Writing an essay is the first thing that is prepared for lettering a thesis or documenting your findings and opinions at any level. Its importance lies in the fact that it helps to clarify the subject matter in the mind if the university essay while simultaneously providing a parameter within which the study is to progress. It is basically a draft of the work you are about to undertake and as such does not need to be too detailed. However, it does pin point the area of work in your field. Generally, topics essay that are provided or areas that are chosen are too vast for an in depth study by one scholar. This is where a draft or scheme becomes necessary to start with.
Let us try to understand the concept by using a very common example. When child is given a coloring book there is a picture already drawn on each page. The child’s task is to fill that picture with colors. It is expected to keep within the boundary of the lines of the sketch. Writing a draft has a similar function for the budding scholar. The boundaries that are set make his work simple and streamlined and a definite pattern emerges from it.
Your assignment is going to be examined by a learned and experienced academician. This draft provides your examiner with an idea as to what your work is all about and in this way assists in its evaluation too. You might have brilliant collection of ideas to present but no schematic presentation to make those ideas come together as a coherent whole. This detracts from the value of your work. The same ideas, put into a proper essay format , can be of great value and interest. So you see how very effective you can make your presentation when you spend some time deciding on what you want to write and how you want to arrange it.
The next question, and a very pertinent one at that, is when should you begin to prepare this scheme? Obviously, you cannot start on it before you have some material in hand to arrange. So once you have done some background reading and found an angle of the problem you want to deal with sit down and give it a definite shape. Now you are ready to begin your work in real earnest. You know what you are trying to say or find, and you can go about it in a systematic fashion without any haphazard movements. Just think of the time and energy you save on in doing so and you will feel more than happy to spend some of your valuable time in framing your plan of action.
How much or how little should you include in your plan? This depends on you entirely. While it is for your personal guidance feel free to make it as detailed or as broad as you and your work demand. However, when you include it as part of your submission there is a general thumb rule that you can use. Put in enough to provide your reader with a general idea of the thrust of your work but do not burden him with too many details. Methodology and experimental details have no place in this section of your work.
Writing an essay is sent in to your supervisor or mentor before the actual work is done. It is like a letter of intent that lets him know in advance what you have in mind so that he may form an initial judgment of its importance.
