A great way to start an essay that you just can't face.... it works for me!

[aandme]

Hi - being on my third year of degree (part time as working also) I have found a way of breaking down an essay - maybe you all do this anyway but in case you don't thought I would share it.

1. Obv read question well and decide how to break down etc. Intro,
2. Start new document, type the heading page insert page break, type "contents" on next page - page break, type "introduction" - put a few words on what you might put here
3. put in your proposed headings with a few words underneath of what sort of thing going under that heading 4)write "conclusion" page break
4. write references and bibliography

suddenly you have a 5 odd page document and you have made a start. then attack each heading at at time - flesh them out - put in research - references etc.

I have just done this for 3 assignments that i left til last minute and it REALLY helped me get stuck into it..

Hope its helpful to someone!

bump

This is really helpful - thanks for posting this. I am crap at structuring my essays and tend to write them by hand first. I then wonder why I am usually a thousand words or so over

Thanks!

It's really positive to build a skeleton type frame of what you need to include - it serves as a plan and helps prevent important sections being left out.

I start with the title, header and footers obviously of module titles and student numbers (we have anonomous marking)

then put heading for each subject or point i need to challenge. It does really work x

I do similar. I write out a basic plan and just keep adding to it until it starts to take the form of an essay. If I get stuck on a section I just move onto the next part rather than stressing about the parts I cannot do.

It is so much easier than tackling a 5000 word essay from scratch.

Glad its help Notalone - I handed in 3 final assignments today - felt so gooood to be rid of them

yup this is largely how I began to structure my doctoral thesis, as I like the fact that I can move onto other parts if I am struggling over one section

sounds good - I just finished a literary review and that was v structured which made it very easy to tackle

good idea to do on a normal essay.

I always write the introduction and the conclusion first, then I know what needs to go in!

cool - thanks for that; am really struggling with an essay at the moment, that will really help! Thank you!!

I am another one who writes the intro and conclusion first. I find it directs my work more and means I at least have some words down when I am struggling!

It really does help me. I know that by the time I have done the intro and the conclusion I have done 20% and I just need to waffle a bit in the middle!
My tutor broke down the assignment this way:-

say what you are going to do (intro)

do what you say you were going to do (main body)

say what you did (conclusion)

then I do a spidergram for the main body, so I don't leave anything out and write it from there

also the bibliography is important too, shows you've done lots of reading

I had some software that let you draw a Mindmap, and bung ideas in there, press a button and it became lists under headings. Invaluable for essays and dissertations.

Buggered if I know what it was called though

Oh and my top,tip,

Start with the bibliography / references

Use a free online reference generator. Plug EVERYTHING you even look at in to there and export the formatted list to a separate word doc.

Also email yourself the essay and notes at least once in each study session. 2 reasons, one if the computer dies, you will have a recent version (ensure you email to or from a Hotmail/gmail account then you can access from anywhere)

It also can disprove some types of plagiarism accusations, as the emails build a picture of you creating a piece of work over days or months.