How to Write a College Critical Thinking Essay

Writing a critical thinking essay begins with drafting an outline.

In classrooms and lecture halls on college and university campuses across the U.S., instructors encourage students to share their thoughts and opinions about the subject being taught. However, classroom discussions don’t always allow everyone’s thoughts to be shared since classes only meet for a set period of time. To ensure you are forming your own opinion and ideas about the subject matter, your college professor may require you to write a critical thinking essay.

Instructions

1. Draft an outline. Write down the main points you want to cover in your critical thinking essay. Identify two or three subpoints under each main point to support your argument.

2. Write the main body. Make each main point from your outline a separate paragraph or section, depending on the length. Support your opinion in the essay using your subpoints as well as facts and references from your classroom textbook or research done specifically for the essay.

3. Create the introduction. Let the reader know what to expect from your critical thinking essay by providing a brief overview. Identify why the topic is important and why the reader should care.

4. End with the conclusion. Recap the main points. Provide information or guidance to the reader about the subject's future or similar items. For example, highlight additional research on the subject matter or other points of view.

5. Prepare it for submission. Type the paper using a word processing program on your computer. Use spell and grammar check. Proofread the paper to make sure each argument is easy to read and understand while also ensuring there are no awkward phrases. Include a works-cited or reference page listing research studies you used to support your arguments if you included these in the essay.

Tips & Warnings

• For help with college writing assignments, find out if your college has a writing lab or center staffed with professionals available to assist you.

References

• University of West Georgia: Critical Thinking

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Brown University: Critical Writing and Thinking