How To Write An Essay For Undergraduates

How to write an essay that rocks

Essay Writing Advice for Undergraduate Earth Scientists

1. Understand the question

Every word in an essay question is carefully chosen. This is the examiner extending a hand to guide you. Do not ignore it. Once you understand how to read essay questions, it eliminates the anxiety they create because the wording of the question tells you how best to answer it.

Is the examiner asking you to evaluate the practical applications of a certain theory? Or compare and contrast different implications of that theory for its field? Good answers to these questions may draw on the same material but should read very differently. For instance, the first question wording is likely more challenging, requiring a confident and unifying conclusion.

Put simply, the wording of the essay question will tell you how the essay should be written. As such, it tells you how to structure and focus your essay as well as your initial research.

2. Prove you understand the question

You ve used the question wording to understand exactly what information is required for the answer, and how you should present that information. Don t let that hard work go to waste. Prove to the examiner you have understood the question by:

a) Using the exact wording of the question in your answer, repeatedly.

b) Signposting your argument. Google this if you don t know what it means. Constantly make clear what you have just said, and why it answers the question or gets you partway to answering the question. Make the discussion as easy as possible to follow. This is critical and we will go over it time and again, so don`t worry if it seems confusing.

3. Structure

To achieve point 2, your essay will need a concise, logical structure, and good flow. Good structure is the most critical component of a quality essay, as well as the most difficult to get right.

It is best to learn good structure by example. In a hand-written tripos essay (depending on the paper and allotted time), most people can write enough to make 4-5 argumentative points well. Learn how many you are able to make in the relevant time window (do you have 30, 45, or 60 minutes to answer this question) and plan your essay appropriately.

Take the question: What can the colour of sedimentary rocks reveal about their environment of deposition? How reliable is colour as a signature of depositional conditions?

This question lends itself well to a clear structure. The first part of the question is open-ended, the second demands critical evaluation. A good structure would be

Paragraph 1 Clear examples of sedimentary rock colour revealing their environment (coarse red sandstones are oxidised, often indicating prolonged subaerial exposure)

Paragraph 2 More ambiguous examples of sedimentary rock colour revealing environment. For instance, a green coloured fine sandstone could indicate a reducing environment (Fe2+), or high glauconite content (a true greensand indicative of low energy tidal environments), or both, or neither.

Paragraph 3 Evaluation of reliability. Colour signatures should not be ignored, but they should not be taken as gospel in the field either, and lab evaluation will be required for any assertion drawn from the colour of a rock in the field. We must also be concerned about modern weathering or post-depositional diagenesis changing the colour of any sedimentary rock.

In 3 (relatively long) paragraphs, you have provided a clear answer to both parts of the question. Combined with an introduction (outlining what you will say) and a conclusion (summarising what you have said), this should make for a strong essay.

4. Focus

Don t meander. Be concise, be to-the-point. Answer your question clearly and directly, do not include extra information even if it seems impressive. Make it clear what you will say and what you have said by using signposting techniques (see above).

5. Evaluate

Be Critical. No theory is perfect, no science is truly exact. Are there problems with the way a relevant experiment was carried out? Are there things a theory doesn t explain that you feel it should? Are there alternative explanations we should worry about that the textbook (or your lecturer) might not have mentioned? Say so.

6. Be concise

Write clearly and concisely. Do not use heavy imagery or lengthy prose. Be exact, say what you mean. Sound academic, use technical language, play the game. In Earth Sciences, your essay should be written more in the style of a textbook chapter or scientific paper than a newspaper article or literary commentary (perhaps unfortunately!)

7. Plan your essay and schedule. Ideally, this is a multi-day process.

Everyone has their own method for this, but do not underestimate the amount of work required to write a good essay. This most often results in (1) a late night, and (2) a disappointing grade. To write the best essay you are capable of, start planning your essay as soon as you are given the essay question.

The following table may be a useful aid:

Step

Deadline

Understand the question

(Insert date)

Map the essay structure

(Insert date)

Collect readings

(Insert date)

Read and take notes

(Insert date)

Start writing

(Insert date)

Finish first draft

(Insert date)

Proofread

(Insert date)

Hand in

(Insert date)

It is best to leave a day or two between finishing the first draft, and proofreading plus refining the essay.