The good news is that writers are made, not born.

Here are a few tips to get you started down the

path of skillful essay writing.

Uncensored, then Organized

Lets say youre taking the ACET and youve been given a topic to write about. The first thing you
need to do is to spend a little time generating ideas. Pause, think, and write down any and all ideas
that pop into your head. Dont worry about how stupid or ridiculous they may seem. The idea is
to generate a lot of ideas without censoring yourselfsave the editing for later.

Next, organize your ideas into a mind map diagram or an outline. If youre more of a visually-
oriented person, having a diagram with the main idea of your essay in the very center will help you a
great deal.

Toss out the ideas that do not support your main idea in any way, and subsume supporting, specific
ideas under general ones. Once youve arranged everything into a cohesive big picture, its time to
move on to the next phase, which is

Thesis the Police! Open Up!

Remember that main idea I kept on mentioning earlier? The statement that encapsulates it is your
all-important thesis statement. This is the point youll be making in your entire write-up, so start
writing the body of your prose with it in mind. Do not write it on your essay first; save it for later. Ill
explain why in a little while.

Every sentence you write should develop and/or support your thesis statement somehow. If you did
your mind map or outline well, you should have no problems with run-on sentences (sentences that
dont support your thesis statement in any way).

The End of the Beginning

Remember how I asked you to save the intro and conclusion for last? They are special in the sense
that they can make or break your essay. They can grab your readers attention and deliver much of
your messages impact, or utterly fail to do so.

If theres only one thing you to take away form this article, take this: audiences tend to remember
the first and the last part of your presentation most clearly, so save the juiciest parts for first and for
last.

There are many ways to go about writing your introduction and conclusion. For example, you can do
the orthodox thing and simply state your thesis plainly, or you can get creative and throw in a
question or anecdote to spice it up. Its an arbitrary thing, depending on who you are and who your
audience will be.

The Only Constant

Do remember to edit your essay. A good rule of thumb is to proofread it at least three times: the
first time for correcting typos, the second time for double checking the flow of ideas, and a third
time for fixing the format, if ever.

Finally, know that essay writing is a learned skill. If you constantly practice the right habits, youll
find that youve nowhere to go but up.
The Sample Essay

The following sample is a treatise on the topic of frustrationsomething youre likely to experience
at least once when youre interacting with peers from all walks of like in an academic institution
known for its high standards. Ive also included some footnotes on points I felt I needed to
emphasize:

Coping Effectively with the F Word[1]

A wise person once told me that oftentimes, its not the big problems that trip us up the most, but
the many, many little annoyances that come in battalions.[2] Its because of the fact that theyre
little that they often escape our immediate noticeat least until they pile up and grate on our
patience.

Fortunately, Ive experienced frustration enough times that Ive learned to deal with it more
effectively than before, or to at least minimize its damaging effects. Perhaps the following
guidelines may help you, too.

The Three-Minute Rule[3]

Chances are, the first thing that pops into your head when youre frustrated is not the right thing to
do or say. Thats why its very important to take some time off for what is known as the Three-

Minute Rule.[4]

The rule basically dictates that when you start to feel frustrated, back off or at least three minutes to
get some much needed perspective on the situation. Take the time to pray and to seek guidance
and wisdom.

Note that three minutes is an arbitrary span time. It may be three minutes, three hours, or three
days. The important thing is to let your emotions cool down sufficiently to the point where you can
think clearly again, and then act.

Look for the Unorthodox Alternative

A story is told of Alexander the Great undertaking the challenge of untying the Gordian Knot.[5] The
knot was said to have been tied in such a complex manner that no one was able to untie it.

The shrewd Alexander, however, simply drew his sword and cut the knot, effectively untying it.
Since then, the expression cutting the Gordian Knot has come to mean solving a complex problem
using unique and ingenious means.

