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Writing 101: Educational Content
How to Write a University-Level Essay
A basic structural guide to essay writing for undergraduates
First, a note on my credentials. I have a Masters degree and am currently pursuing a doctorate (PhD) in English literature. I have been teaching as a TA at university level since 2017, and have run seminars for the following courses: “Introduction to English Literature,” “Irish Writing,” “Pulp: Introduction to Popular Literature,” “Writing the Body, 1690-1800: Gender, Race, and Power,” and “Modernisms: Making It New.” I also developed and delivered a course called “Queer Theory in Practice” as a Scholars Ireland Tutor, and have taught both high schoolers and undergraduates in two countries (Canada and Ireland).
The following guide is an amalgamation of several teaching aids I developed for students from Year 2 through Transition Year in Irish high schools (8th-10th grade in the US system, or 12–15-year-olds). I have edited and added material to this guide to make it more applicable to a University Fresher level (first year undergraduates), but some of the advice is geared toward a younger audience and may seem simplistic.
Since I began teaching, I noticed that many students are not provided even a crash-course on the fundamentals of essay writing. In…
