How to Structure a University Essay?
You will find countless articles on the internet that tell you the most effective ways to construct an essay ready for a university level. But in reality, most of these articles target people who are already at the professional level. Using jargons and unfamiliar words and steps not suited for beginners. When you enter a university, most of your professors will assume that you have already developed your writing skill. But writing is a skill that takes a lot of practice. It may even take years to master this craft. Even professionals sometimes encounter writing blues in their career, what more when you are just a mere college student. There are other ways to produce a well-structured essay, such as ordering from an academic writing service such as WriteMyEssay4Me. But if you want to indulge yourself in the writing process, we will show you easy and simple steps that will help you write an essay worthy at a university level and even wow your college professors.
PLANNING STAGES
In everything we do, it is always best to have a plan if some things don’t go the way we want them. Doing things blindly can cause things to turn for the worst. It is the same when writing your college paper. Taking a risk without fully knowing what you will do, writing, or writing a proper essay will significantly compromise your grades. It is crucial to have an essay structure plan to overview the things to expect in your writing. Here are some of the essential phases when planning to write a perfect essay:
Understanding the question
Students’ most common mistakes are jotting down all their ideas in the paper, but they will forget to answer the main questions. When professors give essays as an assignment or a reflection, they often come with a question you need to answer. Most students get sidetracked by putting all the information they have, far from the central point. Make sure that you know what the question you need to answer is. Take your time to understand the question at hand and forgo any information unnecessarily to make your point.
- Take note of the guide question. Often professors provide guide questions for their students to help them construct the paper easily.
- If the question is too broad, narrow it down. Go to its very core. Set your limits. Choose the parts of the problem that are most relevant to you and your field. Anything unnecessary will make your paper lengthy and boring to read.
- Does the question drive you to conclude a specific answer, or is it opinion-based? When the questions need particular answers, such as facts and evidence from solid research. You can share opinions but always have credible sources to back it up. And when your opinion can answer the questions, make sure to have a strong claim or argument and drive straight to the point. There is no need to go in circles.
- Your title should give an overview of the content.
Form the thesis statement
The thesis statement is the part of the essay where you identify the topic you will discuss in your report, its main points, and your target audience. It is essential to the readers that they know what they are going into. From the beginning of the paper, you should attract their interest if you want them to read your report and its entirety. Remember that the thesis statement is only the overview of your whole essay. It should be short and concise and do not give everything away. This part will build the anticipation of your readers, and they will have to expect to read your point in the statement when they read your arguments in the body of the paper.
Make a plan
If you now understand the question and ready to introduce your topic and its central points, you are now prepared to layout your essay planning:
- Outlining will help you stay on track with your topic. This way, you can avoid adding certain information that will sidetrack your presentation of ideas. Having an outline will make you see if you still have lacking information or if you have to remove unnecessary details.
- Is your essay’s goal to persuade or to inform? What is your essay’s purpose, and how will it affect your target audience when they read it? Keep these things in mind.
- What will be the tone of your delivery? Confident and strong? Passive-aggressive? The way you deliver your content will affect how the audience will see it. So, choose the proper way to achieve the goal you want for your audience.
STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY
After all that planning, it is time to draft your essay. Here are the three main components of the paper and what are things should be included when you write them:
Introduction
These are your starting statements. This is the part where you describe your topic and present its main points and ideas. On this part, your readers should already know what you are talking about. An introduction should be clearly stated. It should be presented using strong and confident words. By doing this, you can gain your readers’ attention, making them curious and want to read more.
Main Body
A good essay structure includes the main body. In this part of the report, the audience should be able to see your arguments. This is where you should present your claims and prove to them that they are absolute. To make it more credible, including previous works of a present concrete example of your arguments. Stating facts from books, publications or interviews will raise the validity of your point. Do not add too much information on the subject matter when it is not necessary. Drive straight to the point of your arguments.
Write the concluding paragraph
It is also important to finish strong. In conclusion, you need to summarize the entirety of your essay. Collect your central points and show you, readers, how it all ultimately connects. Avoid repeating yourself using different words. You can end an essay by posing a new question that builds up into your topic. Make a conclusion that will have lingering effects even after the audience finishes reading. An essay is well-written when it leaves an impact on its readers.
Now that you know what a university essay structure looks like, you can now make a college essay that will easily amaze your peers and professors. Writing is not an easy task, so don’t be down when you don’t get it in your few first tries. Practice makes perfect.
Author of the article:
When it comes to writing, Darren Barden has been coaching since 2015. He has been responsible for teaching his students how to use English as a language to create articles and news stories. He has supervised numerous great writers who have become content providers for WriteMyEssayForMe.co.uk.