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Politics Student Mentors
Essay Writing Skills
Autumn 2009
A familiar feeling?
The first thing to remember…
• Don’t panic!
– Remember this is your first essay
– You’ll get a lot of feedback - don’t be worried
– it’s all constructive, so take it on board
– Try your hardest…but don’t have sleepless
nights!
Don’t do a Dara!!!
• ‘It's all themed lads,
it's delicately themed,
it's all about rules and
laws and how I don't
follow them.’
– Dara O’Briain
• There are basic rules
& laws for essay
writing – follow
them!!!
Preparing for your essay
• Choose a question you’re interested in
• Read the question & understand what is
required of you
• Don’t leave choosing your question, or finding
your sources, until the last minute
Doing your research
• Go beyond the reading list
• Take down reference
information as you go – it
will save you time in the
long run!
Planning your essay
• Brainstorm your ideas/plan your essay in a way
that works best for you
• Send an essay plan to your tutor – but do this in
plenty of time!
• Arrange to meet your tutor
• Think critically about what you read
– Critical analysis is one of the major differences between sixth form and
university level essays
Starting to write your essay
Group exercise!
Is Nick Griffin’s recent
appearance on Question Time
a victory for free speech?
Introduction
• Explain what your essay is going to do
– Provide context
– Define key terms in the question
– Explain your interpretation of the question
– Outline the structure of your essay
– Imply what your conclusion will be
• Think of the introduction as a map of your essay
– showing the route you’ll be taking and your
final destination
Main body of your essay –
developing your argument
• Point, Example, Analysis!
• Link each paragraph back to the question
– It keeps you on track and stops waffling!
• Link each paragraph to the next
– Just one sentence at the beginning/end of the
paragraph
– Helps with essay flow & will strengthen your argument
Conclusion
• Don’t sit on the fence!
– Like the group exercise above – questions are
often phrased to ensure you don’t!
– It doesn’t matter which side you take – as
long as you can strongly argue your case
• Summary of the main body of your essay
• Don’t add any new arguments!
Avoid Bushisms!
• Always proof read your
work…
• …it’s amazing how often
you will read what you
THINK you have written
instead of what you actually
have!
• Get someone else to read
your essay
Referencing & bibliography
• Note down all referencing/bibliography
information as you go
• Two main types of referencing systems in
Politics
– The Harvard System
– The Cambridge System
Please email me if you want a copy of these slides
Any questions?
• Any questions that may arise in future…
– Drop in sessions
– Email
– Facebook group
• Make use of the resources available to you
– Mentors
– Tutors
– Course Handbook
– Undergraduate Handbook
– S3 website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3
– Infosuss: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/infosuss
– RLF: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/tldu/1-4-11.html

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Essay workshop

  • 1. Politics Student Mentors Essay Writing Skills Autumn 2009
  • 3. The first thing to remember… • Don’t panic! – Remember this is your first essay – You’ll get a lot of feedback - don’t be worried – it’s all constructive, so take it on board – Try your hardest…but don’t have sleepless nights!
  • 4. Don’t do a Dara!!! • ‘It's all themed lads, it's delicately themed, it's all about rules and laws and how I don't follow them.’ – Dara O’Briain • There are basic rules & laws for essay writing – follow them!!!
  • 5. Preparing for your essay • Choose a question you’re interested in • Read the question & understand what is required of you • Don’t leave choosing your question, or finding your sources, until the last minute
  • 6. Doing your research • Go beyond the reading list • Take down reference information as you go – it will save you time in the long run!
  • 7. Planning your essay • Brainstorm your ideas/plan your essay in a way that works best for you • Send an essay plan to your tutor – but do this in plenty of time! • Arrange to meet your tutor • Think critically about what you read – Critical analysis is one of the major differences between sixth form and university level essays
  • 8. Starting to write your essay Group exercise! Is Nick Griffin’s recent appearance on Question Time a victory for free speech?
  • 9. Introduction • Explain what your essay is going to do – Provide context – Define key terms in the question – Explain your interpretation of the question – Outline the structure of your essay – Imply what your conclusion will be • Think of the introduction as a map of your essay – showing the route you’ll be taking and your final destination
  • 10. Main body of your essay – developing your argument • Point, Example, Analysis! • Link each paragraph back to the question – It keeps you on track and stops waffling! • Link each paragraph to the next – Just one sentence at the beginning/end of the paragraph – Helps with essay flow & will strengthen your argument
  • 11. Conclusion • Don’t sit on the fence! – Like the group exercise above – questions are often phrased to ensure you don’t! – It doesn’t matter which side you take – as long as you can strongly argue your case • Summary of the main body of your essay • Don’t add any new arguments!
  • 12. Avoid Bushisms! • Always proof read your work… • …it’s amazing how often you will read what you THINK you have written instead of what you actually have! • Get someone else to read your essay
  • 13. Referencing & bibliography • Note down all referencing/bibliography information as you go • Two main types of referencing systems in Politics – The Harvard System – The Cambridge System Please email me if you want a copy of these slides
  • 14. Any questions? • Any questions that may arise in future… – Drop in sessions – Email – Facebook group • Make use of the resources available to you – Mentors – Tutors – Course Handbook – Undergraduate Handbook – S3 website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3 – Infosuss: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/infosuss – RLF: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/tldu/1-4-11.html