Essay Writing for High School Students
High school is a crazy, fast-paced and exciting time for students. The blossoming of independence has begun, the passage into adulthood, the eventual journey to college – high school is, more or less, the gateway to a student’s future. This bright future can be dampened, though, by the onset of high school essays. These repetitive and increasingly common assignments are an ongoing nightmare for high school students. Many high school individuals are unfamiliar or unskilled at essay writing, and their GPA suffers as result. In many ways, this isn’t fair – especially if the student is putting in 110% otherwise!
Here’s a secret: essay writing doesn’t have to be difficult. If high school students stuck to a few simple rules, they’d be able to get through these assignments faster and easier. Those smart and simple rules include:
Know what the essay is asking
In high school, you’ll encounter a diverse range of essay styles. While they may all share a similar format, they differ greatly in the writing requirements. Students will encounter persuasive essays, informative essays, personal essays and other essay types that differ in their approach and purpose. The trick is to always understand (a) what kind of essay you’re writing, (b) what subject, topic or argument the essay is about, and (c) what your position or thesis is. Understand these basic tenants and you’ll be better able to tackle any kind of essay.
Schedule yourself
This can be as simple as setting aside one hour, every day, to write your essay. Many times students are under serious time restraints, so managing writing time effectively can mean the difference between an outstanding essay and a rush disaster. Make sure you stick to a writing schedule or set deadlines for certain points in your writing.
Follow the golden essay rules
Essays all have the same fundamental format; you need an introduction that presents your thesis; body paragraphs that present evidence or arguments for that thesis, and a conclusion that sums up your findings while answering your thesis. If you ensure that these pieces are there, you’re already halfway finished with the essay.
Get excited and creative
Sure, your essay may be a boring assignment on the American Revolution, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spice it up a bit. The more fun you have with an essay, the more likely you are to write it faster (and better) than your previous assignments. Come up with a catchy hook or incorporate a witty story. If possible, pick a subject, topic or argument you like and write about it. Stay excited, creative and enthused as much as you can – it will show in your writing.
