These notes are from the Study Skills section of the OU website.
I wrote these notes down in my notebook in order to help me write my essays for the TMA's. However, I have also decided to write them here too incase I missplace the notebook or decide to write an essay in the local libary and don't have the notebook at hand. This way I can always have these notes.
Writting Essays
*Intro ~> Body ~> Conclusion*
Intro:
- 5-10% of the word count
- outline the main arguements
- identify main arguements
- indicate the stages of arguements
- highlight any major issues
Body:
- 80-90% of the word count
- main arguement
- narrative flow
- highlights a sequence of different points
- follow a coherent and continous 'story'
Conclusion:
- 5-10% of the word count
- summeraise issues raised in the body
- tie up loose ends
- emphasise key elements of arguement
- make reference to the title question again
Other points from the videos on the study skills:
* Always write an essay plan
^ Key words or key themes that will trigger off other issues and notes
* Mindmaps are a good way to organise notes
* Write the question on a card and put it infront of you so that you have it with you 24/7
PLANNING:
Evidence you need:
- gather together all your notes that you need and review them. - I'm hopeing to make my notes need so it will be easier to do this.
- note down key words of the assignment
- check your notes against the assignment question
- higlight your notes that will be useful for the TMA
- quotes you wish to use ~> remember to make note of where these are from in the reference list
- tables
- paraphrasing
- have the question beside you always
Planning the essay by draft:
...planning...planning...planning....
- Address the real question
- Show understanding
- Create a mindmap - write all ideas down
- check back from previous assignments to see if there is something you should be doing
- build an outline for your essay
- create the first setences that lead onto your main points
- remember to write in paragraphs
- look where you need to add evidence and see which sort of evidence would best be appropriate e.g. quotes
Other things that will help:
* Read broadsheet newspapers and look at the bits where there is comments and editorials and see how it is draffted like an arugement
* think of it as an arguement
* divide up your word count
Checking the draft:
Things to think of when reading it through:
- Have I actually answered the question?
- Are my arguements precise and backed up by evidence?
- Does it flow and is it understable?
- Have I shown that I understand the module material?
- Is it all referenced properly?
Perhaps also get someone else to check it for you and see what they think!
Second Draft
Aim: to improve on the first draft
- Include any things that you may have missed out
- Look at the sequence of paragraphs - do they flow logicaly from one to the next?
- Check sentence structure, puncuation and grammer
- Make sure that your style of writting and vocabulary is approriate for the context
Personally, I think that writting the drafts would be easier on a computer. Why? - because it will be easier to re-edit the work into the second draft, to add in bits you've missed and so on.
With all these notes and information I hope to be able to write good essays! :)