Like Alexander, see if you can find another way to solve your problem instead of pursuing a course of
action that just doesnt work.[6] For example, if you cant get through an obstacle, perhaps you can
go around it somehow.
The Need to Let Go

One question that inspirational speakers and writers like to ask themselves is if something will still
be worth fussing over ten, fifty, or even one hundred years from now. Chances are, the thing thats
causing you so much frustration right now may not even be important next year. If so, are you
perhaps giving it more attention than it is really worth?

One lesson that the late inspirational writer Richard Carlson[7] left me is the choice of being right or
being happy. We mistakenly think that we will only be happy if we prove ourselves right and
everyone else wrong, or if we nail that difficult problem and show everyone what weve
accomplished.

Some things are simply not worth your peace of mind. Sometimes, its better to swallow your pride
and to make a strategic withdrawal instead of forcing the issue at the time. As Dr. Harold Sala once
quipped, Any bear can easily whip a skunk, but its just not worth it.[8]

A Final Word

TIPS IN WRITING THE UPCAT ESSAY

[1] The title is the first thing your readers will look at, so try to make it catchy and hook them in with
it.

[2] It helps to start off your essay with something attention-grabbing. In my case, I opted for a
saying of the wise.

[3] If your essay is fairly long, using captions or headings to break it up into segments helps.

[4] Whenever you mention something that may be unfamiliar to your reader, take the time to
explain it. Dont leave your readers scratching their heads in confusion.

[5] Stories are great for getting your point across in an engaging manner. Besides, people love them.

[6] If youre going to tell a story, choose one thats somehow related to the message youre trying to
communicate. That way, its easier to link your story to your point.

[7] Quoting, paraphrasing or simply drawing stuff from famous personalities can help lend credence
to your essay.

[8] If you start your essay with a bang, end it with a bang as well. Audiences tend to recall the
beginning and the end of your presentation most clearly, so save your best for first and last.
he UPCAT on Aug. 4 and 5 is bound to become part of UPCAT history. Here are 10 things you should
know before taking UPCAT:

1. For the first time, UPCAT examinees will be asked to write an essay.

The UPCAT previously consisted of multiple-choice questions in four areas: Language Proficiency,
Science, Mathematics and Reading Comprehension.

Consider bringing more food for your snacks as the addition of the essay portion to the exam will
make the UPCAT longer this year, bringing the actual duration of the test to four hours and 20
minutes.

2. Last year saw the biggest number of UPCAT examinees in the history of UP.

A record-breaking 71,853 students made their way to numerous UPCAT test centers around the
country. But the 2011 record is likely to be broken this year, with 75,000 students expected to take
the UPCAT this weekend.

3. Out of the 71,853 students who took the UPCAT last year, only 12,936 made the cut.

Of this number, 3,821 made it to UP Diliman. However, only 66 percent of UP Diliman passers, or
2,521 students, went on to enroll this schoolyear.

4. Among the test centers, UP Diliman hosts the largest number of examinees every year.

At least 27,000 students are expected to take the exam there this year while close to 48,000
examinees are headed to 80 regional test centers across the country.

5. To address the growing number of UPCAT examinees and make the test centers more accessible
to students, particularly those coming from the Greater Manila Area, four new test centers have
been established.

These are UP Manila, Antipolo, Imus and Trece Martires in Cavite.

Meanwhile, Biliran in the Visayas is being revived as a test center this year after being previously
closed down due to the low number of examinees in the area.

6. If you're taking the exam in one of the regional test centers and have not received your test
permit, you can go to the test center a day before the scheduled exam and inform the Regional
Examiners of your predicament.

Youll be issued a provisional test permit so you can still take the UPCAT.

In some regional test centers, test permits that have been sent via snail mail actually get to the
schools at the last minute even when the university sent these weeks before. In Digos City last year,
the test permits arrived just as provisional permits were about to be issued. You can also check with
your school's guidance counselors as these permits are usually addressed to your school.

7. New applications are actually processed a day before the exam (in large regional test centers) and
even hours before examination proper (mostly in small test centers), so make sure you have
prepared the requirements for submission should you belatedly decide to take the UPCAT.

