This guide will give you some practical tips for putting together your first college essay or paper. Here’s all you need to know:

First steps

Do you understand what you need to do? If not – and we mean understanding 100% – then seek clarity from the professor or tutor who has set your task. Ask as many questions as possible, and seek out examples too. You are well within your rights to do this as a student, and it actually shows a large degree of diligence and conscientiousness to do this. Any tutor would be impressed.

Seek inspiration

Research is key to any good piece of work, and this is equally true of your first college paper. Unearth as many sources as possible and collate the information you gather neatly, with an idea in mind regarding how you would like to present the findings of this research. In doing this, make sure you:

·      Follow the essay guidelines as closely as possible, seeking clarity from tutors where needed.

·      Ask to see or get access to previous essays submitted to get a good idea of what a good essay entails (by no means should this be used for plagiarism purposes, but instead to study the way in which the essay is presented, and to understand what a good quality piece of work looks like – this is the first time you are doing it, after all).

·      Follow tried-and-tested formulas. You do not need to reinvent the wheel in terms of presentation, which brings us neatly to…

Use a great template

Formatting your essay can often be the toughest task – even harder than the content itself! What should your essay even look like?

The first piece of advice is to check carefully with the professor who has set the task because there are usually guidelines to go along with any assignment that has been given to you. What is the structure? How many words does the essay need to be? These are usually made clear.

Usually, not always. And once you have been given guidance on these particular issues, it may still not help.

Never fear, for why not use an AI-powered writing tool that can provide a first-class essay template to fit your needs? An AI-powered writing tool such as that offered by Linguix.

Always start with a draft

When Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, he didn’t just get out of his paintbrushes and start painting. First, he made a draft of what he wanted to depict, and so with any essay you write, make sure you put together a draft first before you work on the end product. You may end up with half a dozen drafts, each time ironing out weaknesses and adding relevant points that weren’t included before.

Perfect the structure

Nearly all essays will be based upon a tried-and-tested formula, as a well-constructed template will prove. Of course, there are different types of essays and essay structures. That said, a basic formula can be defined as follows:

1)    An introduction, featuring an enticing hook +

2)    A brief summary of your intentions and presentation of the essay +

3)    Your thesis statement (the main argument that you will seek to prove, or disprove) +

4)    The body of the essay (tackling the previous point) +

5)    A summary of your argument +

6)    A hard-hitting conclusion =

A well-structured essay

Here is a simple example of how this works in reality.

Once again, it is important to reiterate that there are different styles of essays, but that’s exactly where a template as provided by the likes of Linguix can make a big difference. The template library on Linguix offers all manner of options that fit differing needs.

And when you’re done, don’t forget to proofread!

The post Writing Your First College Essay appeared first on Linguix Blog.

Before we go deeper, it is crucial to review the main types of essays.

Narrative Essays

The first, and, arguably, the most popular essay type is a narrative essay. When writing such a piece, the student should tell a story about based on  experiences from real life. Narratives essay are usually written in the first person, which should help in engaging readers. An essay of this type should guide a reader to a form of conclusion or a personal statement.

Descriptive Essays

The main goal of the descriptive essay is to draw a picture with words. Usually the writer describes situations, people, or objects, while aiming to convey some deeper meaning via simple descriptions. Such texts deal with reader’s emotions, urging people to make their own conclusions based on what they have read.

Expository Essays

Expository essays involve an analysis of a specific topic using facts, statistics, or other research findings. In this case, facts are more important than emotions, so the writer should not convey to the reader his or her personal feelings even when writing in the first person.

Persuasive Essays

As can be ascertained from the name, the main goal here is to convince the reader through facts, logic, and a description of related situations. Such texts are perfect for using expert opinions, practical examples, etc.

There are actually more types of essays than are covered here. However, for most students, these four main types should suffice. Now as we have this sorted t, let’s move on to practical advice regarding making your texts better.

1. Come up with an idea

Though writing is hard, writing without a clear idea is even harder, and it is unlikely that you will end up with a good piece. So, before you even put pen to paper,  think about what you want to say with your text. The easiest way to solve this puzzle is to create a thesis and an argument. Once you’ve got these elements, you can move on to structuring your piece.

2. Create basic structure

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, so, to craft an excellent piece, you need to structure it properly. There is no need to include a lot of elements or sections: just follow the basics. Usually, an academic essay includes:

• an introduction including the  thesis;
• the body of the piece, which includes t separate paragraphs that communicate your main idea and support the thesis – try to use at least three supporting points ;
• a conclusion that connects all the elements and ties them to the thesis.

3. Fight writer’s block

Even when you’ve determined what type of essay you should write, what to say, and what structure to use, there is still such a thing as writer’s block which can stand in the way. Very often there are situations when you need to sit down and write, and you even know what you should write, but you just can’t. You feel that there is no creative bone left in your body; you are simply staring at a blank page, and nothing is happening.

There might be numerous causes of writer’s block: not the right time to write, fear of missing a deadline, unnecessary perfectionism. Or, if you a newbie to essay writing, a lack of writing experience.

