Hello guys

I just gave my interview for CSS 2006 and i would like to share my experience of preparing for Essay paper. It is for those who are aspiring to clear CSS.

I think essay writing is a very difficult task. It may not sound very difficult but trust me, it is. In CSS, the only paper that you should fear is that of Essay.

I think the first and foremost important factor in essay writing is that of the topic that you attempt. It's always better to know your strenghts and weaknesses before going for a topic. Myself, being equipped with the statistics and an overall picture of our economy attempted 'Foriegn Direct Investment in Pakistan' this year. I could have opted for 'Global warming' because i had read an extensive article on the said topic. But i didnt. Reason being, an article doesnt give you enough information to write a three hour essay.

The point that i am trying to make is that, only go for that topic that you think you have complete command over. An article or two for that matter arn't enough. My brother, who also cleared CSS 2006, attempted 'At times you have to set aside your principles'. Now this topic may seem too literary for some but he went for it and cleared it. Why? because he is good at literary topics. I, myself, couldnt have written more than two pages on this axiom, or whatever that is.

For those who find my suggestions a bit confusing and for those who don't know their strenghts and weaknesses, i recommend that they should read the daily Business page and weekly Business op-ed in dawn. This would arm them with enough analytical overview of Pakistani economy that they shouldn't find the economics related essays difficult. I think this is one of the safest bets to clear the essay paper because every year we get an essay related topic. It may vary from year to year but it, for sure, will be related to our economy.

Hand in hand, you should set aside an hour, every day, for Essay writing. An hour is enough (that is, if you have at least six months left in your exams. If not, try spending more time). Select any topic at random and start writing.
This brings us to the introduction. The introduction may vary from essay to essay. In my introduction to FDI in Pak, i started off with the globalization, then onto free movement of goods, services, people and capital and so on. Now this introduction doesnt explain the crux of my essay. What it does is that, it slowly builds up the case for FDI in Pak. I favor this method because you dont have to spend too much time over your words and sentences.

The Intro, body and conclusion of your essay must be synchronized. That is, the first must directly lead the reader to the second and then onto the third. Neither the intro nor the conclusion has to be bombastic; the simpler the better.

I had many things to add to this post but i seem to have forgotten some.
I hope it is of some help

Good luck

Salam buddies,
Well done Jahanzeb, definitely precious suggestions for essay writing. I want to add that the most difficult task for an aspirant is to choose the right essay for him/her. Once you have choosen a topic on which u have command enough to convey your ideas in simple and understandable language, there is no obstacle in your way.

Also the conclusion of an Essay should be a kind of precised summery of wht you have written throughout the essay. In my view the most important skill to go through the essay is "simplicity of your expressions". Never try to give an impression of your intellectualism but be precise to the topic with coherency in your ideas. I would say brain-storming before starting the essay is the key to devise the matter of your writing and its order.

In writing FDI in Pakistan, I simply started with the description and defination of Foreign investments and the role played by FDI in the development of economies of different countries in the recent past. Then the usual things relating to need of FDI for Pakistan and the problems being faced.

So, the essay doesnot need a specific introduction and conclusion rather its easy and more justifiable that start it from what you have understanding of the given topic and this start obviously will be different from person to person.

All the best for my fellows here at forum!

Sajid.

For Janzeb...if i m not mistaken u are the same one who appeared from quetta centre... i had great time with you in psyclogical test and in the whole process...i pray .. u would come out successful..



