Essay writing is not only a method of academic assessment or winning prizes, but also an art, which is a bit tricky rather than easy. It is an art of reporting and describing a certain topic in a competitive way. Writing a good essay requires not only storytelling skills but also a good story presentation too. There are various reasons why short essay contests are held here in the UK. First, the sole purpose is to discover essay writing talents from students in the community. Essay contests present opportunities for winning money, honorary awards, letter of distinction and even scholarships for students. Participating in an essay competition is a way of increasing your chances of winning scholarships and in the long run, lightens the load of academic expenses. Most of the essay contests that reward with scholarship tend to be international; and are done online, but local essay contests are mostly done on paper and offer their good rewards as well. For instance, in the previous year’s i.e. 2016 and 2017 based on facts, a large number of students received international scholarships by winning essay contests.
Essay contests are both for adults and children. One has the right to participate in an essay contest depending on the topic those from sample essays available they feel comfortable with, for instance poetry, narrative essays, and description essays among many others. You can make an application to participate in as many essay competitions as possible; there is always no limitation when it comes to essay contests. If in case you are interested in joining an essay writing competition, whatever your purpose might be, the following is a compilation of some of the tips you can use so that winning the competition becomes a guarantee.
- READ OTHER PEOPLE’S ESSAYS
Just like the way you read books to sharpen your writing skills, reading other people’s essays can help to sharpen and develop your own writing skills too. Read a wide range of essays including those from peers and academic experts. Read the essays from a wide scope not necessarily the topics you are good at. Different discipline can help with different kinds of arguments and style; therefore you have more techniques to apply.
When you read other people’s essays don’t just take them at the face value learn to be critical. Ask rhetoric questions and in the long run, your creativity will widen. Another good source of essays is the newspapers. Newspapers have essays of all kinds. Read the opinion columns; dissect the writer’s points of view. Be keen on the points they have left out, analyze and criticize work thoroughly. An essay should be balanced and you must learn from the best writers and pick up the techniques that will help you to shape well-balanced pieces prior the day of the competition. There are also vast essay banks available online too.
- BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY
Vocabulary is the backbone of a good essay. Good vocabulary allows you to express what you mean fluently and properly. Good diction is an eye-catcher. An example of a perfect essay is the one that portrays economy with words. Readers hate reading long, lengthy pieces of work. They feel that their time is being wasted with long rambling points. Efficient communication comes with effective use of vocabularies. As a person interested in taking part in essay contests, a good vocabulary is one of the keys to unlocking your success. Learn new vocabulary every day. Utilize technology, for instance, there are many apps you can download on your smart that help with the learning of words and there are also online platforms that can be of good help too.
Another way of improving vocabulary is to read widely. Refer to the dictionary for words you can’t place properly in a certain context or those that you can’t comprehend. You will learn the new word and also its synonyms. Read different genres of fiction and non-fiction covering wide topics and you will have added a bonus of bountiful vocabulary. Use thesaurus, learn prefixes and create a vocabulary notebook and revise it every day before you sit for the contest.
- GATHER INFORMATION
If you want to win an essay contest, being unique is a must. You can’t be like the rest and expect to outshine them. Do your research, visit a library and expand your reading scope outside the classroom walls. Add more to what the teachers provide you with. It always phenomenal to find something extra to mold your work, add breadth and fresh perspectives in your essay. However, be careful on reliable and non-reliable sources you consult.
- PUT IT DOWN
Jot down what you read. This may sound like a faff, but the truth is taking down what you read helps in improving remembrance and perfection when the day of the contest arrives. Type as your read or put it down on paper. You will have a summary of important essays that are ready when you need a revision instead of having to walk documents, again and again, looking for quotations.
- PLAN
This is the single most important step in writing. Unfortunately, this is the step that is assumed and ignored by many students. Poor planning results in an essay with poor structure, unclear lines of arguments and in the end the result become poor disorderly work. Learn how to tackle different topics from all angles with good planning.
- PRACTICE AND PRACTICE
As the adage goes, practice makes perfect. Having done the above, you can’t apply them on the day of the competition without first practicing. That will be ridiculous. Practice writing before you does the contest. This will give you a platform where you can correct and perfect yourself thoroughly.
- WRITING
Finally, the last part will be the writing bit in the contest, having done all that discussed above. Select the topic that you are good at. Make clear outlines; write your thesis followed by the body with the introduction and conclusion inclusive. After you are done make sure you proofread your work and organize it. Add the finishing touches and wait for your win.