Exam essays are the necessary evil students have to go through from time to time. Even though the topics and disciplines may differ, there are some universal tips that can make your essay much better.
- Answer the main question
- Make a good plan
- Have 3 parts for each argument
- Good introduction and conclusion
- How much to write?
This may seem like the most obvious tip everyone knows as long as it is required by the exam. Yet, you will be surprised to know how many people get lost in the whole idea of an essay and fail to do this. Be sure you understand what the examiner wants from you and better refer to the question when writing.
This one will help you gather your thoughts and present the main arguments you are going to be talking about. Don’t get into too much detail – you can limit your plan to key phrases and main thoughts.
At the first part you should write your statement and the argument for this one, and explain it in the second part – even if it seems obvious to you, don’t skip the opportunity to show your knowledge. At the third part try to look at your own argument critically – this will show you can think well and analyze the facts rather than enumerate them.
This one is usually tricky. The thing is to provide a short summary of what you are going to talk about in the intro to your essay, and this can be clarifying the main concepts. And in the conclusion you should weigh the arguments and decide which are the strongest for you. Be sure not to repeat all the contents of the essay – this is the hardest part for most students.
It is in fact pretty vague – it there is no specific amount noted, be sure to write as much as needed to cover the topic. But if it says ‘one page’, don’t stop in the middle of essay when you reach this milestone – you should still get to the conclusion. Thus, don’t go minimalistic and remember – if you write more, you will have a higher chance of getting the right points covered.