Many students are taught the five-paragraph essay format in high school as a quick, easy essay writing method that can help them pass standardized tests. However, once those students reach college, many instructors want to break students of the five-paragraph essay habit. While it is not possible to complete a long essay assignment with the use of the five-paragraph essay format, students can use the skills they mastered in learning about this essay format to complete a variety of short writing tasks throughout their educational and professional careers.