Is there a website that can help one write good college essays? And if so, can someone give me those websites?

Question

I'm stuck with writing essays for colleges. Its kinda difficult, although I know I have the potential. I just need another push. So please, can someone give me several websites that can aid me in writing terrific essays? Thank you very much for your help.

Answer 1

I use the Purdue University's OWL site. It starts you out with:

1) How to figure out your topic or thesis (how can you write without a good idea of what it's about?)

2) How to create an outline (with an example outline)
This sounds like a wasted step, but it really helps you write your paper because it helps you organize your information

3) How to write your paper, using your outline

4) How to proofread your paper

5) The site also provides additional information about writing under "General Academic Writing", under the navigation bar on the right side of each web page

Here's the OWL web address:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

Good luck!

Answer 2

Oh sweetie, I feel for you. You should have learned how to write essays in High School, and if you didn't, I'm really sorry that your local education system failed you.

The key to writing a good essay is structure. A very basic essay should have five paragraphs:

1. Introduction & Thesis (explain why you are writing the essay. Introduce your topic and what you are going to say about it).

2. First point in support of your thesis

3. Second point in support of your thesis.

4. Third point in support of your thesis.

5. Conclusion (restate your thesis and *briefly* sum up why your points support your thesis).

Longer essays still need an introduction and conclusion, but may have more than three points, or may have more than one paragraph to explain each point.

Beyond that, the important things are research and style. If you quote somebody it, cite it (either in the text, with footnotes or with endnotes, depending on what your school or or your professor prefers). Find a copy of either Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style" or the "Associated Press Stylebook" and read them. Follow their recommendations. Try to write in clear, concise prose. Leave flowery language for poetry class, not essays.

USE SPELLCHECK!

After you've written your essay, leave it for a day and re-read it. May sure it still says what you want it to say. Then give it to a friend or family member to proof read for you. Sometimes we skip over our own mistakes, because we're thinking about what we *meant* to say rather than what we actually wrote. A fresh set of eyes can spot those errors for you. Then edit it, print out a clean copy and you're good to go.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm in the same place, I'll just watch this quest.