# How do you write essays? :(



## Teehee (Aug 7, 2005)

Aside from my social anxiety fears. I have no idea how to write university essays and I'm scared to death of flat out failure.

I was pretty good with high school essays, but teachers always said essays in university won't be the same. So they why the f* didn't they prepare us? :cry :mum 

I'm used to the 8 paragraph essay

Introduction + Three part thesis
Con Argument 1 Paragraph
Pro Argument 1 Paragraph
Con Argument 2 Paragraph
Pro Argument 2 Paragraph
Con Argument 3 Paragraph
Pro Argument 3 Paragraph
Conclusion
Works Cited

So really, how different are university essays?
Does anyone have online university essay guides?
I jus can't write an essay without someone telling me how it's supposed to be written.
I feel so stupid and unprepared for university :rain


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

That's exactly the point of the university essay, you have to develop your own style. They don't expect you to come in knowing how to do this and I know that most English teachers in college hate how formulaic high school writing is. Don't worry, they don't expect you to be good, that's why basically every freshman in the country takes a freshman only writing class.

You'll learn. It will be fine :hug


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## Teehee (Aug 7, 2005)

kikachuck said:


> That's exactly the point of the university essay, you have to develop your own style. They don't expect you to come in knowing how to do this and I know that most English teachers in college hate how formulaic high school writing is. Don't worry, they don't expect you to be good, that's why basically every freshman in the country takes a freshman only writing class.
> 
> You'll learn. It will be fine :hug


That's the thing  I don't have any English courses. So Im lost...


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

I think it really depends on the length allowed in your essay and the depth you want to delve into for your topic. If you only have a few pages you really need to adjust your structure depending on where your strongest arguments lie. 

Just in general, I totally recommend meeting with your prof or a Teaching Assistant (preferably, whoever is marking it) with an outline a few weeks before it is due, and ask for some input on how you have structured your paper.


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## SAgirl (Nov 15, 2003)

Try the owl at purdue. It's one of my favourite sites. Though, I never used it much last year, I will be this year. I dropped all classes where I had to write papers last year so this year is bound to be fun!


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## Brax (Jun 15, 2005)

kikachuck said:


> That's exactly the point of the university essay, you have to develop your own style. They don't expect you to come in knowing how to do this and I know that most English teachers in college hate how formulaic high school writing is. Don't worry, they don't expect you to be good, that's why basically every freshman in the country takes a freshman only writing class.
> 
> You'll learn. It will be fine :hug


You don't know how glad I am to hear that!


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

A lot of high school teachers love to freak out students with stories about how horrible university is. I think a lot of these teachers are bitter that university wasn't the wonderfully easy experience they thought it would be, and all their "warnings" are really just rants & raves. I get A's on most of my university papers, despite the fact that I am no great writer. As long as you plan out your paper, put some thought into it, and follow your prof's style recommendations to the letter, you will be fine.


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