The solution is simple — once your page is not blank, it becomes psychologically easier to continue writing. The secret is you don’t have to write a word yourself to get this first content down on the page. Simply use a template of an essay of the required type, and then change the initial text to reflect your thoughts, and then add more information. The content template library by Linguix.com is a perfect tool to use for fighting writer’s block:

4. Use an essay checker

Grammar, punctuation and style are crucial elements for a successful essay. You want your text to be as clean as a whistle so that the reader can understand your main points quickly. To avoid grammar mistakes you can use an English grammar corrector – a tool like Linguix.com that automatically corrects typos and any other writing mistakes.

An essay checker helps to ensure proper article and comma use, correct sentence structures, no tense errors, and so on. Also, such a tool helps you to eliminate wordiness: avoiding words that don’t add anything to your text and detract from your argument.

The post Writing Tips For Students: Types Of Essays And How To Make Them Perfect appeared first on Linguix Blog.

This may always have been true, but we live in the Twitter age where impressions must be made quicker than ever. Fortunately, essayists ae not usually faced with such impatience, but the art of an expertly crafted opening salvo is as valuable as ever.

So, don’t bore the reader to tears (and lose them) by dully stating what your essay will set out to achieve. Instead, unleash a stylish first sentence that will leave a ravenous audience hungry for more.

1. “There can be no doubt”

Example sentence: There can be no doubt that while social media has brought about many issues that society is struggling to deal with, it has fundamentally changed the way we communicate.

Typical structure:  There can be no doubt that __________.

Note: Being categorical in your assertion, whether the reader agrees with you or not, is an attractive quality in an essay, and immediately provokes interest.

2. Introduce surprising outcomes with conjunctions of contrast or conditionals

Example sentence:  Despite the increasing pressures of parenting in the digital age, becoming a parent continues to be one of the joys of life.

Typical structure: Despite/In spite of/Even though__________, __________ continue(s) to __________.

Note: Conjunctions of contrast are ready-made for introducing surprising statistics or facts that hook the reader into wanting to discover the reason for this phenomenon. Similarly, conditional sentences using ‘if’ are effective in revealing surprise results.   

3. “It is not this, but it is this”

Example sentence: Prioritizing is not a component of good management, it is an essential building block.

Typical structure:   __________ is not a __________, it is a __________.

Note:  Being categorical is a consistent theme when it comes to great essay beginnings, and here is another example. Inform the reader of a typical misconceptions with this highly impactful opening.

4. “All but vanished”

Example sentence: Humility has all but vanished from the celebrity-riddled world of modern politics.

Typical structure: __________ has all but vanished from ___________. 

Note: Something has not completely disappeared if it has all but vanished, but is a dying concept, and often something that will be greatly missed or enthusiastically celebrated when it has gone. This opening leads the reader to lament the loss of a positive quality or feel relief as to the soon-to-be departed negative, and either way results in them wanting to discover what the future holds.

5. Make an impactful statement of equality using “just as”

Example sentence: Just as music can help relax us in times of stress, it can also lead to improved workout performance.

Typical structure: Just as __________, it can also___________.

Note: This structure allows a statement of equality but in a way that reveals it in a way that is both emphasized and dramatic in its delivery – both very attractive attributes of a successful opening sentence.

6. “Imagine a world without something, where everything is better/worse”

Example sentence: Imagine a world without bigotry, where people respect each other’s beliefs without question.

Typical structure: Imagine a world without __________, where __________.

Note: Appealing to a reader’s base emotions is a long-cherished technique used by dramatists, novelists and essayists, and there can be no greater example than appealing to a reader to imagine a world without something they hold dear, or indeed provoke ideas of a better world free from a particular evil. 

7. Categorically announce the need for something being ubiquitous

Example sentence: People’s need for love is the same wherever in the world you may visit.

Typical structure: __________’s need for _________ is __________.

Note: Once again, this is a real statement of intent that your essay will be unwavering it its opinions. Whether the reader agrees or disagrees, interest is piqued.

8. State how most/the majority of people would agree on something

Example sentence: Most people would agree that supermarkets have had a detrimental effect on the high street shopping experience.

Typical structure:  Most/The majority of people would agree that ________.

Note: This type of brave opening sentence works equally effectively if the reader agrees or disagrees – both are valuable assets when you are encouraging a reader to stay with you. And you are deliberately avoiding the use of all people, so it is very difficult to argue against it one way or the other.

9. Provoke a reaction by stating that someone or something is often accused or something

Example sentence: Politicians have often been accused of making populist policies.

Typical structure: _______ is/are often accused of ________.

Note: Once again, this particularly structure can work if the reader agrees or disagrees with the assertion – both are desirable reactions. 

10. Introduce fatalism by stating that something is an inherent aspect of the human psyche

Example sentence: The desire to protect one’s family against the perceived threat of outsiders in an inherent aspect of the human psyche.

Typical structure:  _____ is an inherent aspect of the human psyche. 

Note:  Stating things that may or may not be an inherent part of the human psyche is a topic of great debate, and the possibilities are almost limitless. Either way, that’s a great way to get the reader involved, and you are making a bold statement that they can relate to.

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