Getting a college degree will help build a better life. The document outlines how to create an essay roadmap with five paragraphs: 1) Thesis statement listing three benefits of a college degree. 2) Topic sentence on better jobs with three supporting points. 3) Topic sentence on being a better parent with four supporting points. 4) Topic sentence on feeling better with three supporting points. 5) Conclusion restating the thesis and benefits. The roadmap guides writing the essay by developing each paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting details.

1. The Essay Roadmap
Karen Y. Silvestri
Fayetteville Technical Community College
www.karenzo.wordpress.com
2010

2. Get a plan!
Before writing an essay, you
need to plan it out. This is
called PREWRITING!

3. What is the topic?
Let’s choose a topic to write about.
The benefits of getting a
college degree.

4. The Thesis Statement
After some brainstorming about the benefits of getting a
college degree, I narrow my topic down to:
Getting a college degree will
help me build a better life for
me and my children.
Remember that the Thesis Statement needs to be a
complete sentence!

5. The Triple Point Thesis Statement
In order to turn my Thesis Statement into a Triple Point
Thesis Statement, I must first come up with the 3 points that
I will be discussing in my essay.
1.Could get a better job
2.Be a better parent
3.Feel better about myself
I have to now add these points to my thesis statement.

6. My Triple Point Thesis Statement
Getting a college degree will help me
build a better life for me and my
children because I could get a better
job, be a better parent, and feel
better about myself.

7. So far my Roadmap looks like this:
Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree
will help me build a better life for me and
my children because I could get a better
job, be a better parent, and feel better
about myself.

8. What’s next?
Now that I have my Thesis Statement and my 3 Support
Points for Paragraph 1, I am ready to plan my body
paragraphs.
First I need to form a TOPIC SENTENCE for each of the 3
body paragraphs.
Remember, a paragraph starts out with a COMPLETE
SENTENCE that expresses the main idea of the paragraph –
this is your TOPIC SENTENCE.
Let’s look at Support #1….

9. Support #1 = Paragraph 2
Support 1: Could get a better job
With a college degree, I can find a better job.
Notice that I took the support point “Could get a better
job” and turned it into a COMPLETE SENTENCE.
This sentence now tells the reader the MAIN IDEA of
Paragraph #2.

10. Now my Roadmap looks like this:
Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me
build a better life for me and my children because I could
get a better job, be a better parent, and feel better about
myself.
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find
a better job.

11. Support #2 = Paragraph 3
Support: Be a better parent
If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.
Notice that the support point “Be a better parent” is now a
COMPLETE SENTENCE!
This TOPIC SENTENCE tells the reader the MAIN IDEA of
Paragraph 3.

12. My Roadmap looks like this now:
Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me build a better life for me
and my children because I could get a better job, be a better parent, and feel
better about myself.
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find a better job.
Paragraph 3:
Support 2 Topic Sentence: If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.

13. Support #3 = Paragraph 4
Support 3: Feel better about myself
Having a college degree helps me to feel
better about myself.
Again – COMPLETE SENTENCE tells the MAIN IDEA
of Paragraph 3.

14. Updated Roadmap!
Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me build a better life for me
and my children because I could get a better job, be a better parent, and feel
better about myself.
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find a better job.
Paragraph 3:
Support 2 Topic Sentence: If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.
Paragraph 4:
Support 3 Topic Sentence: Having a college degree helps me to feel better about
myself.

15. What comes next?
Now that you have your Triple Point Thesis
Statement and your Topic Sentences, you need to
provide some support points for each of your
topic sentences.
Why?
Because recall that PARAGRAPHS need to have
a TOPIC SENTENCE and at least 3 support
points!

16. Topic Sentence 1 (Paragraph 2)
With a college degree, I can find a better job.
Add some details and examples to form your
support points (which you will later turn
into complete sentences!)
What 3 things could I say to support this
sentence?

17. Support Points for Paragraph 2
1. Get a less boring job
2. Have more options for jobs
3. Make more money and work one
job, not two
Let’s add these points to the Roadmap!

18. Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me build a better
life for me and my children because I could get a better job, be a
better parent, and feel better about myself.
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find a better
job.
1. Get a less boring job
2. Have more options for jobs
3. Make more money and work one job, not two
Paragraph 3:
Support 2 Topic Sentence: If I had a college degree, I could be a
better parent.
Paragraph 4:
Support 3 Topic Sentence: Having a college degree helps me to feel
better about myself.

19. Topic Sentence 2 (Paragraph 3)
If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.
What 3 points will support this topic sentence?
1. Spend more time with them because I don’t have to work two
jobs.
2. Get them some things they want
3. Live in a better place
4. Be a good role model for them
Remember, these points will be turned into COMPLETE
SENTENCES later on in the writing process.

