How to Write a Great College Essay

Writing an Academic Term Essay to Get a Good Grade

Learning how to write an excellent essay not only makes the difference between a bad grade and a good grade; it’s a valuable student life skill that makes college easier.

Many students think that the best way to write an academic essay is to demonstrate knowledge of all the material covered in class. Being a free essay writer, I can say that it’s not usually a useful way to approach the assignment. What instructors usually look for, unless they say otherwise, his comprehensive knowledge of the material: in other words, they’re looking for essays that demonstrate a full understanding.

Learn the recipe for a great academic essay and success will follow.

The Difference Between an Academic Essay

An essay is often written in personal terms and uses the first-person (language referring to “I,” “me” and “my”.) This kind of language is less formal than the kind of language expected in an academic essay. Academic essays should be written in the third person; they should address a particular topic, center on that topic, and stick to it very closely throughout.

The First Paragraph and Central Topic of a College Essay

In high school or middle school, students are often asked to write a “topic sentence.” College essays are more complex, and this way of addressing the topic is usually too simplistic and shallow for a college essay. Instead, devote the first paragraph to defining the topic and the scope and range of the essay.

This can be the most important part of a good academic essay. This paragraph needs to tell the reader what kind of essay they’re about to read, without getting either too general or too specific. As a rule of thumb, if an aspect of the topic is not addressed in the essay, it should not be mentioned in the first paragraph; but the first paragraph shouldn’t duplicate detailed content from later in the essay, either. It definitely should not mention unrelated trivia about the subject, or try to offer an irrelevant, catchy “hook.”

A good introductory paragraph simply tells readers what they will learn from continuing to read the essay. It introduces the subject, briefly touches on important aspects of the topic as covered in the essay, and summarizes the conclusion the author has reached.

Paragraph Structure in an Academic Essay

Each paragraph should be an essay in microcosm: it should introduce its subject, touch on the important elements and make a definitive or conclusive statement that closes the paragraph. Ideally, this conclusion leads to the next relevant aspect of the overall essay topic.

The paragraphs in the body of the essay should be where details are covered. Touching on information that is not found in the textbook will often win points; make sure to leave a footnote at the end, revealing the source of this information.

Imagine an essay as a box divided into compartments. A refrigerator contains food, but the food isn’t all thrown together: there’s a vegetable drawer, a beverage shelf, a butter case, and a meat and cheese drawer. Each drawer is organized independently, but they all contribute to a balanced meal.

Rhetorical Tips

Avoid grandstanding. This kind of thing is recognizable and groan-worthy to teachers: “At the end of the day, we can all recognize that poverty is a terrible problem…” Of course, poverty is a terrible problem, and by saying something everybody knows, the student is saying nothing at all. That sentence could be replaced by a fact about poverty and an implication of that fact: “With X percent of mothers receiving food stamps, the economic situation for families is unsustainable.”

Avoid irrelevant digressions. This is one of how essays are different from essays: in an essay, the reader is carried by the momentum of the writer’s character. In an essay, the reader is looking for a clear treatment of a single topic.

Avoid saying the same thing over and over again. “Violence in inner cities is a real problem. Because X, Y, and Z, we know that violence is a problem. Furthermore, the problem of violence…” A smart professor won’t look kindly on filler.

About the author: Diane H. Wong is a search engine optimization specialist and business coach. Besides, she is a research paper writer DoMyWriting so she prefers to spend her spare time working out marketing strategies. In this case, she has an opportunity to share her experience with others and keep up with advancing technologies.