How to Write Essays
In first year you will be learning how to write university standard essays. It takes some time to get the hang of it and you will gradually become aware of what standard and style is expected by each of your lecturers. You will discover how an English essay is different to an Anthropology essay for example.
How do you find out what is expected? Your lecturers and tutors will give you guidance about essays during your lectures and tutorials and you can always contact them with any questions you have. Feedback you get on assessment tasks early in semester is also a good guide. The department in which your subject is taught may have an essay-writing guide for first-year students, ask your tutor about this.
Due to time constraints, your lecturer or tutor is not able to read through your draft essays and provide feedback. There is someone who can do this however, an academic adviser at the the Academic Skills Unit. This service is free to all students and you can see an academic adviser up to four times per semester. They can help you analyse an essay question or work out an essay plan: they can give you feedback on your first draft, help you to develop your argument and to improve your academic writing style.
The Arts Lunchtime Academic Skills Seminars devote sessions to essay writing in Arts. See the Learning Resources web page for details.
You might find some of the following useful for general guidance about writing essays:
- 'Getting your head around the BA' (250kb pdf) - booklet available from Arts and Music Student Centre.
- 'Tertiary Essay Writing' (3.2Mb pdf)- booklet available from the Academic Skills Unit.
There are lots of other useful free pamphlets on essay-writing that you can download from the Academic Skills Unit website.
Check the library catalogue for texts written to guide you in essay writing.