Introductions

     Introductions give the reader an expectation about what they will be reading. They are the movie trailer of the essay world. And, like with movies, your audience will get upset if you try to trick them when your trailer (introduction) doesn’t match the movie (essay). An introduction must do the following:

1. Hook the reader’s attention.
2. Introduce the topic in a general way.
3. Include your thesis statement.

Begin your paper with a combination of . . .

• A clear statement of your topic.
  • A typical day in the life of a college student is likely to be long and full of varied activities—academic study, a part-time job, extracurricular affairs, social gatherings, and the routine duties of daily living. 

• History or background to provide context on the subject.
  • The number of high school graduates who go on to college has steadily increased over recent years, but many of these students have no idea beforehand what a typical day in the life of a college student is like.

• A definition of the subject.
  • A “typical day” is probably one that never occurs in reality because no two days are ever exactly the same. A typical day as a college freshman would be a composite picture, an average, formed from several quite different days. 

• A startling statement to shock the reader.
  • On a typical day, most college freshmen have had about four hours sleep, missed breakfast, slept through most of their classes, and have been thinking about nothing but drugs and the opposite sex.

• A description of something familiar that is comparable to your subject.
  • Ants seem to lead frantically busy lives. Lines of creatures rush in different directions, intent on reaching their destinations as quickly as possible. Between classes, the campus resembles a busy ant hill. 

Avoid the following phrases and those like it: In this paper I intend to, The topic of my/this paper, The subject that interests me.

Important! Introductions and conclusions should never be more than 10% (each) of your essay. Reference pages (Works Cited, Bibliography, etc.) don’t count towards length requirements.

• 5 page essay = ½ page introduction, 4 pages of body, ½ page conclusion.
• 1,000 word essay = 100 word introduction, 800 word body, 100 word conclusion.
• 250 word essay = 25 word introduction, 200 word body, 25 word conclusion (2 sentences!)