Essays are the most popular tasks for students in every country, because it is a universal exercise. It shows the knowledge of the subject, the ability to express opinions, to work with sources and others. But students, as a rule, don’t like this type of tasks, because it requires a lot of work to do.
However, essays turn into a disaster with foreign students who
study in Europe. The problem is each country, according to different culture, has its own ways of expressing minds and opinions. Even if the system of education is the same, students’ traditions can vary. So when you come to another country for studying, you should be ready to write many essays. In this article we will give you the main tips for writing an essay in foreign country!
Structure of Essays
The question of structure is the most universal one, because almost all countries have the same one. However, it’s really important to follow the rules of structure, because it may influence your mark. To begin with, you need to know the amount of words you need to write. It may be not specifically words, but symbols, sentences etc. In any case, before writing you should specify the size of an essay.
Written work, in most cases, consists of the title, introduction, essay body and conclusions. Title is the name of the essay, reflecting the topic of your text. Introduction consists of a couple of sentences (from 2 to 4) that explain the topic of the essay. The main part, or the essay body, includes from 2 to 3 paragraphs, describing the essence of the work. Conclusion is a short result of your essay. It has from 2 to 4 sentences summarizing the whole text.
Little Tips for Essay
Of course, these tips may be useful for all students, but they are extremely important for foreigners.
- 1. Follow the Structure
It’s really important, since native students are used to the structure and may not worry about it, while foreigners need to create a habit for that. For this purpose you can use plans of an essay from the beginning. It would be great to create a general structure for all essays and then use it for writing plans for specific texts.
- 2. Be Ready to Discuss Any Topic
When you come to another country, your native culture will disappear from your student life. You may have to write an essay on topic which is prohibited in your motherland, and you need to be ready for it. The best is to find out the most popular topics for essays in the university and be ready for them.
- 3. Style of an Essay
It’s important to define an appropriate style. The style of writing an essay should be semi-formal or formal. Do not use slang and word abbreviations. If you want to understand this question, you should ask older students for some examples of essays, so can read them and see for yourself what you should do. Besides, try to write short sentences and don’t write about your personal life.
- 4. Be Respectful
It’s a big problem when foreigners want to present their culture and they humiliate other cultures. This aspect is really important in your essays. Remember that your professors aren’t from your country and they won’t understand your view on life from your side. Use some phrases that can make your essay look softer, as “I think.” Using “I am sure” in this case will look more aggressive, which is very bad. But it’s vital to never write anything disrespectful to other cultures.
Following these simple pieces of advice will make it easier for you to write an essay when you are a foreign student. Before starting to write, find out about the rules of essays in your university as much information as you can – it will help you to avoid mistakes! And don’t be afraid to ask your professors and fellow students for help.
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