Worried about what’s expected of you once you get to university? We got you – Alice is here to share the info about essay-writing at uni. Still worried? We run essay bootcamps! No need to book, students can just turn up for extra help.
As a university student, navigating and learning the core academic skills needed for essay writing can seem like a challenge, regardless of where you are in your academic journey.
It’s definitely a skill that may take time to master – and like most skills, the more you do it the easier it becomes!
I went to a workshop, completely free and open to anyone, so I thought I’d share what I learnt. The workshop dissected essay structures so that it feels less overwhelming and more approachable, and gave me the ability to independently research and collate this information in a way that helps me put my point across in essays.
What is the purpose of an essay?
Figuring out why we’re writing an essay and its purpose is important otherwise it can feel pointless setting out to write one, without understanding the intention! Essay writing is about combining lecture info with your own research to form solid arguments and answer the main question.
The essay writing process:
In the workshop, we learned how to break down the essay writing process into manageable stages – I found this particularly helpful as starting an essay can often seem daunting. To make things easier, I’ve outlined each stage and the order they should be tackled, along with a rough estimate of how much time to spend on each part. I find that breaking an essay down, and doing it in stages can be really helpful especially when you are still developing and refining the skill.
Stage 1 – Considering the question (5-10%):
- Accurately answering the question is VITAL. Take note of the command words in the question – what is it actually asking you? Is it an argument? If so it requires for and against paragraphs! Does it ask you to talk about a point specifically?
- Pull the essay question apart, I like to do this using highlighters. I make notes on what the question is asking me and research the definitions on any words I may be unsure on, making sure I understand them in the context
- Ensure every component is addressed
- Look for instruction words (e.g discuss or identity)
- This stage can also include making a rough essay plan, creating an outline with themed paragraphs (this does not have to be detailed at all and this is something that can be tweaked throughout the process)
Stage 2 – Research and Note-Taking (40%):
- This is a where a big chunk of your time should be spent – a good essay shows extensive research
- Be strategic and selective in your research
- Use lecture notes, the module bibliography, library resources, and credible online sources such as Google Scholar
- Create clear, concise, and organised notes that align with your essay plan and are easy to refer to.
Stage 3 – Writing and Revising (40%):
- Start drafting using an essay structure: introduction, body and conclusion
- Each body paragraph should address a specific aspect, supported by evidence and critical analysis
- Revise for clarity and ensure a logical progression of ideas.
- Analyse Sources: Determine whether they support or challenge your perspective.
- Develop Paragraphs: For each aspect, outline your main points and support them with evidence.
- At this point, it’s totally ok to tweak your drafts – changing the structure to find which works best for the title of the essay! A bit of trial and error is normal
- Introduction: Set the context, introduce the main idea, and define any key words in the title
- Body (200-400 words each): Begin with a topic sentence, provide evidence, conduct critical analysis, and conclude with what this shows regarding the essay question.
- Conclusion: Reiterate the purpose, summarize findings, and provide closure.
Stage 4 – Checking (5-10%):
- Sometimes it can be helpful to complete this stage a couple of days after you have finished your last essay draft. That way you can look at the words with a fresh mind which can make it easier to make adjustments and spot mistakes.
- Proofread your essay for grammar, punctuation, and adherence to the essay question.
- Ensure every paragraph contributes to answering the main question.
Hopefully this quick guide can prove helpful to all University students, regardless how far along your degree you are, the essay process is the same. Use this as a recourse to support your studies and don’t forget your lecturers are always on end for further support. Keep an eye out for more workshops like this one provided by your department or uni student support service.