How to Write an Essay

When I arrived in the University of St. Andrews in 1984, I went to my first lecture in St. Salvator's. There was a new lecturer, and the first thing he said was:

"This is how you write an essay:

Title
Introduction
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 5
Analysis
Conclusion
References

You go to the library (now Google) to find the information you need about each point for each paragraph. Then you write your essay."

You want each paragraph to flow into the next paragraph in a sequential manner, so that your essay does not become disjointed. These words are mine, but the lecturer did say this.

It took him five minutes. No other lecturer in St. Andrews did this.

When you look inside a book, you may notice something similar:

Title
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Conclusion
References

It is quite simply about how you plan your project.


I would like to thank Dr. Peter McKiernan, now Professor of Management, for showing us the most important information I learned in my years in St. Andrews, my reward from Above after six years of Purgatory in an English public school. What Dr. McKiernan taught us in those five minutes has stuck in my mind ever since. It should be mandatory for all lecturers in every university and polytechnic to teach this to incoming students.