How to Write an Essay Introduction for University
Knowing how to write an essay introduction for university will improve your writing and communication skills. The ability to craft an outstanding essay introduction can as well be manifested in other academic papers, thereby enhancing general performance. Read on for guidelines on how to write a unique and convincing introduction for a university essay paper.
Just like essay introductions for other academic levels, writing an introduction for a university essay paper is not difficult. Knowing how to write an essay introduction for university requires you to first establish the basic elements of this section of the paper. An essay introduction should explain the context, provide the overall focus and describe how the paper will be organized.
In other words, the introduction to your essay should comprise of a hook, background information about the subject and thesis statement. These are the main aspects that you have to highlight in the introduction of the paper. It is also important to note that an essay introduction should be short, however, this mainly depends on the topic to be discussed.
The following tips on how to write an essay introduction for university will help you write a good essay paper with ease.
Tips on how to write an essay introduction for university
Writing the introduction of an essay paper for university is not quite different from other academic papers. This implies you have to make some preparation in advance to ensure that you can deliver a good piece.
Carefully read the following tips for great insights on how to write an essay introduction for university.
Think of what to discuss
As soon as you are given an assignment, the first thing that you should always do is to read and understand the question. This will help you to easily figure out what is required in the essay.
Having in mind what the essay requires, you can now start thinking of what to write. The best way is to pursue a perspective that seems unique and will make the introduction to look and sound compelling.
In the introduction, you will only be giving a brief illustration of what is expected in the essay. Therefore, it is important that you only select the key factors or aspects of the subject to highlight in the introduction. These will help in developing the hook and background information.
Pick a claim
A claim can also be referred to as the thesis of the essay. It is the main argument that you will be proving in the rest of the paper and should be highlighted in the introduction.
Based on the topic or subject of the essay, you will be required to pursue a particular stand or angle that your discussion will be based on. The best way to go about it is choosing a claim that you can easily prove in the essay.
Look into your readers
The audience refers to the people whom you intend to read the essay including your instructors, fellow students among others. In fact, you should consider your general audience to ensure that the introduction is crafted in way that can appeal to a greater percentage of them.
In order to effectively capture your readers, you should establish the specific information to be included that can make your argument useful. Besides, you should also ensure that any term which requires definition is well covered.
Understanding your audience can assist you in knowing the right details to reveal at the start of the essay without giving too much information. Remember that your readers already know certain things, hence, you have to look for ideas that are not very common to use in the introduction.
Draft an outline
An outline is a general representation of the points that you intend to cover. The importance of having one is that it will help you to easily remember what to address in the introduction of the essay.
The outline should act as your guide on what to include in the opening statements in the required order.
Remember to keep the introduction to your essay short and simple. Only provide information that is necessary for the readers to understand your subject or topic of discussion. If the introduction is becoming too detailed or long, it would be advisable that you move some of the points to the body paragraphs.
A good essay introduction should be about just 10 percent of the total number of words for the whole paper.
Steps on how to write an essay introduction for university
As outlined above, there are key aspects that have to be shown in the introduction of an essay paper for university. Besides, each of them should be presented in a particular format to make the intro compelling and subjective.
Below are the steps on how to write an essay introduction for university:
Begin the essay with a hook
Once you have decided on the best hook or captivating point for your essay, you should open the paper with it. However, it is important to note that certain hooks require explanation. For instance, if you use quotations or questions, you may need to give a little explanation.
Give background information
It is on this part that you will need to provide a sneak preview of the main points that you identified. Write a few statements that can show the readers your context so that they are informed about what is to come in the rest of the essay.
In giving background information, you should bear in mind that the introduction should be brief, so do not give a lot of details. Background information should be more like a general outline of the topic of discussion without stressing on your claim.
Insert the thesis
It is always custom that the thesis statement should come at the end of the first paragraph, unless you are instructed otherwise. Clearly state your stand or the angle that you intend to pursue in the essay.
Since the thesis statement comes last in the paragraph, you should also tell the readers the format that you will use in discussing the rest of the essay. Besides, proper transition should also be showcased between the thesis and the body paragraphs.
Simplicity and clarity are other factors that you should also consider when crafting an introduction for university essay paper. Avoid fluff and vague statements that will make the introduction to be too long and boring.
Examples of Essay introductions for University
Sample essay papers can also help you in know how to write an essay introduction for university with ease. The following are sample introductions for university essays that you can refer to for motivation in writing.
Example 1
Sample Essay on Microsoft Competitive Advantage
‘’What is a Competitive Advantage?
A competitive advantage is a strategy that gives an organization the ability to develop and deliver its goals. Most companies rely on their competitive advantages as a means of creating a niche for themselves and ensuring success in competitive business environments.
As a rule, many organizations do not rely on just one competitive advantage. Instead, companies have various competitive advantages which they exploit in order to cope with different trends and adversities towards long term success…’’ click here to read the rest of this sample university essay.
Example 2
Importance of Empathy in Healthcare
‘’Empathy is a term that is often underused and misunderstood yet it is of vital importance in the healthcare sector. It is through empathy that therapeutic effectiveness can be achieved and it also helps in the formation of a healthy relationship between the patients and healthcare providers.
The term empathy can be traced back to the 80s when Theodore Lipps, a German psychologist created it to describe emotional appreciation of the feelings of another person…’’ To read the rest of this sample essay, refer to this link.
Example 3
What is the importance of imitation in early child development?
‘’Imitation involves a sophisticated cognitive process. In the example of imitating adult facial expressions, an infant must recognize the facial expression, retain a representation of the expression in memory and then translate this abstract representation into action. The divergent opinions that exist on when children can imitate are therefore connected to differing theories on the cognitive development of children. Since cognitive abilities in children can only be inferred from behavior, methodological limitations add further to the debate about when imitation takes place. When imitation is considered in a broader sense to include imitative behaviors from the caregiver, the importance of imitation in child development may be considered to play an important role….’’ Read the rest of this sample introduction here.
In case you may need help on how to write an essay introduction for university, do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Alternatively, you can also refer to our homepage to find out more on the custom essay writing services that we offer. Our professionals are always ready to assist you with all academic papers at any time of need.
References
http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/beginning-academic-essay
http://owll.massey.ac.nz/assignment-types/essay-introduction.php
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Essay-Introduction
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/diagnostic/p/pintrotoanessay