6 Tips For Writing the Perfect Essay

It's coming to that time of year when we are suddenly bombarded with essay after essay and we all know this is the worst feeling. I have never been the type to just be able to write an essay of the top of my head and if I do, Im never really happy about it. We've all been writing essays since the early stages of high school an they've only ever got harder from there, so here are my 6 tips that I always go by to create my perfect essay!

1.

The most important, that I can stress enough, is to find a plan that works for you! I found mine many years ago and from that moment on, revising and preparing myself for an essay got a hell of a lot easier. Its so worth finding a plan that suits you because you can keep hold of it and use it whenever needed, to keep you on track! There are so many elements you need to include into a good essay that are almost impossible to remember just off the top of your head. Lucky for you, I am willing to share my trusty essay plan with you and I strongly suggests you try it out!

- Think really hard about your title and first sentence. Make them eye-catching and not generic, really capturing the readers attention. As we are catching attention its important to quickly explain what you're going to be talking about for the next several paragraphs. This will strike interest in your essay.

- Use profesional terminology. Thinking from the readers point of view, there is nothing more boring  than reading generic terminology over and over again. To introduce an educated, refreshed tone to your essay look up some alternates for common words, especially those at the start of a new sentence or paragraph. For example however, can be replaced by, without regards to. Also use terminology appropriate to your subject and remember to don't over do it! Or else you just sound like you're using big words to sound smarter. 

- Formulaic Structure. Very important. Of course the order is Introduction, Body, Conclusion but remember its asking your question, explain your findings/research, answering your question. Make sure every sentence has a purpose, if it doesn't discard it, and sentences and paragraphs link to each other fluidly. To be smart consider using a counter argument to show you understand how your topic can be viewed differently but make sure each paragraph advances your ideas. 

- Practice, Practice, Practice! Follow a clear guide and write as much as you can just to improve your structure and grammar, for example write a blog!

- Make sure grammar and vocabulary are 100% correct. If you don't proof read your essay, its clear for the reader to see and having errors in there instantly brings down your grade, which we don't want.

- Read the requirements for your essay! Make sure you're not writing your perfect essay for the wrong topic and study your brief before you start.

2.

Now moving onto more creative ways to help you with your essay, I like to start off by using a grid. I create 2/3 columns and on one side write the requirements from my brief and on the other side I go through my studies and fill in what can be placed where. And suddenly you have the basis for you essay!

I am currently writing an essay on applying and challenging Apocolypto (Mel Gibson 2006) to Joseph Campbell's universal narrative theory (The Hero With A Thousand Faces). This is the grid I used to gather my initial research.

3.

Once you have completed the graph, go through it and pick out relevant points. Because, trust me, you get a lot of information by doing this. Just simply create a rough list of the points you'll like to use and I personally write them in no order, just as i see them when looking through. Then later go back and colour mark each point and matching/connect them to each other and you'll begin to see potential paragraphs form, although this point is quite messy and unorganised it really works for me

4.

Now I've linked my points together into groups and I roughly know how many I am going to make in the essay. I once again, revisit the list and using small, different coloured, circle stickers, I label my groups from strongest to weakest. It is important in an essay that you start with your strongest point and end with your weakest! But in creative essays you have a bit more leeway with your order but its still helpful to do so because everything should be backed up with solid reason. Remember you picked these specific points out of many so even your weakest one is still a good one.

5.

Organising and expanding on your points is the next step, a very critical step also. Personally I like to do this using a series of bubbles and mind maps. I found over the years that I work better when begin creative and making my revision look appealing. But there are many other ways you could do it. Maybe a simple organised list, different coloured pens which represent each group, arrows, post it notes etc. Anything to just make your essay become clear. 

6.

The final step before starting your essay is to create a system which allows you to fully focus on what you're talking about at that particular time and also work out how to make your essay sound more fluid. For me, I use post it notes. I write a brief summary, usually in bullet points and number the post it note. For example, introduction, paragraph 1, paragraph 2 etc. By this point I have a clear idea of what I'm going to write but I still need something to give me that focus. So I take the post it notes one by one and once I've covered the post it note I discard it and grab another one. And all of sudden your essay is complete!

I really hope I was able to help you with your essay and that this system works for you! All comments and suggestions are welcome below.

Thanks!