When you have to write an essay for an exam, it is very important to plan and fully develop your essay, you should also know a few things about your student - teacher relationship as well.
KISS - Keep it simple! Don't make your essay more complicated than it needs to be. Imagine you are reading 150 essays, and you have to grade each one. Would you want to read a very long essay that is difficult to understand? Would you want to spend extra time trying to decipher a confusing essay with long sentences peppered with unimportant details? Probably not. The key to being clear and concise is to stay focused, give just enough information, and reiterate the important points.
Another kind of kissing is valuable, but dangerous. It's the kissing up. If you are reading dozens of essays, would you want to hear something that made you feel good? Would you want to read a few statements that make you sound like a good teacher? You bet! Would you want to wade through a trough of pig slop with which someone is trying to kiss up shamelessly? No way. In fact, some teachers are so annoyed at blatant kissing up, they are less inclined to read an essay carefully, and more inclined to lower the grade just because an essay is annoyingly patronizing. It is good to imply that your teacher is a good teacher and taught you well, it is not to your benefit to bluntly state that your teacher is "the bestest in the whole wide world." You're not selling used cars!
Mechanics. Use proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and for heaven's sake, spell your teacher's name correctly. It shouldn't be a chore to try to read your essay. Would you want to buy a hamburger someplace where you had to cook it and clean the kitchen yourself? The goal of your essay should be to convey a clear, relevant message. It should not be difficult to read or understand your essay.
Study. Learn all of the vocabulary and how to spell it, learn all of the basic concepts related to the material, and have a very solid understanding of the format that is required or accepted in the class. If you can, get an example of the best essays your teacher has received, and examine them for content, mechanics and technique. If you have a good command of the topic, and you know what the teacher is looking for, you can answer the essay questions, and show that you care about what the teacher wants.
Learn something about your teacher and about the topic that wasn't discussed in class. If you can demonstrate that you have learned something that was not covered in class materials, you will show that you have an interest in the topic. Some teachers don't enjoy their subject, but for the most part, teachers actually like the subject that they teach. If you show interest, they will be complimented. If you can also mention something that you learned during a meeting with the teacher or during tutorials, you will also demonstrate that you valued those experiences.
Make your point, make it clearly and be sure that it is understood. There is a magic number, and it is three. Why is this number magic? It is magic because after repeating your point three times, in three different ways, your audience (the reader, in this case the teacher) will remember it. If you only make a point once or even twice, it may not be clear that it is important. If you were reading hundreds of essays, would you notice all of the subtle inferences that the writers make? Maybe, but maybe not. Do you want to take that chance.
At any time during the class, did your teacher say, "this is important," or "this will be on the test," or "this is something you need to remember?" If so, you should work it into your essay. If your teacher thinks it is important, you should show them that you remember it. Is your essay about the British Army during the American Revolution, and the important point you want to include is about the colonial leadership in Africa? Maybe you can use a comparison or metaphor to emphasize that leadership is critical in colonialism.
OK. This is big. I shouldn't point it out, because in a Darwinian kind of survival of the most perceptive, the folks who are socially clueless will learn this lesson eventually. But I want to give those folks a little hint. Don't insult your teacher. Don't even criticize them, unless you know that you have worded your criticism in a way that the teacher will find useful. Statements like, " this is the stupidest topic ever," "this test is stupid," or "what a lazy way to give an exam," or even "I hate this class (or topic)," are NOT going to win any points. Unless your class is "Agitation and Social Disruption in South America," it will probably not be well-received.
And it all comes down to this. You are selling the concept that you are smart and that you paid attention. So show it. You are trying to prove that you understand and maybe even enjoyed the class. This is your chance to shine. Take it seriously.
