Research your topic thoroughly. Students often have difficulty beginning a college essay because they have not completed enough research to have a firm grasp of the topic. Research at the college level moves beyond traditional textbook treatment of a subject to include scholarly sources, such as journal articles and books that are more focused than textbooks. Knowing your subject makes it easier to begin writing.
Create a thesis sentence. Your thesis sentence should be based on a thorough understanding of the research you have conducted. It should answer a specific question. If your professor has assigned you a specific question that she expects you to answer in the essay, the best way to word your thesis sentence is by restating the question in the statement form. For instance, if the question you must answer is "Was slavery the primary cause of the the Civil War," your thesis statement should read, "Slavery was not the primary cause of the Civil War."
Create an outline of your essay before your write it. Once you have your thesis statement, map out your thoughts and create three to five supporting ideas that will serve as the rationale for your argument. This will be the main body of your essay.
Write your paper's introduction. The introduction needs to grab the reader. If you are simply answering an essay question for an exam, restating the question is the best way to begin. If you're writing an essay that is based on research conducted outside of class, your introduction does not have to begin by restating the question, although this should still be included in the introduction. The rest of the introduction should include a summary of what the paper will include. It should not give away all of the essential facts, but it can hint at them in order to tease the reader.