• They have not written an essay in a long time?

• They do not know what an academic essay looks like and how to structure it?

• As a result of poor time management students miss deadlines?

• They do not know where to start?

• Lack of Confidence.

• Feeling Overwhelmed.

• Unclear Expectations.

• Purpose of the Essay.

• Stages in Essay Writing.

• The Essay Writing Process.

• Essay Structure.

• Referencing.

• Assessing Your Work.

• What Makes a Good Essay.

• Dos and Don’ts.

• Some Pitfalls to Avoid.

• Essay Writing Tips.

To show you have understood the topic!

• An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same no matter what.

• If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the essay almost writes itself.

• Preparation and planning.

• Drafting.

• Re-drafting and polishing.

• Editing and proofreading.

• Reflecting on feedback.

Before Writing:

• Make sure you understand the question.

• Do initial research & collect/skim through/read relevant readings (reading list and beyond.)

• Develop an Essay Plan.

• Planning

• Thinking

• Researching

• Writing

• Editing

What are the main parts of an essay?

• Introduction

• Body

• Conclusion

• References

Your Introduction

The body paragraphs

Your conclusion

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Essay Statement

1st Main Point

2nd Main Point

3rd Main Point

• There is a well thought out and presented essay outline:

o i.e. the thesis statement or research statement (what the essay is all about.)

• There are clearly outlined major topics that will be addressed in the body section of the essay:

o i.e. giving a general sense of the source materials that will be used in the paper.

A thesis is an argument about your topic

• It must be a solid statement that sums up your opinion or understanding of the topic - basically what it is that you are arguing.

• A thesis statement is not simply an opinion or a summary. It is a declaration of an argument or hypothesis.

• A good thesis statement can be proven through logical argument and collected evidence and it also addresses the important larger theoretical issues relevant to the findings.

Major Point

3-5 Supporting Details

Transition

(Relating it back to your essay)

1. Your major arguments or themes.

2. Your main ideas (significance and importance of the main points or themes – a breakdown of the major arguments.)

3. The concepts and evidence that you need to develop a strong argument (evidence for your ideas and arguments.)

NB:• Logical sequence of your argument .• Clear development of main arguments. • Distinguish the main ideas in each argument.

• Is a summary of your paper.

• Should NOT include any new information.

• Provides a strong connection between all of the main arguments discussed and their relevance to your thesis.

• Is a standard method of acknowledging your sources of information and ideas that you have used in your assignment.

• Read the instructions in the Handbook on Harvard Referencing page 20.

• Have a look at the referencing in the text books.

• To acknowledge another person's intellectual work.

• To make it possible for your reader to locate your sources independently.

• To demonstrate your knowledge of the field and make your writing more trustworthy.

• To avoid being accused of 'plagiarism' (using other people's words/ideas as if they were your own.)

When you include information that is:

• General knowledge (e.g. Freud founded psychoanalysis.)

• Information that is common knowledge in the field.

• Ideas that are definitely your own, and findings or insights from your own research.

• Quoting - using the exact words of the author(s). When quoting you usually place the words in quotation marks (“…”)

• Paraphrasing – putting the information in your own words.

• Summarising - expressing the main points of when it is someone else's opinion, theory or information.

When you incorporate the work of others in your writing you must always reference your sources.

• Read your essay and comment critically on the structure and organisation. Identify strengths and weaknesses.

• Is there a clear introduction to guide the reader?

• Are key concepts clearly communicated?

• Does the writing progress/have a sense of direction?

• Is there a clear and appropriate conclusion?

• Is your paper well-focused on the essay question? Did I stay ‘on target’? Is my argument structure clear?

• What is the purpose served by each and every paragraph/section?

• Am I engaging with the relevant literature? What is missing?

• ‘Let it be’ for some time & then re-read: a most important stage.

After completing a draft, set your essay aside for a few days before beginning to revise it

• Print a hard copy of your essay. Errors will be easier to spot on paper rather than on a computer screen.

• Make sure the body of the essay supports the intro paragraph and/or topic. Similarly be sure the final paragraph wraps up the essay and concludes your ideas.

• Check for fragments, run-on sentences, spelling errors and repetition.

• Get rid of sentences and words that seem irrelevant. Use the fewest words possible to express your point.

• Read the essay aloud to get a good sense of how it flows. Sometimes you will notice errors when you say them out loud rather than simply reading them.

• Have someone else review the essay before you submit it. A fresh pair of eyes may be able to offer suggestions you have not thought of.

• Could you follow my argument? What was my argument?

• Did I give you enough evidence for you to agree with my point of view or my particular perspective?

• Did I draw appropriate conclusions from my argument and collected evidence?

• Are there any places where you were confused or misled?

• Did the argument progress logically and clearly?

• Were there places in the paper where you asked questions about the material that I did not answer?

• Good structure: clear introduction, well crafted middle, clear and appropriate conclusion.

• Clear argument: progression through ideas with clear signposting.

• Well supported by relevant evidence.

• Well written: grammatical; correct spelling and punctuation; good sentence structure, paragraphing and use of linking words and phrases.

• Well presented according to criteria.

• Fully referenced using Harvard system.

Do…

• Prepare well in advance.

• Write a first draft, leave and come back to it later.

• Keep your focus on the question.

• Edit carefully for sense, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

• Use one consistent theme or topic throughout the essay.

• Allow others to review your drafts for feedback and suggestions.

• Adhere to the essay topic and word limit.

• Present the essay according to the ‘written assignment criteria.’

Don’t…

• Rely on spell check – many words may be spelled right but used in the wrong context.

• Try to write about too many points.

• Write your name anywhere on the essay document; use your student number.

• Ignore the criteria on presenting the essay.

• Leave till the last minute.

For example: “Does this mean that some strategies are better than others?”

A sentence should express only one idea or a clearly connected set of ideas.

Ensure your essay is presented according to the Written Assignment Criteria, paying close attention to:

✓Word Count.

✓Line-spacing.

✓Providing student number ONLY (not your name.)

✓Submitting your work within the deadline.

• Check your writing to make sure you do not have unnecessary words or phrases.

• You may often find that there are a number of words contained in your writing that can be safely eliminated without any kind of sabotage to your meaning whatsoever.

You may often find that there are a number of words contained in your writing that can be safely eliminated without any kind of sabotage to

your meaning whatsoever.

• Analyse the question.

• Brainstorm ideas.

• Make a plan to guide research.

• Do research to get more ideas for your answer.

• Sort ideas by planning the essay/assignment structure.

• Write drafts.

• Prepare references.

• Edit and proofread.

• Time management is the key to success!

• Plan ahead.

• Do not procrastinate.

• Writing is hard work, it takes time and concentration.

• Breaking essay writing down into stages makes it more manageable.

• Good writers understand that writing is a process.

Get Started!

• Use the title in the handbook.

• Describe the basic psychodynamic counselling skills used to help people. Illustrate from your own learning.

• Describe Psychodynamic - two paragraphs explaining the modality.

• Counselling skills used to help people - What is counselling?

• Illustration - use your journal.

• Your seminar tutor will be discussing this on week 9.

• Look at the marking sheet on page 18 in the handbook.

• The marking sheet shows you how marks are allocated.

• The student marks are moderated by the Programme Tutor and at least one other tutor.