This is going to sound really stupid, but hear me out. I'm a junior in college, I've written probably forty or fifty essays at this point, and I still don't think I actually understand what an essay is. Like, I know the mechanics—introduction, thesis, body paragraphs, conclusion—but I don't get the point. In high school, essays were just vehicles to prove you did the reading.
In college, they feel like something else, but I can't figure out what. My professors use words like 'contribution' and 'intervention' and 'scholarly conversation,' and I nod along, but in my heart, I'm still just trying to hit the word count and cite enough sources. Is an essay supposed to change someone's mind? Is it supposed to demonstrate mastery? Is it supposed to be a performance of intelligence? I'm starting to feel like everyone else got a memo about the secret purpose of essays and I was absent that day. Can anyone explain, in simple terms, what an essay is actually for?
In college, they feel like something else, but I can't figure out what. My professors use words like 'contribution' and 'intervention' and 'scholarly conversation,' and I nod along, but in my heart, I'm still just trying to hit the word count and cite enough sources. Is an essay supposed to change someone's mind? Is it supposed to demonstrate mastery? Is it supposed to be a performance of intelligence? I'm starting to feel like everyone else got a memo about the secret purpose of essays and I was absent that day. Can anyone explain, in simple terms, what an essay is actually for?