Tutor profile: Lindsey B.

How do you start writing an essay?

There are many ways to start an essay. I think that one of the easiest ways is to create some sort of outline. This can be as detailed or as simple as you like. All you have to do is get your ideas down. What are you hoping to convey in this essay? How can you split that up into different sections? Once you decide on how you will organize your essay, you can begin finding facts that support each of your sections. Next, you can compile these and write them into a rough draft. The rough draft doesn't have to be amazing; its main purpose is to simply get your ideas down to revise later.

What is important to do when studying?

It is very important to take breaks when studying. Your brain isn't able to focus well when you don't take any breaks. Take some time to figure out what length of time without a break works best for you. It could be 45, 30, or even 15 minutes. In between working, take a 15 minute break to reset, and you'll find that you can be much more productive.

Is there always a right or wrong interpretation of a text?

There is no wrong interpretation of a text. As long as you can support your interpretation with details from the text, your interpretation is valid. Part of what makes a text interesting is the way you can take different details out of the text to form different ideas and connections.