Writing Sample Essays: Why You Should Write Exclusively on Your Terms

Writing Sample Essays: Why You Should Write Exclusively on Your TermsI'm sure many of you reading this have been asked to write a sample student essay, and although I always hope that they'll be very happy with the result, it's likely that this will never happen. However, if they are given no previous writing experience, then it's certainly possible to write a sample essay on their own terms and style - and I've got a few tips for you below!Firstly, I must stress that when it comes to a writing sample essay, there is no need to provide them with the work, or you're not writing it, as you can simply refer to the reading list. The writing sample should contain facts and information that they should be able to research using just their notes - it should be incredibly simple and yet very effective.For example, when I'm required to write a writing sample essay, I try to focus on the structure of the article. One of the main problems students face when reading essays is that they end up wi th a feeling of bewilderment and confusion as they're trying to piece together and fill in pieces of the puzzle.So, before the essay is even completed, it's vital that I have them working on this piece of work and in order to get them off to a good start I ask them to come up with a sentence that summarizes a specific idea, one that they will be able to use later on. In this way, they can show that they understand the points being made within the essay by being able to refer back to the article and summarise the points that they already know.If, for example, they have recently read about the way that cars were designed, then the first thing that they may want to do is to discuss some of the things that they think may have led to these initial ideas, the costs involved and so on. Once they have put these down in the essay, the research that they have done will really help them make sense of it.Also, bear in mind that, because of the academic environment, most students have already be en struggling with their English for quite some time, so it's very likely that they won't have completed their essays at the end of last year. So, when they finish writing a writing sample essay, it's vital that they use this as an opportunity to actually improve their grades - and by improving their grades, I don't just mean the grades that they get on their final exams.What I mean by this is that by improving their essay writing, it's helping them to understand the issues that their teacher is asking them to focus on - and this will help to make them more confident in their own ability to understand the subject that they are being taught. This will also help to show that they are able to grasp different subjects, and is a key point that teachers strive to encourage.The truth is that a high school student isn't just going to come out of this writing process any more knowledgeable than when they went in - but it's still a great opportunity for them to improve, and this is where your involvement and guidance can really help. So, next time you're asked to write a writing sample, don't be afraid to ask them to do so on your terms, or better still, ask them to come up with a new essay based on the information that you've asked them to research!