The Essay is Not Only About the Writing Process

The Essay is Not Only About the Writing ProcessA couple of years ago, a friend of mine was looking for an essay about the writing process to give his AP English Literature class. The teacher's exact words were, 'This is a high-stakes test and it needs every advantage we can get.'I am sure he was not the only teacher in our public schools to tell middle school students that they needed a way to demonstrate their mastery of writing. I know the frustration - they have worked so hard to prepare for this important test. And I know that students just want to be accepted into the competitive colleges and universities.An essay can be the best tool available for judging your capability in the art of writing. One slip up and it can wipe out all of your hard work. That is why it is so important to know how to write an essay.It is no longer enough to know that you are a writer - you also need to know what to write, and how to write it. If your essay is poorly written, you will have an even worse grade on the exam. And, even worse, you may be rejected from taking the next one.This brings me to the importance of an essay. We must write an essay and be aware of the techniques that we use to get what we want. You must be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses and be able to use the process of elimination to choose the points that will help you get what you want.It is not an easy process. What once may have seemed like the obvious way to do things has now become ineffective. All too often we fall back on the old tried and true methods to get what we want.For example, if you are desperate to get into that college you have always wanted, you can resort to begging for a spot. Your essays may be embarrassing. Or, you may be naive enough to believe that your talent will take you to that college, even though you have never attended or have taken a college level course.In order to avoid the embarrassment, the struggle, and the false hope that go along with writing an essay, we must think before we speak. It is true that you must put forth all of your effort to make your essay the best that it can be. But, you must remember that the final judgment rests with the reader.