Take careful notes so that you are able to use specific, detailed, and accurate information to form the meat of your essay. Those who don’t take notes are easily drawn toward vague generalizations (e.g., "From this reading, we can see how important it is to care for the environment.") and are in danger of inaccuracies that make the reader quickly lose faith.
It’s fine to brainstorm by writing in a stream-of-consciousness manner, but as you prepare to compose your finished product, make sure you know what important point you are trying to make before you start writing. Then mobilize observations/information to make that point.
Do not summarize! Waste no space telling what the readings or films were about. We watched it, too. We read that, too. This is a space for your original thoughts and insights that move beyond our shared experiences.
Get to the point! No need for wordy introductions. If the reader doesn’t know what is at stake right away, his or her interest will diminish quickly! We shouldn’t first find out what you are really trying to say in paragraph 3, or (worse!) in the conclusion.
Do not mention the readings just to mention them, hoping to impress your readers. Use them meaningfully to make your overarching points, or don’t use them at all.
Do not just point out that two things are connected. Rather, explain what the connection is, and why it is important.
Do not just generically agree or disagree with an author or speaker without explaining—in an interesting and thoughtful manner— why your opinion or interpretation is the same or different.
Make coherent arguments that do not contradict themselves. When I read a contradictory essay, it signals to me that the writer was still in the early stages of thinking when he or she started writing and never really decided what the main point of the essay was, even when the essay was "finished."
Beware of raising many questions without providing answers. This is a space for seeking answers to important questions. I often use a volleyball metaphor—it’s no good to bump (e.g., "Forests are drastically changing because of fire suppression.") and then set (e.g., "How can fire be integrated in a forest with many different user groups who value the forest differently?") a question if you’re not going to try to spike it!
Proofread and spell check. Nothing says "I did this in a hurry and don’t really care much about it" more than missing words, poor grammar, and incorrect spelling.
Avoid space-filling sentences that simply reiterate what has just been said. These are easy to spot, and are definitely unwelcome.
The best essays synthesizethe course materials, meaning that they combine things to make something new, interesting, and original. They don’t just reflect on one thing, and then reflect on another. They make creative and insightfulconnections that go beyond what has been shown, read, or already discussed.