I have to write an essay and am in a tizzy. Please help

[StrumpersPlunkett]

New course. Loving it. Seems to be general knowledge.
I have to write an essay about health and safety in schools. I have 15 questions to answer.
I can answer them. I am just really stick about formatting the answers into an essay.
The last thing like this I wrote was my dissertations for university in1995!!!!!
It just feels like waffle trying to put it into an essay.
Argh any tips??? Please???

[StrumpersPlunkett]

Stuck not stick! Sorry

[TeenAndTween]

Not having a clue as to what you might be being asked, this is how I would do it.

Intro:
H&S in schools is very important and there are lots of aspects that have to be considered, these will be discussed below.


One of the main aspects of H&S in a school is ensuring that visitors on site are clearly logged and appropriately escorted / badged. .......


Another H&S aspect to do with visitors is ....



Ensuring that the school buildings remain safe is very important and is usually the responsibility of the school caretaker. This would involve ....




etc


In summary

[LilaTheTiger]

Exactly as Tween says.

Write your introduction last, remember to quote your sources and include a reference list. In your conclusion mention your title and the answer to it.

Good luck!

[TheWordOfBagheera]

I would answer the questions as bullet points initially to get down the bulk of information that you want to put across and to get your ideas flowing.

Separately from that, plan a rough structure to the essay, including bare bones of opening and closing paragraphs. See which of bullet answers link nicely together and come up with a way of making them all flow together as the body of the essay. Reword your answers lots - you don't want it to sound like answering a list of questions.

Go back to opening and closing paragraphs and make them link to the body of the text. Closing paragraph can include a brief recap of points you have covered.

Hope that helps!

[StrumpersPlunkett]

LOVE YOU LADIES
Thank you.... sorry for coming all over NetHuns but you really have been a huge help.
So it is up to the examinor to decipher if I have covered all 15 points even if they are mixed up and not in any "correct" order (they were given in alphabetical order)
Thanks!!!!!

[TheWordOfBagheera]

In my experience, yes, definitely up to the examiner to pick out whether you've addressed the questions. By setting an essay they would expect something written out properly. Otherwise they would just leave it at 'answer these questions'. But if there's any doubt in the way they've worded it then do double check!

[TeenAndTween]

Yes, up to the examiner.
But helpful to the examiner and yourself to 'signpost' with some keywords.

e.g. If you have to 'list 3 ways that ...' You say 'There are three ways that ..... First .... Additionally ... Finally .....' or whatever so it is clear where each point stops and starts.

[LilaTheTiger]

Yes, I remember being taught that you should use the first line of each paragraph to signal your intent, then each paragraph is a mini essay: intro, your point, evidence to back up your point, conclude.

[Thumbcat]

Good points so far but I would add that you should write out a rough draft first, just as it comes into your mind and not giving any thought to style/order etc. Just get all your thoughts down. This will give you a starting point to polish and refine.

[BreconBeBuggered]

Why not try to get hold of some school health and safety policies if you can find them on school websites? That might give you an idea of how to format the answers as a single piece of work, though you might have to look at a few - some will be better than others.

[LilaTheTiger]

Has your course leader given you any guidance at all? Or is there a marking scheme you can access?

If it's through a uni or FE college they often have writing guides online for students, that would tell you the style they expect.

[StrumpersPlunkett]

Thanks again, it is the marking scheme that has given me the clear points that need to be covered.
Have health and safety policy from where I work to reference but need to make sure I don't just copy huge chunks.

[LilaTheTiger]

To make sure it doesn't look like you copied, make notes and summarise each bit of the policy you have, and then only refer to your summary when writing up. Avoiding plagiarism is my superpower 😆