First i appreciate mr. janzeb for his wonderful and worthy suggestions regarding writting an essay.....now i come to add some of points i think necessary for writing a good essay and come out successful in the exam.... no doubt writing is an art that requires some time no learning ..simply ur flow of mind works better and u get through, conditioning but it with the knowlege... but yet simply ur opinion does work through if logical and analytical it is .... in my case in my first attempt in 2005 i attempted the essay... " strategies for poverty alleviation." and i passed it.. though topic seems to be one that requires much analytical aaproach and one may be equipped with the facts and figures of the economy ...( this may be the first thought before one goes for making an effort to end up with good essay with such topic.)but i attemptted it simply with my best approach towards topic with analysing policies of Govt... and so on .. hardly any fact or figure that i mentioned to support the topic.. yet i could secure passing marks... .. as for the year 2006 i attempted the essay " Nuclear proliferation: a great peril and a great hope" ..... and i appeared successful too in this attempt( passed the attempt 2006 with the grace of God too)...i therefore think what necessary is for writing an essay is logical flow of ur ideas, connectivity in your parragraphs... your paragraph must appear as compact whole....and it must lead to spontaneous ending /conclusion to your essay....
your conclusion must look natural when u end up ur essay..it may not happen what i think .. that in the end u may give thought that how should i conclude my essay.... it must be natural and with confirmity to your preceding parragraphs....
As for introduction...it is very important that your intro must be striking and catching ..it has to be moulded in a way that it may catch the eye of the reader.... there are different methods to take a start.. you dont have to follow the hard and fast rule for making an introduction.... it all depends upon topic and how u find it typical and interesting at that time to take a beautiful start... ur introduction may start with beautiful quotation...or u may start with telling background and slowily coming down to main theme...(evaluation method.)or.. u may throw away in the begining some interesting facts and figures related to topic... or u may take a start by straightforwardly putting a startling questions to topic..... and so on.... remember introduction is on which whole structure of the essay depends.. so there is no way that u may deviate from the central theme of the essay otherwise u are sure to be punished....
dear in my effort of attempting the essay in 2006... i started touching directly to the topic.... for example .. i started with description tht how for the first time in history... America threw the nuclear Bomb. on Heroshima nd nagasaki... and i dramatized it ...and with sensalization of the effects of that bomb.... i created it in the introduction leaving an impression that how dangerous Nuclear bomb.. is ... after my intro what folllowed was brief description of nuclear proliferation and the conflict between the two super powers... (i only touched the main events..)... and then in rest of the essay i had only to write how it was peril and how it was hope... nd finally that led to beautiful conclusion... i alternativley developed my paragraphs..one in the support and other in against... making it argumentative style...


dear fellows... for exam like css ...there is no room for hasty work , be in your all consciousness...after css is simply game of nerves.you have to make first and last effort to pass it... so when you have paper in your hand ..never be in hurry and excited if topics appear u simple or something that u might have grip over ... take full time ...deciding which topic to go for ... then brain storm...and make outlines (may be sometime of one topic or more than one.) then decide with which topic you can do justice.......


In the end.. more important is how much u practise writting this what all is countable ..spare some time daily to write something whtsoever....



After all there is no way to escape an essay......

Thanx for all the suggestions just wanna ask some question.
to wht extent the facts and figures are important in essay paper i mean if u r writing on a topic like poverty or unemployment or like these is it important?
secondly i always like writing on literary topics but in doing so sometimes u dont even have a single quotation to add so is it important to put in quotations or the flow of thoughts is enough?

__________________
Woods are lovely dark and deep
But i have promises to keep
And miles to go before i sleep
And miles to go before i sleep
S.Nosheen

@ Nosheen

Statistics are important. They give your essay an authoritative outlook, if u know what i mean. But it doesnt mean you should memorize tables and tables of statistics. For example, in my essay on 'FDI in Pak', i mentioned how much FDI we received last year, how much are we expecting next year and stuff.

Yes, u should go for literary essays if you think you r good at it. Quotations are not important. It's almost impossible to have a relevant quotation ready in support of another. In literary essays, one has to be adept at presenting one's thoughts in a beautiful manner. Give examples in support of your stand. Cover the pros and cons and lead the reader to your conclusion in a logical manner.

Literary or quotational essays require a literary bent. Not every one is good at attempting'em. If you have that orientation, i say, go for it.