December 2020 – Dr. Rachel

Managing Stress

Rachel Horrocks Birss Lightning Sessions, Study Skills 15th December 2020productivity, self-care, stress, time management, university, wellbeing, work 0 Comment

It’s hard to work when we’re feeling overwhelmed. Whether we’re struggling to keep up with deadlines, or we’re handling difficult circumstances in our personal lives, most of us will experience at least some level of stress while at university.

The first step to managing stress is to realise that stress isn’t a sign of weakness. Rather, stress is a physiological response to a perceived threat. Feeling some stress about an assignment isn’t a sign that you shouldn’t be at uni. Rather, it’s a completely normal response to a challenge.

Secondly, stress isn’t all bad. In fact, low levels of stress can actually increase our productivity! When stress gets to be too much, however, it’s important to seek help. If stress is impacting your physical or mental wellbeing, you should talk to a trusted friend, or get in contact with the University’s counselling services.

Finally, stress isn’t something we’re stuck with. While we can never totally eliminate stress from our lives, we can improve our response to it. By applying some targeted strategies, we can learn to manage stress and stay happy and healthy in the face of challenges!

To learn how to manage stress, watch our Lightning Session, then read the tips below.

[To skip the intros, jump straight to 2:17]

In the Lightning Session, we discuss at least a dozen different ways to manage stress. Here are our top three:

Take Care of Yourself

When we’re busy, self-care becomes the first thing to go. While we may not all have time for leisurely bubble baths, it’s important to take care of ourselves in several basic ways. Getting a good night’s sleep, exercising, and eating healthily are all major contributors to our overall wellbeing. If we’re feeling stressed or sad, going for a quick run or walk outdoors can have a significant impact on our mood.

It’s worth prioritising these things, even if that means we have less time for work. Going to bed on time, then waking up refreshed, will make you far more productive than staying up all night trying to finish your essay. If you take good care of your body, you’ll be able to get more done in less time.

Break it Down

Don’t try to get everything done at once. Instead, break your large tasks (such as “write essay”) down into manageable chunks (for example, “write introduction” or “research for 45 minutes”). Big tasks are unmotivating and can be overwhelming, while smaller ones give you that all-important sense of achievement.

It’s also okay to work for shorter blocks of time. Rather than setting aside a full day to work, try working in smaller segments, perhaps just 20 minutes to an hour. Working for shorter periods, then taking intentional breaks, will help you maintain focus, which makes you more productive.

Do the Things You Love

When we’re stressed, we feel like we need to work all the time. In fact, the opposite is true. During stressful times, it’s important to stay connected to the things that are important to us. This could mean spending time with family or friends, playing a sport, or working on a creative project. Doing enjoyable activities is actually one of the best ways to manage stress, which increases both our happiness and our productivity!

Referencing

Rachel Horrocks Birss Essays, Library, Lightning Sessions, Study Skills 15th December 2020Academic Skills, challenges, citation, Essays, library, Lightning Sessions, plagiarism, research, sources, writing 0 Comment

Referencing can be one of the trickiest parts of essay writing. It can be hard to find the various components of a reference, or to understand why they’re even necessary in the first place. Difficulties with finishing up a bibliography are also one of the main reasons students submit essays late!

The good news is, referencing doesn’t have to be painful. If you invest a little time in learning how referencing works, it actually can become one of the most straightforward parts of your assignment.

To find out more about referencing, watch our Lightning Session! In this workshop, we challenge Kayleigh McGarry, one of the Digital Skills librarians, to use CiteThemRight.com to cite all kinds of sources. If you’ve ever struggled with referencing, this session is for you!

[To skip the intros, jump to 1:35]

In a hurry? Here are the main three things you need to know about referencing:

References have Two Parts

The first thing to know about referencing is that it consists of two parts:

The in-text citation (either in parentheses, or a footnote)
The reference in the bibliography (at the end of the essay)

To reference correctly, you must include both these parts. They each look slightly different, but don’t worry. If you use CiteThemRight.com, it will show you what each part looks like.

Use CiteThemRight.com as a Guide

There are all kinds of referencing guides on the internet, many of which are excellent. However, there are also many referencing generators, which are websites that ask you to input the information, and then they create a reference for you. This may sound too good to be true, and, sadly it is. Most of the time, reference generators make mistakes, so if you use one, you must check your references yourself before submitting.

To get it right the first time, we recommend using CiteThemRight.com. The University pays for a subscription, so you can sign in with your UoD credentials and get free access to all the information! The site shows you how to cite pretty much anything in all sorts of referencing styles, and it even offers templates you can use to create your own references.

If you’re new to CiteThemRight.com and you’re not sure how to use it, watch the recording above!

Start Early and Be Consistent

The best way to make sure your referencing is correct is to give yourself time. Work on your bibliography as you go along– don’t wait until the end! It’s no fun trying to proofread your bibliography just minutes before the deadline.

