8 min
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10.15.2022
To help you do better on assignments, we wrote a short essay about the National Service Training Program. In this article, we will discuss it, point out its weaknesses, and provide you with guidelines on how to write a good essay about NSTP in the Philippines.
Sample Essay: What Is the National Service Training Program (NSTP)?
What follows is an example of an essay written by a Filipino high school student, John:
The civic education and defense preparedness program, NSTP, was instituted by virtue of Republic Act 9163 back in 2001. Tertiary level students in the Philippines should take the National Service Training Program. It's applicable for both males and females.
College students must undergo one of three programs that are included in NSTP. One of them is ROTC or Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It focuses on military training and education. Students who choose ROTC can be mobilized for national defense preparedness. Many decide to take the course to learn more about the armed forces in the Philippines.
Another NSTP program is the CWTS or Civic Welfare Training Service. In terms of this civil service course, students study general welfare-related matters and focus on the betterment of life in the community. According to statistics, this is the most popular component.
Finally, the LTS or Literacy Training Service is the program that aims to promote peer-to-peer learning by encouraging students to teach others literacy and numeracy.
The chosen component determines not only the specialty but also post-graduation life. For example, students who undergo the ROTC program will make up the Citizen Armed Force. All the others, however, are to become a part of the National Service Reserve Corps or NSRC.
Normally, any National Service Training Program includes six units that are divided into two semesters. That's why students take two courses: NSTP 1 and NSTP 2. However, some universities may introduce a single course that combines both.
If you are a student who takes a baccalaureate degree course or a technical vocational course, regardless of your gender, you will compulsorily study components of the NSTP. However, there are exceptions for foreign students or those who have already completed the program before.
Essay Review: What to Improve
At first sight, the National Service Training Program essay may seem well-written. It describes what the National Service Training Program and its components are, the academic period, and who is subject to take the program. It is very informative and provides a lot of value to the reader. You can even rely on this information in your own essay! However, there are some things about this written work that should be improved or even avoided.
The introduction of John's essay could have been smoother. Apart from moving directly to the point, the NSTP abbreviation wasn't clarified when the term first appeared. It may confuse the reader and decrease readability.
Besides, the essay has a wrong ending. Normally, the last part should sum up all the mentioned above: it's either a brief review or a conclusion. In the case of John, however, it introduces new information that should be included in the main body.
Tips on Writing an Essay on NSTP
Pre-writing: Selecting a Topic and Conducting Research
Both choosing a topic and conducting background research are integral parts of the pre-writing phase. It is normal to be stumped when trying to decide what to write about. The trick is to match your passions with the constraints set by your teacher.
Think about what really excites you or what pressing issue you'd like to address. Do you feel strongly about protecting the planet? Perhaps you are interested in how volunteering can help you grow as a person. Whatever you decide to write about, make sure it fits with the NSTP mission and has some personal significance to you.
As soon as you have settled on a topic, you should begin collecting relevant resources. Research materials can take many forms, such as scholarly articles, books, websites, and even interviews with subject-matter experts. You need to look for proof that supports your claims and can serve as a foundation for your essay. You can save time looking for information if you organize your sources and notes.
Writing: Crafting a Well-structured Essay
Create an outline for your NSTP essay first. This will help you arrange your ideas and ensure a smooth flow from one section to the next. Your outline can be as detailed or as general as you feel necessary, depending on your familiarity with the subject. Write down the meaning and importance of NSTP, make a list of NSTP benefits.
Following the outline is the actual writing, where you can demonstrate your style and personality. Keep in mind that you aren’t expected to merely paraphrase the work of others; instead, you should provide your own analysis or viewpoint.
Introduce your topic in a way that is both interesting and informative, and make sure to include a strong thesis statement. This sets the tone for your essay and gives a sneak peek at the information that will be revealed later.
Each paragraph in the paper's body needs to have a topic sentence that ties back to the thesis. Evidence from your research, as well as examples and anecdotes, will give your arguments weight and credibility.
Keep your essay organized and easy to follow throughout. If you want to connect ideas and lead the reader smoothly from one point to the next, transition words and phrases are your best friends. Use transitional words like "however," "so," "also," and "on the other hand" to help guide the reader through your essay.
Presenting evidence and arguments in support of your thesis is essential, but you should also account for potential rebuttals. Recognizing competing arguments demonstrates that you have given your argument some thought and lends more weight to your own position.
In the final paragraph of your NSTP essay, restate your thesis and briefly review the points you just made. It is important to leave your readers with something to think about or a call to action, so they can apply what they have learned.
Editing and Proofreading
After you have completed the initial draft, you can shift your attention to the revision phase. Here is where you will edit your work for clarity, conciseness, and accuracy.
When editing, one of the first things you should do is read it over to make sure it is clear. Think about the transition from one paragraph to the next as you read to see if the ideas flow smoothly. Is what you're saying easy to understand? Is there anything that needs to be clarified?
At this point, it can be helpful to read your essay out loud or have someone else read it to you. If your sentences do not seem to flow or if your thoughts seem to be all over the place, you can use this to find them. Keep track of these spots, so you can fix them up later.
The next step is to proofread your text for spelling and grammar mistakes. This is crucial because even a well-written essay can be ruined by typos. Spell check is not foolproof; it will miss some common mistakes (such as homophones) if you rely on it too heavily.
As you read, make sure to focus on each sentence individually. Check for punctuation, correct use of tense, and subject-verb agreement. If you want to avoid making the same mistakes in the future, you should keep a record of the terms you frequently misuse.
Additional Tips
When writing an NSTP introduction essay, you should always remember that:
- You are unfolding the topic for a reader. Therefore, don't be shy to explain even basic things.
- Cover all the aspects of a program, from eligibility and duration to the program components. Also, don't forget to describe the importance of NSTP and it's role in the government's nation-building strategy. Think civic consciousness, activities contributory to the country's well-being, enhancement of a variety of skills.
- Describe each component in detail so that a reader thoroughly understands what he/she is going to study and gain in the end.
- Don't focus on the history of the NSTP. While this may be relevant to the topic, it isn't very useful for a reader. Instead, cover the ethics of service, some fun facts, add brief statistics.
- Explain the importance of the program for students to be motivated to take one or another course as members of the community. Show the end value and appeal to motivational triggers. But don't overdo with the sales style.
- Write in an informative style. Avoid using a too friendly tone of voice.
Summing Up
The "What is NSTP?" essay aims to inform a reader about a training program. That's why it must cover all the major details to help students make a prudent choice of a program component. Besides, you need to avoid being too friendly and adhere to an informative and official writing style.
Check out our other web pages for more essay help and essay editing. Alternatively, you may wish to use our proofreading services for polishing and perfecting your essay to give you that extra grade boost or learn how to write movie review essay online!
