Learn how to write attention-grabbing and compelling essay for college from a professional writer.
Secondary school trains students to write formulaic papers as a way to teach organization. By graduation,
students ought to be prepared to write essays for college. Many students entering the next stage of education discover that they have not ready after all. Writers have to demonstrate the ability to write collegiate-level papers if they want to receive good grades from professors.
The biggest problem faced after high school is the five-paragraph essay formula. Students learn to write this style in their first high school papers. The formula contains 5 paragraphs, beginning with a boring introduction. First sentences usually ask questions, then writers answers themselves. The thesis is placed at the end & it is nothing but a drab list of 3 elements. 3 body paragraphs explain each of the thesis points, and the conclusion continues the boring trend with an obvious opening line and a restated thesis.
Unlike high school teachers, professors dislike this formula. For years instructors have been trying to teach writers to break these bad habits. Students must take the EPT (English Placement Test) to determine skill-level. The EPT has deliberate traps designed to determine who the formulaic writers are so they can be placed in remedial-level courses that don't count toward 4-year degrees.
The EPT has a multiple-choice question asking students to select the topic sentence in a sample paragraph. Formula writers believe the first sentence is always the topic sentence, so they rarely read the paragraph before answering. Upon inspection, the first sentence is obviously a transition; the actual topic sentence is further into the passage. Students need to forget what they learned in high school and read carefully because college-level writing is rarely formulaic.
Professors are concerned with developing critical thinking skills in students. A list of 3 facts is a formulaic mess, not a real thesis. Theses should develop an argument centered around one substantial purpose. Start by reading the assignment prompt, and then try to form an opinion on the issue.
After deciding on a single position, build ideas around that opinion to write a thesis that says something meaningful. Don't end the first paragraph there: support the thesis with a few more sentences that support that central argument.
Experiment with writing one or more transition sentences before the topic sentence. Smooth transitions make papers cohesive and easier to read. Professors hate reading papers that jump from point to point without logical connections.
There is no rule to the number of paragraphs or supporting points, although instructors usually have word and page number requirements. A good paper can have as few as two well-developed topics to support the thesis, or it might have many. Focus on substantial, goal-oriented information, not redundant filler.
Conclusions should be fresh. Professors look for originality, so avoid lingering on the same issues stated in the thesis. Some professors write, "Do more than restate the thesis in the conclusion" directly in the assignment instructions. Papers should develop an argument, even if they do not provide a solution. Avoid getting stuck repeating the same thing with no purpose.
Of course, spelling and grammar are very important, but there is so much more to writing essays for college successfully. The highest grades go to papers that have a clear purpose. Students should evaluate their personal writing and try to identify formulaic elements so these habits can be eliminated. High school writing consists of formulas and personal experience based papers, and these lack the critical thinking skills professors want to see in student writing.
