• By Daniel Millions
• Published 08/14/2008
• Writing

Over the course of your studies, whether in high school or college, you will be required to write a multitude of essays on a wide range of topics. Therefore, it is imperative to your success that you can write superb and engaging essays, as without this skill, it is difficult to even pass a class. Constructing an essay is not as intimidating as it first appears, as long as you recognize the steps of writing and take in to account some helpful tips. Transitioning from high school to college can be a tough experience, as the general requirements for essays become harder. Also, professors often do not alert you to the new requirements, as they expect you to already know them. Sometimes the only way to become familiar with a different grading style is to write an essay normally and then read whatever comments are put on to it after it is graded. In this manner, you can adapt fairly quickly to a fresh environment and be as successful as you were in high school.

The major focus of a college essay is on analysis and critical thinking. High school essays usually require that you just demonstrate a basic understanding of the subject by simply reporting information. These essays test the student’s research skills more completely than their thinking capacity. Large portions of a college essay should focus on a small part of the topic, but elaborate on that part with intense analysis. It may take time to adjust to writing in this style, but after a few tries, it becomes much easier to craft a

n essay of this nature. To write the perfect essay, it is essential that you plan what you are going to say. By writing along as you go, your thoughts become disorganized and do not follow the flow than an essay should. Once you have finished the plan, start writing right away. It is easy to make a plan and then wait a few more days to actually start, so try hard to avoid this. Establish a clear direction and focus early on in the essay. A written work that jumps around and does not stay on one topic is usually not regarded well, and a lack of focus influences other parts of the essay. If you have already developed a plan, then staying relevant should not be difficult at all. To be able to write an essay, you must also be able to read essays. Digesting other writers essays that are of a similar topic to yours can give you new ideas and improve your general writing skills. There are plenty of essays available online, so there is no shortage of reading material. Take time to analyze each essay, as totally understanding one essay is better than having a slight comprehension of ten.

Once the essay is completed, it cannot be stressed enough to have it proofread, preferably multiple times. Reading it over yourself is good, but to get the most useful feedback, it is necessary to have someone else proofread your essay as well. Not only can they spot spelling and grammatical errors that may have evaded you, but they can also give you ideas on restructuring the format or adding/deleting a passage. There is no doubt that having a proofreader greatly increases your chances of a high grade.