Coursework

Get to grips with academic writing

Does essay writing trip you up? Do you struggle to know how you’re meant to write? Are you annoyed by gaps in your understanding?

The Guardian says that the change from A-levels to a university degree is too much for many students. Essay requirements are overwhelming.

photo by katiew
photo by katiew

Echoing many people I’ve spoken to in the past, Daphne Elliston told the Guardian:

“…putting my own words into academic language was hard. And it was difficult to believe I was entitled to my own opinion or to disagree with all these academics who’d done years of research.”

You don’t have to write insanely academic language. Rather, you’re meant to create an argument. Your job is to research, assess and reach your own conclusions.

But how? Where do you start? Here are some considerations for tackling essays:

  • Write in whatever order you like – It’s not a linear process. Kate Brooks at UWE says the process is more cyclical: “do some research, draft a bit, read some more, think, consider what you’ve written, redraft.”
    You can write before you research, you can build a conclusion before an introduction, and you can make random points as you go along and reorder those points at a later stage. Your writing route is flexible. Nobody needs to know how you put it together. The end result is all they’ll look at. And all they care about!
  • Consider your opinion throughout – From start to finish, be aware of what you think. Take the essay question the moment you’re given the assignment and ask yourself how you would answer it. Write a paragraph straight away, before you do any further reading. After some research, has your opinion changed? When you’ve finished writing, has your opinion changed? Keep asking yourself what *your* opinion is.
  • Feel free to stop reading – Academic research can go on and on. And on. As an undergraduate, you don’t need to obsess forever. With a load of ideas and a grip of core texts on reading lists, there’s no need to relentlessly search for every last scrap of data and every opinion ever made. That’s impossible. And you’re not expected to mention all this stuff anyway. There’s no science in knowing when to stop. However, if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed with information and don’t have any of your own writing to show for it, you can probably stop reading…
  • Select the best examples – With all this research done and a trillion ways to say the same thing, pick the clearest, most relevant references to make your point. Leave the others to your references only. The simple act of referencing shows you are aware of it.
  • Don’t feel offended – Some departments introduced compulsory modules on writing at degree level. However, some students found this offensive, according to the Guardian piece.
    After completing A-levels and getting good grades, it may feel strange to start all over again. While some students sense an overwhelm from the beginning, others think the process is just a continuation. By stubbornly refusing to discover more about the academic writing process, some students will miss out.
    Be open to learning. Even if you were entirely comfortable all along, give yourself a pat on the back for being so awesome. Not many people reach that level of awesome so quickly. 🙂
  • Discuss the writing as you go along – If possible, grab some time with your tutor (either virtually or physically) to discuss your draft essay. It shouldn’t take long to find out where you’re headed. There’s no need to be specific. Your job is to make sure you’re on the right track before you commit more time.
  • Work in small bursts, over a long period of time – The difference between a First and a fail may come about solely because of the way you use your time. There has long been a tendency to leave essays until a day or two before they are due in. A risky move.
    By waiting until the deadline, you have no option but to write in a linear fashion. Research also goes out of the window. We’ve not even got on to the amount of stress you’ll feel with nothing written and only a short space of time left. This is one of the most common methods of writing essays, but also one of the craziest. Do you really want to take that risk?
  • Think critically – As Daphne Elliston says, it’s hard to accept you have any right to an opinion worth anything compared to acclaimed academics and prolific authors. But you do. On top of that, you are able to disagree with what these published writers have said. So long as you back up the argument with reason and other references, you can argue however you like. I find that one of the most enjoyable parts of the writing process. 😉
  • Use your own voice – YOU are the author of this essay, not someone else. An overactive vocabulary is pointless. Sounding clever and being clever are two different things. Simple language can be just as powerful when you have a solid argument.
  • List the points you want to make – Plan as simply as you can. Get some bullet points down with 4, 40 or 400 things you want to discuss in the essay. The number doesn’t matter; it’s the active consideration that’s crucial. This basic plan will get you thinking right away and will even help shape how you research. The search for references and quotations is much easier when you have an idea of what you’re looking for.

If you want to explore the academic and essay writing process even further, here are some other things you can do:

Your writing will improve as you go along. When you encounter a problem, make an active effort to overcome it. Gaps in your understanding are not weaknesses, they are merely challenges. We all face these challenges every day. Even academics with years of research have to overcome gaps in understanding. That’s why they are academics. If those gaps didn’t exist, there would be nothing left to learn!

Why You Are Better Than Robotic Willpower

There are many tools around that make sure you’re only doing what you’re meant to be doing. Let’s say you’re supposed to be writing. To help you stay writing, there’s software that cripples your Internet connection, that removes your social network access, and that generally takes control of what you can and can’t do.

photo by jakedobkin

photo by jakedobkin

Instead of willpower, you can set tools to force you away from temptation.

But this is damaging.

