Download: Natalie Jester's tips for finding appropriate essay material.
Website: advice on constructing an academic argument (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Essay planning/structure
Website: Planning and structuring your essay (University of Reading)
Essay plan map: Academic essay structures and formats (University of Minnesota) - this is really useful!
Academic writing
Website: The Danger of Over-writing. I heartily endorse the following quote: 'The most important stylistic advice I can offer is this: Don't try too hard..'
Website: How to improve your academic writing (Essex University)
Website: Study guide for writing (Birmingham City University)
Website: Checklist and tips for academic writing (University of Wolverhampton)
Website: Nine Basic Ways to Improve Your Style in Academic Writing (Berkeley)
Website: Say it once, say it right: Seven strategies to improve your academic writing (LSE)
Website: Writing thesis-statements [these explain the argument of your whole essay]
Website: How to write a topic sentence (Purdue University) [these should be used at the start of each section, laying out the key idea of said section]
Website with exercises: Punctuation, common problems, and style (University of Bristol)
Academic referencing
Interactive exercises: A guide to referencing academic work (University of Bristol)
Website: Using references in your work (University of Reading)
Website: Guide to Harvard referencing (Queen's University Belfast)
Citation maker: Cite This For Me will format bibliography entries the same way every time. If you are not sure how to do this consistently, use the citation maker and then compare this bibliography to one of your previous essays to see how it is different.
General study tips
- Put your phone in airplane mode to avoid push notification-based distractions
- Install a social media blocker on your web browser, such as Leechblock - info here
- Download interesting podcasts so you can listen to them while travelling, or when too tired to do anything else
- Leave plenty of time to complete all your reading - always give yourself more time than you think you'll need
- Make a quick flashcard each week if the unit has an exam. Include things like definitions of key concepts and the names of key thinkers in the area. Spent a few minutes each week testing yourself.
- Take care of your mental and physical health:
- UoB is signed up to online counselling service Big White Wall
- Use the counselling service on campus
- Excercise, at home or the campus gym: it's stress-busting and helps with fatigue
- Ensure you sleep properly and eat well
- Join the campus medical centre, so you can get treatment if needed
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