Tips for Undergraduates: How to Start Writing an Essay
The beginning of writing is always painful. You may feel uncertain about your ideas, you may feel that you have not studied enough, you may feel that your writing skills are inadequate. All these feelings may or may not be true. At some point, though, you should brush them aside, sit in front of the computer and start writing.
The best way to start is by writing your… conclusions. Do not bother with the introduction or the main text. Jump directly into the conclusions. By the time you begin your essay you should have read the books, done the research and formed an idea about what you want to prove and how. The distillation of all this knowledge will obviously appear in your conclusions. Once you have written this most essential paragraph, it will be easier to construct a logical argument around it. Your aims will be clear and, therefore, the logical steps you need to take will be well defined.
Good luck!
I agree wholeheartedly, and this was how I approached all my essays. I can’t have been far off the mark, since I got a First! However, the crux of this proposition lies in your statement: “By the time you begin your essay you should have read the books, done the research and formed an idea about what you want to prove and how. ” Some students have the habit of skipping this point!!
Well said! I am working on my History Seminar paper, and it is was tough getting started. It has to be between 20 and 30 pages. I thought I would never be able to craft anything remotely close, but I am finding myself having to trim some of it. Writing about history is fun! That is why I do it for class and liesure on my blog! This is a great post. Thanks
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