Doug Belshaw asked via Twitter:

http://twitter.com/dajbelshaw/statuses/60691447883632641

I responded:

While software like Quiet Hours will automatically switch off email and social apps for you to get on with more important tasks, it’s not all roses and butterflies:

  1. You stop working naturally – The forced nature of your work can scupper creative thinking. There’s nowhere else to go, but you’re made very aware of the fact. Choice is more open than force, so aim for that as often as possible.
  2. It feels like a punishment – Where’s the fun in removing all distractions so clinically? There’s a fine line between giving yourself a bit of peace and pissing yourself off.
  3. A ‘no ifs, no buts’ approach is restrictive – Need to quickly look something up for a reference? Well you can’t. I tried a ‘no ifs, no buts’ practice in the past, but quickly stopped. When you’re busy working and find your restrictions stop you working, it’s a bigger distraction than everything else put together. I didn’t end up screaming, but it was a close thing…
  4. Tools can’t eliminate the problem of forgetting what you were meant to be doing – I’ve walked away from writing something in order to find a quotation in a book. Half an hour later, I’m still looking through books and I suddenly remember what my initial purpose was. A five minute job took much longer than necessary. An automated shut-down tool will remove a couple of these problem points. However, it won’t stop the problem itself.
  5. You may end up believing that you cannot rectify these problems manually (i.e. yourself) – The more you rely on tools to kick you into shape, the less you’ll be in touch with your own talent and power to push on.

There’s nothing wrong with using software to help eliminate distractions. But reliance on software is dangerous. You have the power to do it yourself:

  1. Keep a to-do/task list – An easy way to train yourself to concentrate on what you’ve set yourself.
  2. Leave plenty of time for important tasks – Left until the last minute results in panic. You may be totally focused on the task, but the deadline hovering over you like a guillotine blade will be more than enough distraction.
  3. Do things in small chunks – Rather than commit to an hour on an essay, try to work for just ten minutes. Then take a minute or two off to check social networks and other distractions. Multitasking doesn’t work, so try ‘minitasking’ as an alternative.
  4. Keep ‘valid disruptions’ in check – I’ve said before, “disruptions aren’t always unwelcome, even if they are disruptive”. Be aware of this and you can work more effectively. Give yourself time to spend on the good stuff and mix it up with your other work. There’s nothing like a bit of variation!

What do you think? Would you rather automate the process of removing distractions? Do you feel better when you have control yourself? What tips do you have to stay focused?

Less Homework, More Coursework

Homework. Whether you loved it or hated it, you couldn’t get away from it.

photo by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino
photo by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino

At university, much of your coursework is similar to homework. You do it in your own chosen time, outside of lectures/seminars/tutorials, and with particular deadlines.

New research has come to the conclusion that age and gender differences play a part in how students complete their homework. Younger students seemed to prefer working with friends and outside the home. Older students were happier on their own, in the house. Girls, regardless of age, were more stressed working on their own, preferring to work with friends. Boys, on the other hand, weren’t as interested in working with others.

At uni, you have far more flexibility over your study environment. That includes whether or not you work with other people, when you choose to study, and where you wish to do the work.

Because coursework is like an extended type of homework, it pays to examine what situations work best for you. Surrounded by quiet fields or in a loud and busy setting? With others or away from the rest of the world?

If you found homework a hassle and you’re struggling to find coursework much better, a change of setting may be all you need to alter your attitude for the better.

Not all study is equal. Be sure to set aside time to discover what study environment works best for you. Keep improving it the whole time you’re learning to make sure you don’t grow complacent.

The more you enjoy your work, the less you’ll think of it as ‘homework’.

What to do when you get your marked essay back

Don’t assign that assignment to the back of your mind just yet.

Before you let go, give your work a bit more daylight. It’ll help your future study to shine more.

photo by Jerrycharlotte

photo by Jerrycharlotte

Here’s what you can do when the grade is set and the feedback is here:

Check the tutor’s comments (and grade). Let it sink in – The gap between seeing the mark and getting over the initial shock will take longer for some than for others. Especially if you’re unhappy. But don’t bother dissecting the feedback until you’re past the initial shock/joy/sadness/confusion.

Read your essay again – What sticks out? Do you remember it differently now? How do you feel about it as a reader? What feedback would you give yourself if you were marking the essay?

Note down areas you’d like to improve and what you want to do differently next time – This marks the start of preparation for your next assignment. The sooner you spot what’s holding you back, the quicker you can tackle the problem.

Note down what you’re especially happy with so you can work in a similar way for future essays – As with the weaknesses, it’s just as important to focus on your current strengths, otherwise you risk forgetting how to shine consistently.

List what you agree and disagree with about your tutor’s comments – If you still feel slighted by the feedback, briefly point out where and/or why you have been misunderstood so you can discuss with your tutor.

Speak to your tutor for extended feedback – One you have a list of points and questions to explore, why not ask the marker for greater insight? Discuss what’s missing. Find out how you can be better understood and how to move forward. This type of exploration is far more revealing than having an argument over what has already been said.

Engage as far as you can – Check my list of 20 ways to engage with feedback if you’re really serious about getting the most from your past assignments.

Take the matter further; but only if you must – When you’re adamant that something isn’t right, you may wish to speak with another academic advisor, appeal the mark, or even complain. But remember that your anger and disappointment must be justified through examples that you can highlight. There should be signs of heavy prejudice and/or misunderstanding before you can reasonably weigh in with complaints. Fussing over slightly lower than expected marks or getting bogged down with minor detail is rarely worth taking ‘all the way’.

Still have questions? – Clearly define any outstanding issues you want assistance with and arrange to speak with your tutor for more specific feedback. If they extend beyond the essay, your tutor should still be able to help take you further.