Writing a winning academic essay made easy

Essays are common  class room  as signments  used to  test your knowledge as well as your writing skills. A great essay will follow some basic rules in addition to fulfilling your institutions requirements on  essay writing.

To many students, writing an essay can pose several challenges. As such most   students end up with poor or average essays.You  can however  make  your av erage  essay  a great  essay.

1. This is how Choose your topic wisely. Sometimes you may not have a choice about thetopic as it may have been decided by the requirements but if you do, choose a topic that is simple, interesting to you and current.Prepare.
2. Think about everything you will  need  and  put  things down  onpaper as they come to you. What  type of essay is best suited to your personality, is it a persuasive, argumentative, descriptive essay etc.
3. Create an outline to make your work organized and keep your audience in mind.
4. Devote sufficient time to writing a great introduction and thesis statement.
5. The body section should be used to present your arguments. Each paragraph should consist of one well supported idea. You should ensure a logical and a smooth transition from one idea to the other and one paragraph to the next.
6. Write a conclusion that sums up your argument and calls your audience to action.Edit and proofread your work. 
7. Remove sentences that are repeated andthose that do not make sense. Correct spelling mistakes, typos and grammar. You can have a friend read your work and critique it.

Following  these  simple rules will greatly improve your essay. It is important tostart writing your essay at the earliest possible moment without waiting for a“moment of inspiration”. Ideas will flow better when you start writing not before.

Remember that you will edit your essay afterwards.Writing an essay introduction The introduction  of  your essay will determine whether  the  reader  continues reading the rest of the essay or not, whether your audience gets a positive or negative  impression  of  your  essay.

A good introduction  should  grab  the reader’s attention and give them an idea of your objective.
It gives  your  reader a point of entry to your essay.

Attention grabber An  introdu ction beg ins  with an orienta tion which is  a gener al discussion 
of yo ur topic that moves  to a very specific s tatement of the core argument  also  known  as  the thesis  s tatement. An attention grabbings tatement is oftentimes  used  to draw the reader’s  interest. Here are

• Use a  remarkable but accurate statement that may or may not be new to your reader. This sentence should be elaborated by a sentence or two.
• Use a relevant story that illustrates the point you are maki ng. The story  should  be short and appropriate so be careful.
• Dramatize the central issue by a key example, quotation (Bring theissue to life).
• Avoid long winded expositions and instead let the reader know what you are going to discuss without doing so.
• Use  correct  grammar  and  stay  away  from  slang,  complex sentences  and difficult vocabulary.Keep in mind that your reader may be having many other essays to go through.

Thesis statement
A thesis statement basically a state what  is your paper is saying/proving. It  is your main point or unifying message. This is where you stick your neck out as you stake a claim/assertion. You  can   adjust it as you look at examples,evidence, statistics, expert testimony facts and figures etc.
Example:
“Dropout rates as high as 42% show that affirmative action programs bringing disabled students into national universities have not worked.”
“Although many affirmative action students drop out, those who graduate often have professional careers and serve as role models for other disabled students.” Remember,  a   good  introduction
should:

•    Open the main issues of the question
•    Indicate the way the question will be addressed
•    Outline how the essay is structured
•    Offer a statement of the types of conclusion to be drawn.

Finally, make it easy to transit seamlessly from your introductory paragraph to the body.