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How can anyone possibly enjoy this task?
Does anyone enjoy it?

I raise these questions in light of my recent attempts at writing an essay. The essay question was this:

"Outline the main roles of the record company and how these roles are fulfilled by different types of organisation, from one-man to major."

1200-1500 words.

And no I'm not asking for help, I finished the fucker an hour ago. I would, however, like some advice on general essay approach tactics and your favourite method of diverting attention when faced with such a task (writing an essay).

For myself, I always used to enjoy bringing it round to whatever was really on my mind at the time. Every subject in my access course became a philosophy essay. "The Great Gatsby, an existentialist reading'', for example.

PS. This might not work if what's really on your mind is maths. Or pussy.

was this an essay you were writing because you wanted to or was it some kind of assignment? it's human nature to not enjoy doing things you don't want to do but have to. and writing is generally not the easiest thing in the world to do...even for people who like to do it. i hate writing essays for assignments, even when i llike what i'm writing about. but when i write things just because I want to do it, I really enjoy it. It could be the same subject. I hate being on other peoples schedules or being told i have to do something that i know that i'm completely capable of doing well. I'd rather spend my time working on something that i don't do so well so that i can get better at that.

i usually like writing papers a lot unless i have to write about the wixarika, but i still got an a on that one! i usually start my papers atleast a week before they are due. i can not do a paper the night before it is due. i would stress out like crazy.

I used to enjoy doing it because I had this whole algorithm for it that made it pretty easy.
First of all, I would wait until the last minute, the night before, or sometimes as late as a few hours before it was due.
Next, I would take the book or books I had used to research (this was the only part I did in advance, skimming books and making scribblings on post it notes) and flip through them looking at what I'd got.
Then I'd decide on my 3 body points. It was pretty easy for me to figure out what these were, because they can just be anything you can talk on for a bit.
I made a rough outline.
Then, I'd type the thing out from the outline as fast as I could. Intro: Grabber, topic sentence, transition. Body topic 1, 2, 3. Concl: restatement, issues for further study, closer.
Then I'd read it out loud to proof it, and type out the bibliography.

I haven't written a paper in a few years now that I'm doing the science deal. Every once in a while when I'm writing code or something I miss it.

The best advice for essay writing (and I wrote fucking hundreds of 'em) is to think before you write.

It seems obvious, but I know many people who don't do it.

Think about the point you want to make, and how you want to make it. Think about the steps you want to make to proof your point. Make only one point and no more.

It also helps if you like what you write about. If you dislike the subject matter, maybe you can find an angle that you're interested in.

And remember it's an essay, which is French for "try-out". It doesn't have to be rock solid. The essay-format is for exploring things a little bit.

Intern_8033 wrote:What did you find unpleasant? Gathering content for the essay or organizing it and putting it into words?

I enjoy the research side of essays. I take pleasure from learning something I didn't already know, useful or not. It is the actual writing (or in this case, typing) of the essay that I don't like.

Given that essays are usually a way of finding out someone's thoughts on or knowledge of a subject, I would much rather sit down with a lecturer or whoever is handing out and simply discuss the subject matter. The lecturer can then assess the student's knowledge and grade it. The conversations can be recorded for further evaluation if neccessary.

Thank you to the people who have suggested ways of making it more enjoyable, but I have tried everything mentioned during the writing of previous essays to no avail. I just don't like them.

Keep the tips coming!

Nico Adie wrote:"Outline the main roles of the record company and how these roles are fulfilled by different types of organisation, from one-man to major."

1200-1500 words.

1500 words? That's nothing!

My advice - leave it 'til the last minute, eg. the night before to kick off. Then, go to the library. At home you'll just drink cups of tea and smoke cigarettes (if you smoke). Now, write your name etc. and the title. Bingo! You've made a start. Now, go on the net and check your email. Maybe write a reply to that guy who sent you an email last week. Better see if there are any bargains on Ebay. Ok, back to the essay. Read the question a few times. Think about the shit your gonna write about. Now, you may wish to write down the points you will mention on a bit of scrap paper. Next, use your best friend Google to see if he knows much on the subject. Now you need to evaluate how much plagiarism you can get away with.

Ok, now everything is clear in your head. Have a glimpse at the points you will mention. Now write a few sentences introducing the question and essay - maybe in a historical context if need be. Next you need to spraff for about 1000 words in between copying text from thye net. If you get stuck, just make something up that sounds believable and sound as if you mean it. When you've got roughly enough, get a conclusion down that is slightly over the top or exaggerated to make it sound like you've taken an interest.

I have been following this routine for years and it has never failed me once. The last essay I wrote was about industrial process optimisation. Dull as ditch-water. Anyway, I could only find industrial stuff relating to China. I decided to start writing crap that I was partly making up and wrote a large section on China's industry and economy. After handing the essay in and telling someone about the shit I had written, they pointed out that the guy who was marking it was in fact Chinese. Oops!

sunlore wrote:The best advice for essay writing (and I wrote fucking hundreds of 'em) is to think before you write.

It seems obvious, but I know many people who don't do it.

Think about the point you want to make, and how you want to make it. Think about the steps you want to make to proof your point. Make only one point and no more.

I would agree that this is the most important point. When you know what you are writing about, or have made opinions, the essay becomes clearer and easier to write.

Rodabod wrote:Next, use your best friend Google to see if he knows much on the subject. Now you need to evaluate how much plagiarism you can get away with.

Be aware, though, that schools and universties now use software that will detect copy/pasting from the net, flawlessly.

I'm just saying.

Be aware.