I'm writing my first college essay and I'm terrified of messing up. A professor's blog said the worst openings are “dictionary definitions” and “since the dawn of time” clichés . Also “overly broad statements” that don't connect to anything specific. Is that true? I was going to start with a dictionary definition. What openings actually annoy professors? I need to know what NOT to do before I embarrass myself.
Nicker, the dictionary definition opening isn't just cliché — it's lazy. It says "I didn't know how to start so I looked up a word." Professors notice. Same with "in today's society" or "throughout human history." These are what we call "filler openings." They add nothing. The best essays start in the middle of something. A question. A contradiction. A story. A bold claim. Throw us into the deep end. No running start. Just plop. You've got this.