20. My Roadmap Now!
Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me build a better life for me and my
children because I could get a better job, be a better parent, and feel better about myself.
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find a better job.
1. Get a less boring job
2. Have more options for jobs
3. Make more money and work one job, not two
Paragraph 3:
Support 2 Topic Sentence: If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.
1. Spend more time with them because I don’t have to work two jobs.
2. Get them some things they want
3. Live in a better place
4. Be a good role model for them
Paragraph 4:
Support 3 Topic Sentence: Having a college degree helps me to feel better about myself.

21. What did you notice about the last
slide?
There were FOUR support points
instead of only THREE!
You may have four, five, or even ten support points when
you are prewriting.
When you go into your REVISION stage, you will choose
only the most important points for your paragraph.
I recommend you choose 3-5 points at the most or your
paragraph may become too cumbersome for your reader.

22. Topic Sentence 3 (Paragraph 4)
Having a college degree helps me to feel better about
myself.
What are at least 3 points that we can make to support this
topic sentence?
1. Get respect from others
2. Respect myself because I achieved an important goal
3. Go on to achieve other goals

23. Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me build a better life for me and my children
because I could get a better job, be a better parent, and feel better about myself.
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find a better job.
1. Get a less boring job
2. Have more options for jobs
3. Make more money and work one job, not two
Paragraph 3:
Support 2 Topic Sentence: If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.
1. Spend more time with them because I don’t have to work two jobs.
2. Get them some things they want
3. Live in a better place
4. Be a good role model for them
Paragraph 4:
Support 3 Topic Sentence: Having a college degree helps me to feel better about myself.
1. Get respect from others
2. Respect myself because I achieved an important goal
3. Go on to achieve other goals

24. Let’s finish up the Roadmap
What is the final thing
we need to add to our
roadmap?

25. A CONCLUSION!
What are some good ways to conclude your essay?
Use a transition like: surely, as you can see, without a doubt,
it is clear, certainly, clearly, obviously, indeed, most would
agree that…
Summarize your essay and restate the thesis.
Challenge your reader to take your information and do
something with it.
POSSIBLE POINT FOR CONCLUSION (paragraph 5): It
won’t be easy, but worth the time and effort involved.

26. We did it!
The finished Essay Roadmap…..
Drum Roll
please!

27. Paragraph 1:
Thesis Statement: Getting a college degree will help me build a better life for me and
my children because I could get a better job, be a better parent, and feel better about
myself.
Paragraph 2:
Support 1 Topic Sentence: With a college degree, I can find a better job.
1. Get a less boring job
2. Have more options for jobs
3. Make more money and work one job, not two
Paragraph 3:
Support 2 Topic Sentence: If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent.
1. Spend more time with them because I don’t have to work two jobs.
2. Get them some things they want
3. Live in a better place
4. Be a good role model for them
Paragraph 4:
Support 3 Topic Sentence: Having a college degree helps me to feel better about
myself.
1. Get respect from others
2. Respect myself because I achieved an important goal
3. Go on to achieve other goals
Paragraph 5:
Most would agree that finishing my college degree will not be easy, but as you can see,
it will be worth it.

28. Now that you have a roadmap to guide you, writing the essay
is a
SNAP!!
Just turn all your points into complete sentences, add some
good specific details, sprinkle in a few examples, and you
have an
ESSAY!

29. Getting a college degree will help me build a better life for me and my children because I could
get a better job, be a better parent, and feel better about myself.
With a college degree, I can find a better job. A degree will help me find a less boring job. In
addition, I will have more options when seeking employment. I will be able to work just one job
instead of two or three, and I will make more money.
If I had a college degree, I could be a better parent. I would be able to spend more time with my
children because I do not have to work two jobs. I could also get them some things they want
because I would have more money. Once I have a good job, we can live in a better place. Finally,
my having a college degree makes me a a good role model for them.
Having a college degree helps me to feel better about myself. When you get respect from
others, it makes you feel good inside. Also, I will respect myself because I achieved an important
goal, and it will encourage me to go on to achieve other goals.
Most would agree that finishing my college degree will not be easy, but as you can see, it will be
worth it. My children will be happier because I can provide for them and be a good role model for
them. Most importantly, finishing this goal will make me feel good about myself which will reflect
on my role as a parent. So, what are you waiting for? Look into getting a college degree today and
start building a better future for you and your children!
This is an essay in progress. Notice that it still needs details added to the paragraphs.
The final paragraph (#5) and Paragraph #3 are complete!