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Got your heart set on Princeton—the #1 ranked university in the US ? Then you'll need to learn how to write amazing Princeton essays for your Princeton Supplement, a key part of your application for admission.

In this detailed guide, we go over the different types of essays you'll be required to write for your Princeton application and provide you with some expert tips on how to write your most effective and unique essay possible.

Feature Image: James Loesch /Flickr

What Are the Princeton Essays?

The Princeton application requires five essays and three short answers from all applicants. One of these essays must answer a prompt provided by the Common Application , Coalition Application , or QuestBridge Application (depending on which system you choose to submit your Princeton application through).

The other four essay prompts , as well as the three short answer prompts, are part of the Princeton Supplement . The Princeton Supplement also requires an Engineering Essay from applicants who have indicated on their applications an interest in pursuing a BS in Engineering (B.S.E.). Students applying to the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree program and those who are undecided must submit a supplemental essay as well.

Below, we'll look at each prompt in the Princeton Supplement. So let's get started!

While the Princeton supplement is submitted electronically, you might find that brainstorming the old fashioned way (with pen and paper!) helps you get your ideas organized.

The Bachelor of Arts/Undecided and the Bachelor of Science and Engineering Essays

Your first long essay is 250 words long and is assigned based on what you plan to major in. You will only need to answer one of these prompts .

The first prompt is for Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree and undecided applicants to respond to. If you are applying for the A.B. degree program or if you put undecided on your application, you must respond to this essay prompt in the first section of the supplement.

The second prompt is for Bachelor of Science and Engineering (B.S.E.) applicants to respond to. All applicants who indicate they'd like to pursue a bachelor of science in engineering degree must respond to this prompt. Next, we'll break down what each prompt is asking you to do and how to respond to it.

The good news is that both prompts are versions of the "Why This College?" essay, which is a pretty common essay to encounter on college applications. If you want more info on how to answer this type of question more generally, be sure to check out this article .

The A.B. Degree and Undecided Applicants Prompt

For A.B. Degree Applicants or Those Who are Undecided:

As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? (Please respond in 250 words or fewer.)

This question is asking you to make a case for why you'll be an excellent fit as a liberal arts student at Princeton . You can make your case in your response to this prompt by showing that you understand the value of the liberal arts education that Princeton offers, and that you've thought about how Princeton's programs fit your academic and future goals.

In addition to asking you to show how Princeton is a good fit for you, this prompt is really asking you to highlight why you are a good fit for Princeton. Everyone knows that Princeton is highly competitive, so your response to this prompt is your chance to show that you'll bring valuable intellectual interests and perspectives to the Princeton community as well.

What Makes A Good Answer?

#1: Show how you're unique. Are you excited to geek out about the connections between critical human geography and twenty-first century Arabic literature? To explore the relationships between psychology and social media? If you've got a weird, quirky, or unique set of academic interests, this is the place to go into detail about them. A good answer to this question will nail down one or more specific academic areas that you get genuinely pumped about and why you're interested in them. This is your chance to show the thought processes behind your choice to pursue an A.B. degree at Princeton...or why you put "undecided" on your application.

#2: Connect to Princeton's program offerings. You could name specific professors you hope to work with who share your interests, courses you'd be thrilled to take, or special program offerings you hope to participate in (like study abroad or research opportunities). In order to make your response to this part of the question genuine, you'll have to do your research on the programs you're interested in and really know your stuff. This will show admissions counselors that you're interested in going to Princeton because it's a good fit for you, not because it's ranked #1 on college lists.

#3: Be honest . Your response should make it clear that you've spent a lot of time thinking about your academic interests. Make sure you're telling the truth: don't pick an academic area just because you think it's impressive. To show your sincerity, make sure you're being specific about why you're interested in the area you're writing about. This will help your passion come across on the page.

What Should You Avoid?

#1: Avoid generalities. You don't want to respond to this question with general fields of study or disciplines. For instance, saying that "history" or "art" piques your curiosity won't be specific enough. Instead of "history," you could say, "I'm curious about how war monuments and memorials in the U.S. impact the communities they 're located in." Above all, you want to describe specific issues, questions, or perspectives in your areas of academic interest that you hope to explore when you become a student at Princeton.

#2: Don't focus on past achievements. This question isn't the place to talk about your academic achievements and awards from high school. Here's why: Princeton admissions isn't necessarily looking to learn about why you're good at the subjects you're interested in. They want to understand why you're curious about those areas and why you want to study them at Princeton.

3 Tips For Answering This Prompt

#1: Start with your interests. Start by brainstorming which academic interests you want to talk about. You might have to think for a little while! If you know you want to major in African American Studies, take some time to write out the historical, political, and economic issues and questions that get you excited about majoring in this field. Let the specific aspects of the fields of study you're considering be the foundation for your answer.

#2: Do your research. Once you've brainstormed the specific aspects of your major or possible majors that you're most curious about, head over to Princeton's website to search for more information. If it's African American Studies, comb through every sentence on that major's website. Look into the interests of professors in this department, courses they teach, and events hosted by the department. You can even talk about your interest in working with specific professors or taking specific courses in your response.

