essays are really simple - people just think of them with horror because it involves so much writing.
look at it this way. the most basic structure for an essay - which all GOOD essays follow, goes: intro -> point 1 -> point 2 -> point 3 -> conclusion.
usually you don't have enough time (in an exam situation) to put in more than 3 or 4 points. anything less is too short. anything more is too general - you're not going into enough detail.
so decide what your points will be. say, your essay is about change in society. point 1 could be about multiculturalism, with examples of multiculturalism in schools, in religion, and maybe some statistics comparing 1970 with 2000. you could also bring up some points about how multiculturalism isn't completely embedded in our society yet.
point 2 could be something about feminism. you could compare feminism in the 60s to feminism now. make a point, then justify it.
ditto any other points you want to bring up.
Depending on your nature + skill, you might want to write the introduction first, or you might want to write it last. i tend to write it first because i make up essays as i go along (around that basic structure), but many people leave it and the conclusion to the end.
INTRODUCTION: introduces the points you're going to talk about, IN ORDER. 'Mark' the points by using key words 'The issue of p
multiculturalism...' and don't go into detail - that's what the body of the essay is for.
CONCLUSION: wraps up your essay. you don't always have to restate your points, although if your essay is long you might feel this is necessary to refresh the marker's memory. try and finish it neatly and nicely - if you're running short of time, just FINISH it , don't leave a conclusion unfinished.
other things you have to be wary of in essays are repetition. if you've made a point, don't make it again two paragraphs down - it confuses the reader and they think 'hang on, i've read this before..'. if you think you've written something but you've forgotten, GO BACK AND CHECK. there's no 'can't turn back' policy on writing essays.
if you know you're an atrocious speller, write a shorter essay (or write faster) and go back and check your spelling right at the end. DON'T think 'oh they won't notice' - they WILL. it doesn't matter how good your points are, if you cannot spell 'Peter Skrzynecki' they'll think you don't know your stuff. You're meant to be studying him, after all.
If you're doing the HSC exam - ie, a timed exam situation - and you only have 3 hrs to write three essays, pace yourself. don't write essays which are going to be too long if you KNOW you can't finish in 40 minutes (that's about all the time you'll have). if you don't finish, leave it and move on to the next one. come back when you have time. getting 15/20 for a finished essay and 0/20 for one you didn't get time to start is NOT WORTH IT. getting 10/20 for one and 10/20 for the other is a much more satisfying outcome.
And finally: PRACTISE. you won't get better at writing essays overnight. TIME yourself - make sure you know how much you can write in 40 minutes. be wary of exam paper - the lines are 1cm spaced not 0.9cm like we're all used to (in books). you'll write a lot more in the exam than you're used to.
you don't always have to write essays to practise good essay technique. practise planning them out - look at trial questions and actually physically write out what points you're going to make (and brainstorm points that you COULD make). it's no use doing it 'in your head' - like maths you can't just say 'i know how to do that' and expect to be able to do it in an exam situation!
ok. i'm out of breath
any questions?
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