The other important tip is to be consistent. Sometimes, it can be hard to keep track of the fiddly little things, like whether or not there should be a full stop after the author’s name. While you should try to get these things right, the most important thing is to be consistent. If you have a full stop in one reference, make sure you have it in them all. Your marker may not notice if a full stop is in the wrong place, but they’ll definitely notice if you’re inconsistent!

Finally, if you’re struggling with referencing, it’s okay to get help! While we can’t “check” your references, our team is happy to help you find the information you need. Feel free to contact us at asc@dundee.ac.uk with any questions you may have!

Make Your Writing Flow

Rachel Horrocks Birss Essays, Lightning Sessions, Study Skills 14th December 2020Academic Skills, Essays, Lightning Sessions, writing 0 Comment

Does your writing ever feel clunky? Do you struggle to transition between ideas? Is it challenging to express your ideas properly?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you may be struggling with flow. At University, students frequently receive the feedback, “your writing doesn’t flow,” but what does that mean?

To find out more about flow, and how to write assignments with smooth sentences and perfect paragraphs, watch our Lightning Session!

[To skip the intros, head straight to 1:54]

In the recording, we discuss how to make your writing flow, both over the essay as a whole, and down at the sentence level. Here, we’ll share our top three tips:

Outline Your Ideas

To make your essay flow, planning is essential. If you just start writing, your ideas will likely be disjointed, and all out of order. Creating an outline before you start writing allows you to plan the order for your ideas, so that they can build on each other in a logical structure.

Use Transition Sentences

The first and last sentences of each paragraph are essential for linking your ideas together. Use the first sentence of each paragraph to link back to the previous paragraph. This demonstrates that your ideas all flow together.

Example:

Last sentence of the first paragraph: “Thus, penguins are the friendliest kind of bird.”

First sentence of second paragraph: “In contrast, puffins are far nastier than penguins.”

As you can see, the first sentence of the second paragraph picks up on the ideas of the first paragraph, demonstrating that the paragraphs are connected. Transitions like this help your essay flow seamlessly between ideas.

Sentence Structure

Within a paragraph, the best way to make your writing flow is to vary your sentence structure. Some sentences can be short. Others can be longer and more meandering, expressing complex ideas and tying concepts together. Using a variety of sentence lengths makes your writing flow better.

Writer’s Block

Rachel Horrocks Birss Essays, Lightning Sessions, Study Skills 14th December 2020Academic Skills, Essays, Lightning Sessions, writing 0 Comment

We’ve all been there: staring at a blank screen, unable to write a word. Whether we love writing or we struggle to get our thoughts on paper, Writer’s Block impacts us all. Though it affects us at different times and in different ways, almost all of us will experience Writer’s Block at some point in our academic careers.

When does Writer’s Block tend to strike?

When we’re getting started
When we can’t find the right way to express a difficult idea
When we need to pull everything together

While Writer’s Block is most common at the beginning of an assignment, it can happen at any point. Particularly if we’re stressed, or lack confidence with the material, it’s easy to get stuck.

The good news is that if you’re struggling from Writer’s Block, you’re not alone! Even professional authors often experience Writer’s Block. If you’re struggling, this does not mean you aren’t good enough.

There are also tried-and-true methods of working through Writer’s Block. Watch our Lightning session to learn more, then scroll down to read our Top Tips!

[To skip the intros, jump straight to 1:53]

In the recording, we discuss all kinds of ways to beat Writer’s Block. Here are a few of the most effective:

1. Do the Prep Work

Many times, if we’re struggling with Writer’s Block, it’s because we’ve not done the necessary prep-work. Before we start writing, it’s essential to spend time researching the topic and planning a structure for the essay. Once we know what we’re going to write, actually getting the words down becomes much easier.

[Note: Sometimes people procrastinate on writing by spending endless hours researching and planning. If that’s you, it’s important to just start writing! You can always write a bit, then do more research, then write more, then more research… Academic writing doesn’t have to be a linear process.]

2. Take a Break

If the words just aren’t coming, the best thing you can do is take a break. Get away from the screen, and head outside for a walk. You could even do something fun and creative, like play a musical instrument or bake cookies. You just might find that the best ideas come when you’re doing something else!

3. Just Write!

Writer’s Block is often caused by perfectionism. We think every word needs to be perfect, so we struggle to get anything written. If that’s you, the best thing to do is just write. Challenge yourself to write as many words as you can in five minutes. Or try to write a paragraph as badly as possible. It’s perfectly acceptable– and even beneficial!– to have a messy first draft. Just get the words down, then edit later.

Be More Critical

Rachel Horrocks Birss Uncategorised 14th December 202014th December 2020 0 Comment

At University, we’re told to “be critical.” We may be instructed to “critically analyse” a topic, or we might get the feedback, “needs more analysis” or “be more critical.”

