table.
This can be the most difficult step and is inextricably tied to the amount of time you spend on the process. Sparks of inspiration can happen instantly, but more often than not it’s a lengthy and well-considered experience. If so, you may want to explore new avenues.
Also, as you think about the conclusion of your essay, ask yourself if the essay proved (or disproved) the thesis. The introductory paragraph should be reflected in a conclusion that agrees with the thesis or rejects it.
Review and edit your essay
Finally, before you submit your essay, be sure to proofread and edit your work. Use your word processor’s spelling and grammar checkers to find errors. Print out your essay and read it aloud to yourself, listening for any parts that don’t make sense. Also ask a friend, roommate, or someone in your class to read your essay and give you feedback like that we do in write my paper for me query.
Tips to differentiate yourself from other applicants
- Brainstorm with people who know you: College essays can be deeply personal and often require thought. Once you’ve decided on a message, talk to people who know you well about the topic and brainstorm responses with them.
- Details are key to storytelling : Use your essay to bring the admissions counselor back to the moment or memory you are writing about by using descriptive narration. What smells do you remember? What colors were in the room? What were the people wearing?
- Hook the reader immediately: You’ve probably experienced a book, show, or movie that got off to a slow start. In other words, it took longer than she wanted to pique his interest. In the same way you want a movie to immediately grab their attention, your college essay should do the same for admissions counselors.
- Proofreading : Submitting an essay with spelling and grammatical errors gives the admissions counselor the impression that you didn’t mind taking the time to proofread your essay carefully, and the errors distract from the story you’re sharing with the reader.
- Read quality examples : There are examples of college essay prompts all over the internet that can help spark your creativity. Consider these “Trials That Worked ” on the Johns Hopkins University Admissions website. Use these examples to inspire your own unique essay.
Conclusion
Finally, before you submit your essay, be sure to proofread and edit your work. Use your word processor’s spelling and grammar checkers to find errors. Print out your essay and read it aloud to yourself, listening for any parts that don’t make sense. Also, ask a friend, roommate, or someone in your class to read your essay and give you feedback.