Writing essays is a regular part of university life—whether answering examination questions in essay form or reporting the results of one’s research efforts through a term paper. It’s not unusual if some students find this essential skill very difficult.
A recently-graduated student from the Intercultural Studies and Languages (ICIC) program (with a concentration in Literary and Cultural Studies or LCS), Ms. Pichaya Neeranadpuree, shares some useful tips in writing an essay. And she definitely knows what she speaks of. After all, her essay entitled, “The Importance of Asia-Europe Ties: Promoting Diverse Cultures,” won in the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) 25th Anniversary Essay Competition and as a result was included in its 2023 anthology publication. She is now an intern at Goethe-Institut Bangkok’s Library Department while awaiting the start of the first semester at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) in The Netherlands where she will attend the MA English Literature in Visual Culture program.
So here’s Ms. Pichaya’s short list of tips that can potentially help students improve their essay writing skills.
- Understand the purpose of the essay you’re working on.
- In case of an essay competition, be aware of the organization’s goals and values to set a clearer direction for your paper. The same goes to other academic writings—knowing what you wish to achieve is the key.
- Make a list of ideas you wish to incorporate in the essay and later organize them into main points. This technique works well for organizing and prioritizing your thoughts.
- Read to learn, not to copy. Reading other people’s works will give you some alternative ways to accomplish your writing purpose. Of course, it’s better not to directly copy their techniques but rather see them as a guide to establish your own style.
- Constant practice cannot be neglected. I recommend integrating writing into your daily routine: a personal diary or a short writing prompt is sufficient. This way you won’t forget the vocabulary you’ve built up and also grow familiar with your personal voice.
- Don’t be attached too much to the first draft. Sometimes, redoing the whole paper isn’t even a waste of time. You learn more as your work progresses, so, naturally, it ignites new thoughts. Some adjustments are inevitable and what matters is that you get to polish it in the final draft.
These six tips would surely give interested students a head start in improving their essay-writing skills.
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If you have the talent and passion for writing, you can further hone your skills at the Intercultural Studies and Languages Program’s (ICIC) Literary and Cultural Studies Concentration (LCSC). Click this link for more details: https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/programs/undergraduate-programs/humanities-and-language/major-in-intercultural-studies-and-languages/