But what does this mean? In non-university life, we associate being “critical” with being negative or judgemental. To criticise someone means to say bad things about them.

At University, however, being critical just means having a justified opinion. It’s not about being negative, or nit-picky. Rather, it means we need to make a point, and then back up that point with evidence.

To learn more, watch our Lightning Session, then read on!

[To skip the intros and jump right in, head to 4:00]

1. Have an Opinion

We’re often told that academic writing needs to be unbiased, and that essays shouldn’t be just our personal opinion. This is certainly true, but the reality is that academic essays should present an opinion– just one that’s backed up by the evidence. This is what academics call an “argument.” Having an “argument” is what takes our essay beyond description and into critical analysis.

Consider the following examples:

1. Penguins are the best kind of bird because I like them.

This is a personal opinion, and it isn’t very critical. The author thinks that penguins are best, but their only reason for thinking so is because they, personally, like penguins. We should avoid writing like this in academic essays.

2. Penguins are a kind of bird. They are known for being fast swimmers and for taking good care of their young.

This writing is descriptive. It tells you a few facts about penguins, but we don’t know what the author thinks about penguins. There isn’t any critical analysis here.

3. Penguins are the best kind of bird, because they are fast swimmers and they take good care of their young.

This writing is critical. While we certainly need more evidence (we’ll talk about evidence in the next point) the author has made a point (“penguins are the best bird”) and given a reason (their swimming speed, and how they take care of their young.) This is the basis of critical analysis.

Essentially, while essay writing can’t be just personal opinion, an opinion is an essential part of critical analysis. We must then back up that opinion with evidence, as we’ll see in point two.

2. Back up your Opinion with Evidence

Once you have an opinion, you need to back it up with evidence. In Example 1 above, the author had an opinion, but the evidence they presented wasn’t very good. Example 3 was better because the author had the exact same opinion, but they backed it up with better evidence.

What counts as evidence in an academic assignment?

Academic books and journals
Scientific studies
Government (or third party) documents
Personal experience (if writing reflectively)
And much more!

Depending on what you’re researching, pretty much anything can be a source. For example, YouTube might not be the most reliable source for your Anatomy assignment on the bones of the hand, but if you were writing an Education essay about how teachers use the internet to engage students with science, then it might be perfect!

Once you’ve included evidence, your paragraph will look something like this:

Penguins are the best kind of bird. They are incredibly fast swimmers, with some species logging speeds of up to 25 miles per hour (Smith, 2018). They also take exceptional care of their young (Ravensburg, 2016), and have been known to adopt the abandoned young of other species (Greene, 2020). Compared to other similar birds, such as puffins, penguins are much faster and more caring, which makes them the best kind of bird.

[Note: all sources in this paragraph are fictional]

Of course, if this was a real essay, you’d need far more evidence to prove that penguins are the best kind of bird. The paragraph does, however, illustrate how to state your opinion, then back it up with evidence.

Any more questions? We know this article has only scratched the surface, so feel free to email us at asc@dundee.ac.uk if you have more questions.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Rachel Horrocks Birss Essays, Library, Lightning Sessions 14th December 2020Academic Skills, citation, Essays, Lightning Sessions, plagiarism, referencing, research, sources 0 Comment

Plagiarism is defined by Oxford University as “presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own.” It’s a serious form of academic misconduct, and major cases of plagiarism (such as copying an essay from the internet, or buying one online) can result in expulsion from the University or from professional bodies.

Most forms of plagiarism aren’t as big or obvious as stealing an entire essay. In fact, students sometimes plagiarise accidentally, simply by not checking the rules! Even “small” instances of plagiarism, however, may well come with penalties, such as failing the assignment or even the module. The good news is that, once you learn a few basic rules, it’s easy to avoid plagiarism and write with academic integrity!

To learn more about avoiding plagiarism, watch our Lightning session, the scroll down to read more.

[To jump straight to the session, head to 1:08]

Essentially, any time you use someone else’s words or ideas, you must cite them. In the recording, you’ll find a variety of scenarios, but let’s look at a few of the main ones here.

1. Using someone else’s words.

If you copy exact words directly from a source, you must put those words in quotation marks and cite them. Sometimes, students copy-and-paste a few sentences from a source and provide a citation, but they don’t put the words in quotation marks. This is plagiarism, and will be flagged up by Turnitin software. Any exact words you take from a source must be put in quotation marks, whether it’s a full sentence, or just a small phrase.

2. Using someone else’s ideas.

If you use someone else’s idea, you must cite them. This is still true even if you don’t use their exact words. Sometimes, we condense someone else’s ideas and put them in our own words instead. This is called Paraphrasing, and it’s a good thing to do in an academic essay! When you paraphrase, you shouldn’t put the sentence in quotation marks, but you do need to cite the source of the idea.

