Essay Writing 101: College Essays Made Easy

A run-through of all the key parts to successful preparation and planning for academic writing at university level.

Don't skip this one!

If some questions seem impossible to answer, then this lecture is for you. Watch our methodical approach to answering ANY academic writing question and how make sure you are on track for that A-grade.

Why brainstorming is a technique you simply cannot go without if you want to achieve those higher grades and take your academic writing to the next level.

The key to successful writing is a successful plan. Let us show you how to get your ideas on paper (or screen) in the best way for you

Looking at tools and techniques for brainstorming and a great web resource for saving your ideas to access anywhere, and even for sharing and collaborating with friends.

The one video you'd be crazy to miss!

Download our free academic essay plan - remember, this can be amended to your needs but the all the essential tools are there for you to get straight to work.

All the key points to take away from the preparation & planning section.

So you've analysed your question and written your plan - what next? Watch this video to learn how to add the depth needed to get those A-grades!

All the main points for structuring and organising an excellent essay

A run-through of the main patterns of analysis for academic writing and how to use them to best answer your question.

Write a reference list entry from scratch using APA 6th Edition as an example. Learn about formatting and free software to help you

Most people know how to write some kind of an introduction, but do you know how to hit the mark every time with a proven formula? Let us show you how!

A look back at introductions

The main body paragraphs form a large part of your essay and should build upon your essay thesis, in order to accurately answer the essay question. It is essential that you pay close attention to the content of each paragraph.

This video will take you through the steps needed to write solid main body paragraphs that are logically structured and easy to read.

Helping you to master Main Body Paragraphs

A quick video on how to make your writing flow from beginning to end.

The conclusion allows you too revisit the main ideas of the essay and to bring the essay to a close.

This section covers the two main elements of an essay conclusion:

• a summary of main points,
• the concluding statement.

After watching this lecture you should be well prepared to start writing your first draft.

Take these key points away from this section to write a cracking conclusion

In-text citations sound scary but really they are a very simple way of showing what you've read. Learn all about them in this 3-part lecture

Ever wondered how to cite 3 or more authors when using APA 6th edition formatting?

Find out!

Also learn to reference/cite 6 or more authors according to APA style.

Many students do not realise that to write an academic essay, they need to avoid what are called contractions. These are easy to avoid if you are aware of them! Remember - if in doubt, write it out!

Academic register and style are essential elements to writing a college paper - things such as contractions and academic synonyms are easy to understand with this brief video guide

How many quotations to use in an essay? This is a very common question and it has an easy answer. Generally, you want to avoid over-use of quotations and go for paraphrases instead. The exact amount I'd recommend? See the video!