In-class Essay Tips

English In-class Essay

Most of the teachers provide writing prompts before the in-class essay day, but in some other classes, especially in English classes focusing on close readings, the teacher won’t reveal the passage/prompt until the day. The in-class essay usually lasts for forty to fifty minutes, which is a limited amount of time. Therefore, having a strategy to guide you through is very important.

If the first situation applies to you, then it is highly recommended that you spend some time before the day to prepare thesis statement, topic sentences and general context you want to include. If you are a well-scheduled person, you can even revise essential structures and important ideas in English lab.

If you do not have the prompt before hand, the best way to prepare is to read through important passages that your class has emphasized or close-read. Going over your class notes on the novel is also a great approach, since it refreshes your memory about the novel, possibility reminds you of some themes that you want to include, so you will have at least an idea to start with when you get the passage on that day.

Every time I have an in-class essay, I use this strategy. This not only helps me with calming down and having a basic orientation, but also saves time in-class. 

Student S

Usually English teachers only give an hour to finish few paragraph essays. Since you have limited time, you should manage your time well. I advise to start with a very detailed outline including a thesis, topics sentences and quotations or examples, and some main points of the analysis of the supporting evidences. Because you have only one hour, you can’t start with a new thesis in the middle, so figure out whether the thesis works writing the outline. After the outline, start drafting the essay. Drafting will not take a lot of time if you have detailed outline. Leave 4 to 5 minutes to proof read. Don’t panic! You are not the only one who struggles with in class essay. Everyone does. Every English class has in-class essay for final exam. Some teachers announce the prompt ahead and some teachers don’t. Prepare accordingly.

Student A

Preparing in advance helps me a lot when doing my in-class writing. When drafting your thesis in the preparation step, try to carefully think about it since there is usually no time left to start over during the class. One small tip that may work when you have a prompt in advance is to go to the Writing Lab to get help. If you do not have a prompt before your in-class writing, knowing the book or essay you need to use in your in-class essay will be really important. It is really helpful if you are very familiar with the materials you had because you may need to pick the quotes that support your thesis in a short time during the class.

Student Y

When writing an in class essay, remember don't be too stressed out. If you do get nervous, take some deep breaths. Time control is very important. Don't struggle with words that you don't know or forget, but rather just change into another way to describe it. You need to connect back to your topic sentence when writing so you won't go too far from your topic.

Student J

History In-class Essay

History in-class essays are very similar to English essays. Most of the history teachers will at least reveal the topic of the essay or give you the prompt. In this case, it is highly suggested to prepare a thesis (or better, the whole claim group) and memorize it for the in-class essay. As for the evidence, try to organize a detailed outline, indicating what evidences to use for each body paragraphs.

If it is the final, you can write out the entire essay prior the day, make sure it is strong, and even go to the history lab or your history teacher to check your claim group. Try your best to memorize the whole essay, but prioritize the claim group, evidence, and key points of your analysis. Then you are good to go!

If your teacher does not give out the prompt (it’s very rare), then the most important thing becomes preparing a good amount of evidence. You can review the history events by going over the past readings and powerpoint. Do not miss those minor events - they might substantiate your argument better than others and can actually make your essay stand out. During the actual writing, it is crucial to manage your time, estimate how much time you need for each paragraphs and follow the timeline. It’s always better to turn in a rough essay than an incomplete one!

Student C