Processing of new applications, however, is subject to availability of test materials and test permits,
as well as the carrying capacity of most test centers. Some regional test centers only host the exam
on Saturday, so it is best to inquire at the test center on Friday.

8. UP Los Baos, Malolos City, UP Tacloban, UP Iloilo, UPEP Pampanga, Batangas City, Imus in Cavite,
UP Cebu, UP Mindanao, and Davao City were last year's 10 largest regional test centers.

Almost 18,000 students took their exams at these centers.

Cuyo, an island town in Palawan, is considered the smallest test center in terms of number of
examinees. Only 19 students took the exam there last year. Also among the smallest were
Mambajao in Camiguin, Larena in Siquijor, Basco in Batanes, Dipolog City in Zamboanga, and Digos
City in Davao del Sur.

Four other test centers with the lowest number of examinees last year are all found in the Cordillera
Administrative Region (CAR): Bangued in Abra, Banaue in Ifugao, Bontoc in Mt. Province and Tabuk
in Kalinga.
9. If, for religion reasons, you cannot take the exam on Saturday, you can request to take the exam
the next day, if the test centers have Sunday test sessions.

As some regional test centers only host the exam on Saturday, ask to be transferred to the nearest
regional test center that has Sunday test sessions. It is, again, best to inquire about this one day
before the exam.

10. Memorize your UPCAT Identification Number.

3 TIPS ON WRITING AN UPCAT/ACET/SAT ESSAY

1. Write with a structure in mind.

It's easy to think of writing as some sort of creative non-mechanical process that just comes out of
the blue, so many students write their hearts out when they make essays. The problem is, you have
less than 30 minutes to make one and, let's face it, you're no Ernest Hemingway or Pablo Neruda. At
least not yet.

The most straightforward solution that offers relative consistency in its results, regardless of the
essay prompt, is to stick to an essay format you're comfortable with and which you'll basically just
have to "fill in the spaces." The easiest to remember is the intro-body-conclusion format, but choose
whatever suits you best, as long as you're comfortable writing with it quickly and you won't end up
with an incoherent directionless mess of an essay.

2. Make your thesis (your main idea) clear.

Start with that in response to a prompt. What is your thesis, your position, or your response to the
essay question? Then make it very clear to the reader what your main idea is, usually by explicitly
writing a sentence that states your main idea somewhere in the essay. Don't bumble around and put
random thoughts that don't necessarily contribute to your main idea, but another related, yet
distinctly different idea.

3. Prepare good examples for just about any situation.

Supporting examples are the bread and butter of any essay, yet many students fail to use them
adequately. Don't rely on useless personal anecdotes (Ex. When I was thirteen, my sister scolded me
for .../ My mother said that....), rhetoric, religion and cliched fables on human life. They won't lend
any legitimate support to your essay from the point of view of the reader.

Instead, use examples from books you have read and historical or current events, so stack up on
those, especially with books that have such a wide swathe of examples that you can use for just
about any thesis statement.

If you're willing to take a risk too, here's a secret trick: Make up examples. We're not kidding, it can
work. It just has to look legit.

Here's an example:

Essay Prompt: Should we always choose pre-emptive aggression towards dangerous people, or
should we always pursue peace and diplomacy?

Example: In 1794 King George III of Britain refused to attack the Germans under King Leopold,
because he wanted to continue using peaceful means despite it being apparent that Leopold was a
ruthless murderer. He continued to pursue a diplomatic solution with the French and the Spanish
until it was too late and the Germans invaded Austria and massacred the Yugoslavs who resented
German rule.

Now I'm not even sure if there was a King George II or Leopold during that time. I'm not even sure if
Germany already existed in 1794 and if such a conflict existed at all, but could you tell? Would your
essay reader have the time to verify its truth in the process of reading 80,000+ essays? Probably not,
so if it's a risk you are forced into considering, and are willing to take, go ahead.