How To Write Better Undergraduate Essays

How To Write Better Undergraduate Essays Choose relevant points only, ones that most reveal the theme or help to make a convincing and interesting argument. In the main body of the essay every paragraph should demonstrate both knowledge and critical evaluation. Sentences giving further explanation and providing evidence from both the literature and the data, e.g. the case study to support the topic sentence . Examples of this include questions which ask you to discuss, analyse, investigate, explore or review. In an analytical structure you are required to break the topic into its different components and discuss these in separate paragraphs or sections, demonstrating balance where possible. Before you start, it is important to understand what type of essay you are required to write. The language of the question, especially the directive words, will indicate the type of essay and suggest an appropriate structure to follow in your essay. If you choose to use a printed copy of your writing, you might find it useful to use a different pen so that the corrections and alterations are clearly visible. Check sentence structure, spelling and punctuation as you revise. That means that the best essays are about surprise, “You probably think it’s one way, but in reality, you should think of it this other way.” See tip #3 for more on this. However, within those guidelines, find room to express something that is uniquely you. Stop trying to write a good essay (or even a “good-enough” essay). Instead, write aninterestingessay, write an essay you think is fascinating. Essays usually have an introduction, body paragraphs, a conclusion and a reference list. At undergraduate level, more so than at A-Level, you will need to demonstrate evidence of further reading. Lectures are supposed to be a pointer and guide for your further reading. By reading, we mean published, peer-reviewed literature; Wikipedia does not count! Other websites should not be cited in essays, but you can use them to further your understanding and get lists of peer-reviewed literature to read. What this means practically is that when you’re trying to write that perfect, A-plus-worthy sentence, you’re turning off most of your best resources. Every once in a while, I would write a really good essay, but mostly I skated by with B’s and A-minuses. Honestly, throughout most of high school and college, I was a mediocre essay writer. Essays are usually written in a discursive style, bringing together ideas, evidence and arguments to address a specific problem or question. And when you’re finished, go back and edit it until it’s “good” according to your teacher’s standards. Because when you focus on external approval, you shut down your subconscious, and the subconscious is the source of your creativity. Finally, make sure you read carefully any feedback you are given on your essays. Your tutors will be keen to help you learn and progress. You also need to check spelling, sentence structure and punctuation. Correct all of these on your first draft unless you are making drastic changes which require a significant amount of rewriting. You can read my ten best tips for having fun while writing an essay that earns you the top grade, or checkout this presentation designed by our friends at Canva Presentations. Yes, you need to follow the guidelines in your assignment. If your teacher tells you to write a five-paragraph essay, then write a five-paragraph essay! However, even an experienced writer needs to be deliberate and thorough in order to write a well-constructed essay. An essay assesses the strength of your critical thinking and your ability to put that thinking into a persuasive written form. Examples of this type of essay include compare, compare and contrast or differentiate questions. In this structure the similarities and/or differences between two or more items, for example, theories or models, are discussed paragraph by paragraph. Your assignment task may require you to make a recommendation about the suitability of the items you are comparing. Quality of Written Communication - writing clearly and succinctly with appropriate use of paragraphs, spelling and grammar. All sources referenced accurately and in line with APA guidelines. Click through the slides below to learn about the key characteristics of academic writing. The reference list is at the end of your essay and is a list of all the sources you used in-text to support your argument.