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How to Start Essays?

I Hate Systems

Hello.

I'm a lost and lonely little Junior Freshman doing SH English. Got my essay titles there the past week, and I'm gonna attempt a start on the American Genres one.

Just wondering, how to start it?

Should there be a little introduction like, stating the module name, TA, question chosen, my name and college number and then go straight into the meat of the essay? Or I could just start the essay as one did in the leaving and shcribble me ole name and number on the top of the sheet? jks.

Any general advice would be greatly appreciated. Fricken hating English and not looking forward to doing these essays at all, at all.

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Sir Ophiuchus

You'll be attaching the School of English's cover page to it, which gives all that information (name, course, TA, student number), so skip it for now.

Jump in. Open clearly. Don't start with a definition or a quote.

Also, you hate English? That's a bad sign, since you're apparently going to be doing it for the next four years.

I Hate Systems

Yep, 'tis a terrible sign. Had no idea what I was getting myself into last February when the CAO came calling. I now spend my free hours standing by the Architecture section of Hodges and Fidges regretting my life choices.

Thanks for the reply, its cleared things up a bit.

Sir Ophiuchus

No problem. Also, go talk to your tutor about feeling burned out / disinterested in the course. I was in a similar position in first/second year and ended up transferring.

I Hate Systems

Thanks again, man. Hoping to stick it out for first year and transfer to something tolerable for the start of 2nd year. Dyou mind me asking if the process is very tedious? I was going to transfer before the October date but was too chicken to follow though.

Sir Ophiuchus

It's extremely tedious and expensive, they're absolutely rigid about deadlines (I couldn't transfer at the end of first year because I submitted the application a week late, so I had to wait a year), and tutors often don't know the actual details of it (I was given false information).

You know you'd be transferring back to first year, and would have to pay full fees for that year, right?

Go talk to the SU Education Officer and your tutor, so you at least have some idea of your options. Worst case scenario, they can at least help you get engaged with your current course for the moment.

languagenerd

Some general essay advice:

I Hate Systems wrote: »

Should there be a little introduction like, stating the module name, TA, question chosen, my name and college number and then go straight into the meat of the essay? Or I could just start the essay as one did in the leaving and shcribble me ole name and number on the top of the sheet? jks.

Don't do this! Put all that info on your cover-sheet or in the header at the top, not in your opening paragraph. Don't start your essay with "The question I am answering is X...." because you'll already have that in your title at the top of the first page. Try not to use "I" in an academic essay (unless you've been asked to write a personal response), they tend not to like that.

I see no problem with starting with a (relevant) quote though - Sir Ophiuchus, why do you say not to do that? I've done that for a few literature essays (not for the English dept though, for Spanish & French, writing in English) and got over 70 in a couple of them...

In your introduction, you need to state what you're going to discuss in the essay - but have an interesting opening statement first, whether it's about the theme/image/idea in the question or just the background to whatever play/novel/poem you're writing about. Don't jump straight into "This essay will discuss X, analyse Y and conclude with Z" without opening up the essay first. Aim to make the reader want to read on.

Before you start writing, make a plan. I used to hate making plans (esp in school) but it's worth it, because it's really easy to waffle/repeat yourself. Decide how you're going to approach the question and maybe make a list of paragraphs and what you're going to talk about in each one. You'll need to use secondary sources (critics) at some point. In first year, I took to writing the essay and adding quotes from secondary sources when it was done, but that method really didn't work from second year on. Now I take notes from critics before writing the essay and put them in as I go along. Whatever works for you though

Finally, if you're really hating your course, talk to your tutor or your professors as soon as you can! No point being miserable for four years (or even one year). Maybe you'll grow to like it, but if you don't, change! You'll be better off in the long run and won't end up full of "what ifs"...

Sir Ophiuchus

languagenerd wrote: »

I see no problem with starting with a (relevant) quote though - Sir Ophiuchus, why do you say not to do that? I've done that for a few literature essays (not for the English dept though, for Spanish & French, writing in English) and got over 70 in a couple of them...

I've done it myself, but I know that a lot of tutors/lecturers think it's overused. To the degree that they actively applaud papers that don't do it.

Also, your advice is excellent and I second it.

The Black Oil

I haven't studied English at third level, so I don't know what's expected.

Anyway, I always put my name, student number, module, course, etc in the header in the event that the school's cover sheet went astray.

As for intros, I usually did something like - 'Historically, the field of disability has been dominated by the medicalised, professional perspective. Disabled people have typically been excluded from mainstream society. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. The current paper examines whether traditional approaches to counselling are effective for Deaf people. It begins with a discussion on the medical and social models of disability, followed by a review of the research literature exploring _______'.

etc etc
I think you can always revamp the intro afterwards, though.

I never used 'I' and would very rarely used quotes. English might be different. Good luck.

steveone

this one time at bandcamp........

(sorry couldn't resist...you got all the good tips already ha !!)

FloatingVoter

The Black Oil wrote: »

I haven't studied English at third level, so I don't know what's expected.

Anyway, I always put my name, student number, module, course, etc in the header in the event that the school's cover sheet went astray.

As for intros, I usually did something like - 'Historically, the field of disability has been dominated by the medicalised, professional perspective. Disabled people have typically been excluded from mainstream society. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. The current paper examines whether traditional approaches to counselling are effective for Deaf people. It begins with a discussion on the medical and social models of disability, followed by a review of the research literature exploring _______'.

etc etc
I think you can always revamp the intro afterwards, though.

I never used 'I' and would very rarely used quotes. English might be different. Good luck.

I've got a thesis to get ready. Mind if I copy off that...?:)

[Deleted User]

I Hate Systems wrote: »

Thanks again, man. Hoping to stick it out for first year and transfer to something tolerable for the start of 2nd year. Dyou mind me asking if the process is very tedious? I was going to transfer before the October date but was too chicken to follow though.

Why don't you try to meet up with some second/third/fourth years and sit down with them with a cup of tea and just talk about the next few years to see what you think? I transferred out of my course in January 2003 having started it in October 2002. It's worth contacting your tutor as if you transfer before a certain date you won't have to pay fees as you'll be continuing your studies (your tutor and/or the SU Education Officer will advise the exact date (or you can look up the college calendar yourself).

Usually to transfer you need to have the points to get into the course you want, any subject requirements (like if you need Honours Maths etc.) and for there to be no timetabling issues. For me all it took was a meeting or two with my tutor, and for the school/department to sign off on it. This might have changed as you'll have noticed from the above dates that I'm out of undergraduate Trinity a good bit.

Seriously, it's easy for all of us to put the worries at the backs of our minds and hope for the best but if something just isn't right then maybe consider doing something early. It'll do no harm to ask around. Best of luck with whatever you choose.

...moving back on topic, try to structure what you really want to say, beginning, middle, end. That's how my brain works anyways!