Normally, your professor or instructor will give you an essay assignment that centers on a particular question. Not answering that essay question properly or fully is a sure way to get a bad grade. Read over the instructions carefully, highlighting imperative statements that begin with verbs such as "include" or "consider." These statements tell you what the instructor is looking for in the assignment. Ask for clarification if you need it -- don't assume.
In college, professors tend to place higher value on results rather than effort. That means putting your best effort into an essay may not be enough. Achieve the results your professor is looking for in your essay by constructing an argument that is not only debatable, but also significant. Read your thesis and ask yourself, "So what?" Your thesis should not only answer a question, introduce a new idea or present a side in a controversy; your thesis statement should explain why your perspective is important to the issue. For example, in an essay about Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the thesis "Hamlet is insane" is certainly arguable, but it does not explain why this statement is significant to the play or how it might add perspective to the play.
How to write a proper paragraph is something you may have learned in middle school, but don't dismiss your grade six teacher. Proper paragraphing is a skill you will need throughout college, and nowhere more than in an essay. A proper paragraph should include a topic sentence, supporting details and a concluding sentence. Make sure all your paragraphs are unified (they stay on one topic), coherent (the sentences flow together) and developed (they explain your ideas in-depth). Check every paragraph in your essay for these elements.
The Internet abounds with web pages that offer interpretations of novels, analyses of historical events and articles on social and scientific issues. Typing "essay" into any search engine will bring up pages and pages of online companies with claims to writing your essays for a fee. Remember, however, that many professors run college essays through plagiarism checkers for sentences duplicated from the web. Furthermore, professors can identify writing that is not a student's own easier than that student may realize. Approach the assignment with your own ideas, and, if you are handing in a research essay, carefully follow the instructions of the citation style that your professor assigns. In an essay where you are consulting outside sources, cite every reference and include a works cited page to document your sources.