Five Life-Saving Essay Tips For English Students

Show of hands – who likes essays? Is that a hand or are you stretching? Oh, you’re stretching.

But you are an English student. These long arguments on anything from class to gender – or even the Shakespeare authorship debate if you’re feeling controversial – are key to your module. A good assignment equals a good grade.

So what five little things can you do to help yourself? We’ve got you covered…

1. Keep up on all reading

Sometimes it can be a drag having to read all the time. You may end up getting stuck in your room, missing nights out or being up until 3am. But it is imperative to be up-to-date with set readings.

Lecturers love to give you stacks of text to rummage through. It’s only when you get to planning your essay that you realise you have no idea what you’re talking about.

Some universities are nice enough to even give you a ‘reading week’ to catch up if you’ve been lazy (or hung-over). This week is your time to stick a book under your nose and keep it there.

And by the way – films are never as good as the books. So don’t even think about it.

2. … and read some more

Reading is central to any English degree. People may think you’re just scanning set texts but it’s actually a lot more than that.

You must be pro-active in awareness of global news, history, sociological theory and the background of the author themselves. Don’t start writing a biography, but sometimes key facts may make sense in your argument.

For example, for a piece on race in Kindred, note that Octavia E. Butler is an Afro-Caribbean woman which makes it intrinsic and reflective of black history.

However, no one needs to know what her cat’s name was. Be selective in the information you include.

Wide research on books, articles, interviews and more show you’re interested in your work and searching for deeper meaning. Professors love secondary reading and references. The larger your bibliography the better.

3. Question yourself

The question is the most vital referral point. When your essay is being marked, the examiner will want to feel like they know your argument thoroughly.

Keep asking yourself the title of your work and ensure you are supplying valid arguments for it throughout the duration of the piece.

Going off on a tangent may draw some exceptional points but if they aren’t related to the focus of the assignment, they are useless. Find ways to tie it in, or cut the excess.

For example, if your theme is gender and you have a thesis about class, combine the two and talk about how they link to prove what you’re implying. Discuss the working-class man or the middle-class woman. Just make sure it’s relevant.

4. Plan to the core

Your plan should be the bare bones of your work. Lecturers can sometimes even be kind enough to go through a mock-up with you.

Start brainstorming the question, splitting it into sections, and branch out as much as you can. Consider how society has changed, attitudes have shifted and most importantly, how the author demonstrates their message.

Dividing the segments of your writing will make it easier to focus on your points later on in the write up. Opt for paragraphs like an introduction, brief author biography, main arguments, smaller arguments and a conclusion.

5. Proof-read

Reading over what you have produced is a key element in an assignment process. Little slip-ups with spelling, punctuation and grammar can have a big impact on your grade.

Try to give yourself time after completion before you check it. Read slowly. Sending the draft to a friend or peer may even be helpful as they’ve never read it before and are more likely to spot any mistakes.

There are even tools to help you. Always use the spell-check on Microsoft Word and take extra care in checking that it’s in your preferred dialect. Or opt for an app like Grammarly which proof-reads for you!

And there you have it. Five tricks to help you get that A.

Keep calm and essay on.

Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice. To hire graduates or browse graduate jobs, visit their website.