3. Citation and Reference

Citing your sources correctly involves two parts. First, you must include an in-text citation (either in parentheses, or a footnote, depending on your referencing style) right when you mention the source. Then, you must include a full reference in your bibliography at the end of your essay. Both the in-text citation and the reference at the end of the essay are mandatory in most referencing styles.

In the Lightning Session, you’ll find many more scenarios, and a detailed discussion of how to avoid plagiarism. If you want to test your knowledge, you can also try our Plagiarism Quiz for yourself!

Structure Your Essay

Rachel Horrocks Birss Uncategorised 7th December 20207th December 2020 0 Comment

Structure is crucial to essay writing, but it’s often overlooked. Taking some time to plan and structure your essay will pay dividends many times over.

Good structure allows you to show off your content to maximum effect. On the other hand, weak structure means that strong content isn’t presented as effectively as it might be, meaning that you won’t necessarily get the mark your research deserves.

When thinking about structure, you need to consider two things in particular: the overall structure of the essay and the paragraph structure within the essay. For advice on both aspects, watch the recording of our Lightning Session, and then scroll down for some more handy tips to get you started.

[To skip the intros, jump to 2:48]

Here are some quick tips to get you started thinking about good essay structure.

1. Always have the destination in mind.

When you begin writing, you should already know the conclusion you’re working towards. While this conclusion may evolve as you write, having a broad sense of the argument you’re working towards allows you to present your ideas in a more logical and cohesive order.

2. Always make a plan.

Following on from the previous point, the best way to get to your destination is to plan your journey in advance. Plans can come in many different shapes and forms – some people like to plan in detail, setting out each of the points or paragraphs they want to include, while others prefer a more broad overview, perhaps in the form of a mind map or a series of rough headings. In general, the more detailed the plan the easier it will be to write up the essay, but even a broad plan is better than no plan at all.

3. Use your own headings.

In longer essays, it’s usually best to use headings to break the main body down into shorter sections. This helps your reader understand the structure of your work. In shorter essays, you probably shouldn’t use headings, as this results in very short sections which can make the essay fragmented and difficult to read. However, you can still use your own headings – perhaps even for every paragraph- to help you structure the essay. Just remember to take these headings out before you submit.

Sometimes, you can turn these headings into your topic sentences- for more advice on topic sentences, and on good paragraph structure in general, see the Powerful Paragraphs section of Essay Bites.

Proofread Like a Pro

Rachel Horrocks Birss Uncategorised 7th December 2020 0 Comment

Proofreading is an essential part of the writing process. It’s usually very obvious to markers when an essay hasn’t been carefully proofread. Taking the time to polish your final draft is likely to result in a better grade; conversely, not proofreading your essay is likely to negatively impact your mark.

The problem is, even though proofreading can have a big impact on your grades, many students forget to proofread. Why?

Sometimes, students don’t proofread their essays simply because they run out of time. It’s important that this doesn’t happen to you. Always allow yourself time to go over your essay, rather than submitting a piece of work that is potentially full of careless and easily fixed errors.

On other occasions, you may have plenty of time to proofread your essay but you’re not sure how to go about the task, or even what to look for.

Fortunately, there are many easy techniques which allow you to effectively proofread your work, whether or not you think of yourself as a good writer. Have a look at the recording of our Lightning Session on the subject and then scroll down to see some tips and techniques.

[To skip the intros, jump straight to 2:05]

Here are our top tips to begin developing your proofreading skills.

1. Learn from your mistakes.

A useful starting point is to re-read your feedback from previous assignments. It’s never fun to read about things we’ve done wrong, but try to see feedback as advice on how to get a better mark next time. Often, as well as pointing out errors, markers will suggest ways of correcting these issues. So, start the proofreading process by looking out for the things your marker picked up on last time and try to avoid making the same mistakes again.

2. Proofread from the page.

It makes sense to begin proofreading on screen, using spell check or other software to look for obvious errors. However, after you’ve done your initial online check, you should consider printing your work out and proofreading from a hard copy. We read very differently on screen and from on the page, and errors which you don’t notice online may become obvious when you see them on paper. If you don’t have a printer, or don’t like to waste paper, it can also help to change the font on your word processor. Just like looking at paper rather than at a screen, changing the text font or size helps you see your work in a new light.

3. Read your work out loud.

You can gain a very different perspective on your writing by reading it out loud. When doing so, you’ll notice a lot of errors that you don’t spot when you’re reading silently to yourself. For example, you may stumble over spelling errors, lose your breath when sentences are too long, or realise that something you thought made sense when you were reading in your head sounds unclear when verbalised.

Finally, remember that the Academic Skills Centre can help you to develop your confidence in writing and proofreading your own work. Check out some of our other online resources and if you’d like some more help with your proofreading skills, consider making an appointment with one of our tutors.