Better essays
Academic essay writing is a style that anyone can learn to produce, once they know the basics of writing an essay. An academic essay should provide a solid, debatable thesis that is then supported by relevant evidence—whether that be from other sources or from one's own research. Most research follows a standard set of guidelines. Remembering some basic principles for academic essay writing will allow you to create valuable, persuasive papers, even if you're under a time crunch. Before you even start writing an essay, it is important to know what you want to say.
How to write better essays: 'nobody does introductions properly'
Is Wikipedia really a no-go? Should you bother with the whole reading list? And how do you make a convincing argument? We ask the experts. We spoke to experts to get some simple techniques that will raise your writing game. Tim Squirrell is a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, and is teaching for the first time this year. When he was asked to deliver sessions on the art of essay-writing, he decided to publish a comprehensive and brilliant blog on the topic, offering wisdom gleaned from turning out two or three essays a week for his own undergraduate degree.
The goal of writing any essay is to show that you can think critically about the material at hand whatever it may be. But what does critical evaluation actually look like? Write them and try to respond to them, so you become aware of flaws in your reasoning.
Every argument has its limits and if you can try and explore those, the markers will often reward that. The use of Wikipedia for research is a controversial topic among academics, with many advising their students to stay away from the site altogether.
I would only recommend it as either a primer or a last resort, but it does have its place. Reading lists can be a hindrance as well as a help. Squirrell advises reading the introduction and conclusion and a relevant chapter but no more.
Then when I come to write, I have all of my material. There are a plenty of online offerings to help with this, such as the project management app Scrivener and referencing tool Zotero , and, for the procrastinators, there are productivity programmes like Self Control , which allow users to block certain websites from their computers for a set period. But quality matters more than quantity. The old trick of dealing with your introduction last is common knowledge, but it seems few have really mastered the art of writing an effective opener.
Keep up with the latest on Guardian Students: follow us on Twitter at GdnStudents — and become a member to receive exclusive benefits and our weekly newsletter. Education Schools Teachers Universities Students. Tips for students Students. How to write better essays: 'nobody does introductions properly'. Always look out for flaws in arguments — and that includes your own.
Photograph: Alamy. Zofia Niemtus. Published on Tue 7 Mar
If it's low, they are disappointed. Many students end the review process at this point. What about you? If you want to write better essays, you will. How to write better essays: 'nobody does introductions properly'. Is Wikipedia really a no-go? Should you bother with the whole reading list? And.
Is Wikipedia really a no-go? Should you bother with the whole reading list? And how do you make a convincing argument? We ask the experts.
For many such students, each essay brings with it the challenge of making it that little bit better than the last one.
