How to structure and plan your work

Students sitting in the library studying

Developing your own question

You may have been asked to prepare an academic assignment in which you are responsible for choosing the question as well as answering it in about 2,000 words. This is a great opportunity to take five actions that will help you craft a high-quality essay.

Demonstrate your own ability and take initiative.
Decide what you would like to write about based on your own interests and knowledge.
Channel your focus on the field you want to study at uni.
Assess the resources you have available to help you.
Assess what you can cover within the word limit.

Here are a few things to consider when setting your own essay question:

Could you set a question that will demonstrate your own ability, interest and knowledge and give you a chance to research a topic you'd like to learn more about?
Will I realistically be able to answer this question in the space provided (e.g. 2,000 words)?
Do I have access to a reasonable number of reliable sources to help me answer this question?
Is the question as clear and concise as it could be?

Essays

In many cases, you will be trying to answer a question set by someone else. As you prepare to write your essay, consider the question carefully and ask yourself:

Do I understand what my assignment question is asking?
What is my instinctive response to the question?
What do I already know that is of relevance to the question?
What else do I need to find out?
What have other scholars written on this topic? Do I agree or disagree with them?
What is the main point I want to argue or put across in this essay?
What resources do I have to support my main argument or message? (i.e. Why should my reader believe me?)

Presentations

In many ways, preparing a presentation can be similar to writing an essay. You still need to fully understand the question you have been set, the response you will give and the reliable resources you will use to back up your answer. Here are some additional questions to ask as you prepare to give a presentation:

What are my objectives? What message or information am I trying to convey?
Who is in my audience?
How much time do I have?
How will I engage my audience?
What can I realistically get across in that time?