How to write a killer essay…

essay

Writing an essay can be a daunting task, especially when you’re a little out of practice (taking BTEC at college..opps.) Once you get into the swing of things, it does get a little easier, so we’ve put together some tips that help us smash those essays out…

Read the question

Then read it again. Make sure you understand what you are being asked, write the question down and break it into different components so you can analysis what is being said.

Research

Research research & more research! Ensure you are well versed on what you want to talk about! Ensure you keep a list of references as you go along as this will make your life a lot easier later on.

Plan

By planning your essay and breaking it into different components it’s easier to stay on top of what your writing and enables you to channel your thoughts concisely.

Write

Be clear and concise, backing up your points with references where required. Take your time, this isn’t a sprint after all, if need be break your essay writing into smaller sections taking breaks in between to enable you to channel your focus for set periods of time.

Proof read

Pivotal after all those long hours slogging away on your laptop where every word looks the same. This will help you ensure all your grammar and spellings are correct. It’s better (if you can) to get someone else to look over your work if possible as fresh eyes may pick up something you missed.

Formatting

Is it in the correct font/size? Do you need to have your essay double sized? Student number in header? etc. Make sure you check your university guidelines to ensure you are submitting work correctly, otherwise you could lose marks.

References

Make sure all your references are correct and written in the correct format. Most universities use Harvard Referencing (there’s a great site to generate them for you here), but make sure you check with your university guidelines to ensure you know what system they want you to use!

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