How to write a college argumentative essay?

An argumentative essay is a genre of essays in academic writing that is focused on gathering information about a debatable topic, weighing the evidence presented and coming up with a concise position. It is simply derived from the word “argument” which loosely translates to debating about something. With that said, what really separates an argumentative essay from other types of essays? The answer is simple, you are required to present both sides of the argument and settle on the strongest one.

An example of a topic within an argumentative essay would be;

“Does social media promote unrealistic beauty standards?”

In this blog, I will be sharing with you how to write an argumentative essay with tips and tricks that are assured of getting you a straight A.

1. Understand the question

In my experience, the first step is to understand the question being asked. In many cases, an essay is just a question that requires a longer answer. If you don’t understand this, then you are likely to fail from the start. While sometimes you might be lucky to get a straightforward question like the one above, some instructors hide the questions within a scenario or case study.

You should also go over the rubric to understand what is required of you in terms of;

• The number of pages
• The citation style
• The number of citations needed

This will inform step number two of the writing process which is to budget your time wisely.

2. Budgeting your time

Unlike other essays that are quite straightforward, argumentative essays require a lot of research and similarly a lot of time to write. Because you are writing about multiple views of a topic, you will find yourself bouncing between sources and having internal debates. This makes pulling an all-nighter quite difficult.

I normally suggest planning out the essay in bits rather than writing it as a whole. You can decide to focus on the introduction in one sitting, then the part of the body proposing the topic and finally the opposing view of what you are writing about. A lot of research is required so make sure that you set enough time to handle everything.

Example of Time Budget

Essay Task	Time Allocation
Research & Gather Sources	2 Hours
Write the Introduction	30 Minutes
Body Paragraph Supporting the Topic	1 Hour
Body Paragraph for the Rebuttal/Opposing View	1 Hour
Conclusion & Add In-Text Citations	45 Minutes

3. Outline your arguments & accompanying sources

An academic essay is nothing without research sources. It is by incorporating the ideas and views of other scholars in your work that you cement your position on the topic. You can get your sources from the school library, google scholar, credible internet websites and places like YouTube. Since you will be writing about both sides of a topic, you should organize the citations on this basis. Let me demonstrate using our example of the topic;

“Does social media promote unrealistic beauty standards?”

Sources that support the topic

• Social media creates pressure through filters, editing, and idealized images

Popescu, L. (2022). Image editing tools for visually appealing self-presentations: Digitally mediated social presence, body dissatisfaction and shame, and ideal beauty standards. J. Res. Gender Stud., 12, 48.

• Filters and beauty influencers normalize “perfect” appearances

Peng, Q., & Hakimzadeh, E. (2025). The Impact of Beauty Influencers’ Content On the Internalization of Beauty Standards Among Gen Z Women.

• Research links social media beauty culture to body dissatisfaction

Termizi, A. N. M., & Herwan, N. N. M. (2021). The relationship between beauty standards on social media and body dissatisfaction. Jurnal Evolusi, 2(2).

Sources that oppose the topic/ Rebuttals.

• Some studies show no consistent direct link between social media use and body dissatisfaction

Goh, A. Y., Hartanto, A., Kasturiratna, K. S., & Majeed, N. M. (2025). No consistent evidence for between-and within-person associations between objective social media screen time and body image dissatisfaction: Insights from a daily diary study. Social Media+ Society, 11(1), 20563051251313855.

• Social media can also promote body positivity and self-acceptance

Jiménez-García, A. M., Arias, N., Hontanaya, E. P., Sanz, A., & García-Velasco, O. (2025). Impact of body-positive social media content on body image perception. Journal of Eating Disorders, 13(1), 153.

• Beauty standards existed before social media

Dimitrov, D., & Kroumpouzos, G. (2023). Beauty perception: A historical and contemporary review. Clinics in dermatology, 41(1), 33-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.02.006

4. Spend time on your introduction

Getting the introduction right is very critical in an argumentative essay. In my experience, it normally takes a lot of time than the introduction of other essay because you need to include several elements within it. First you need to have a good hook that will capture your reader’s attention while at the same time showing why the topic is important. Next you need to include a strong argument and why the topic is worth researching. Finally, include a clear thesis statement that shows your position on the issue. Still on our topic, let me give you an example of the paragraph you could use.

Example Introduction

In 2024 alone, about 3.5 million surgeries were done on women alone in the U.S. to correct some form of body imperfection. This ranged from nose jobs to tummy tucks and breast augmentation. While this trend might seem like only a women’s ordeal, it is worth noting that 33% of adult men have reported a dissatisfaction with their bodies as well. These numbers have been growing drastically ever since the advent of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Those who can’t afford these procedures end up living dissatisfied lives that eat into their self-esteem as well as their drive. With rising mental health cases, could it be that unrealistic beauty standards set by social media platforms are contributing to a great number of them? In this essay, I will be analyzing the contribution of social media to body dissatisfaction in a bid to answer the question as to whether social media does contribute to unrealistic standards of what beauty is.

5. Structuring the body paragraphs

Now that your introduction is out of the way, the next step is to write the actual body of your argumentative essay. This is where you expound on the supporting and opposing sides of your topic and convince the reader that you actually know what you are doing. Also make sure you are writing in third-person as this disconnects personal biases emotional ties from the topic, making it appear objective rather than subjective. You paragraph should follow the PIE format which simply means;

• Point
• Illustration
• Explanation.

Let me highlight this using the example below;

Example body paragraph

Social media filters and beauty influencers contribute to unrealistic beauty standards by normalizing edited and highly perfected appearances. Beauty influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram frequently post content that presents flawless skin, ideal body shapes, and carefully curated lifestyles, causing many young women to compare themselves to unrealistic images. According to Peng and Hakimzadeh (2025), repeated exposure to influencer content often leads Gen Z women to internalize these beauty ideals, resulting in self-objectification, body dissatisfaction, and pressure to conform to homogenized standards of attractiveness. The study further explains that although some body-positive content promotes self-compassion and body neutrality, many participants still viewed it as inauthentic, showing how deeply unrealistic beauty expectations have become embedded in social media culture. Therefore, the widespread use of filters and influencer-driven content reinforces unattainable standards that negatively affect self-image and emotional well-being among young users.

6. Finalizing the conclusion

The conclusion of your essay needs to bring everything together and circle back to the original thesis statement. You should also show how the essay has effectively answered the intended question. NEVER introduce any new idea in the conclusion, just summarize what you have been discussing. Anyone reading your essay’s conclusion needs to come out knowing your position on the issue and what was discussed.

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