#3: Be specific. The more specific you can be about your academic interests, the more likely your answer is to appeal to Princeton admissions. You don’t have to have your entire degree plan mapped out, but you do need to show that you're already thinking carefully about how you'll forge your path forward as an independent thinker and intellectual citizen once you start at Princeton.

The B.S.E. Degree Applicant Prompt

For B.S.E Degree Applicants:

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (Please respond in 250 words or fewer.)

This prompt is specific for applicants who want to major in engineering at Princeton. Essentially, this prompt is asking you to highlight the factors in your background and experiences that have influenced you to pursue engineering.

More specifically , this prompt wants you to explain why Princeton engineering is the program for you.

#1: Showcase your background. A good answer to this question will explain why you're interested in engineering. For instance, maybe you grew up in a city that experiences earthquakes, so you want to study civil engineering to make buildings safer. Or maybe your parents and grandparents are engineers and you're passionate about carrying on the family legacy. Whatever your story, telling some of it will provide important context for your interest in engineering.

#2: Connect your interest to Princeton. Admissions counselors want to know why Princeton engineering is the only program for you. For example, say you want to focus on engineering for health professions. During your research, you read that Princeton students are developing new personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. This essay is a perfect place for you to explain that you want to join this research project! Making connections to real people, courses, and proj ects wi ll show that you're excited about the unique opportunities provided by Princeto n engineering .

#3: Share your research interests. In addition to stating a specific subfield of engineering that you're interested in (if possible), a good response to this prompt will describe your interest in key issues or questions pertaining to the subfield of engineering you want to stud y. For example, if you hope to become a chemical engineer who works with cruelty-free cosmetics, describe that research interest here. While it's important to be flexible, and it's okay if you don't have your whole future with engineering planned out, being able to describe some of your vision for your future in Princeton Engineering is a crucial part of a good response.

#1: Avoid discussing awards and achievements. Avoid talking about awards, competitions, or other academic achievements if possible. Princeton admissions can find out those details from other parts of your application. Instead, showcase the passion behind your interest in engineering. Instead of describing achievements, describe moments of inspiration in your story that have led you to pursue engineering at Princeton.

#2: Don't skip the context. You don't want to describe your specific interests in engineering without connecting them to what Princeton has to offer. Make sure you describe specific courses, professors, or research projects. Do your research and make sure your interests coincide with the possibilities Princeton provides.

Tip #1: Start with the research. It will be tough to write a meaningful response to this prompt if you haven't done some serious research about the B.S.E. program at Princeton. Get really acquainted with the B.S.E. program's website. Gather the info you need to incorporate information about professors you want to work with, research projects you'd like to work on, and courses you're eager to take.

Tip #2: Focus on your experiences. Incorporating your background with engineering is important to a good response here, but you need to be strategic about what details you include. Describe the moment your interest in engineering began, the most exciting experience you've had with engineering, or what gets you pumped about studying engineering at Princeton. Revealing where your interest in engineering comes from can help prove that the B.S.E. program is a good fit for you.

Tip #3: Be specific. State the subfield of engineering that you're interested in and/or what engineering issues pique your curiosity. Princeton wants to know that you already have a vision for how you'll be an active engineering student!

The Your Voice Supplement

The "Your Voice" supplement section consists of two required, approximately 250 word essays. The prompts for these essays (below) are asking you to give Princeton admissions a sense of how your past and ongoing experiences shape the kind of student you will be at Princeton.

In other words, the "Your Voice" supplement is asking you to show evidence that you live out values that fit with Princeton's values. So, to answer these two required questions, start thinking about points in your ongoing story that reflect your commitment to having hard conversations and serving others. We'll get into the specifics of how to write about your story in response to each prompt next.

Prompt #1: The Difficult Conversation Prompt

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you? (500 words or fewer)

The first of the required "Your Voice" supplements is asking you to show that you're capable of engaging in civil discourse with others on campus —even when the topic of conversation is tough to talk about or goes against your own beliefs and values. For this essay, you’ll need to pick an experience or two from your life that has helped shape the way you interact with all sorts of people, even those you disagree with on things.

Describing these experiences and the lessons you’ve learned from them will help show that you’re prepared to respect and listen to others on campus who don’t have the exact same perspectives on things as you. A good response to this prompt will also show that you can push through uncomfortable situations and learn new things from others, and that you can help others around you do the same. 

#1: Share a real experience. Thinking of a challenging experience that seems meaningful enough to include in an application essay might feel...well, challenging. Nevertheless, you want your story to be as truthful as possible .

Princeton Admissions knows that you probably didn't change the world from one difficult conversation or situation. What they want to know is that you're willing to have tough conversations and listen to others with different viewpoints than your own. So, pick a memory of an experience that challenged you, taught you a lesson, or helped you grow. More specifically, make sure it’s an experience that has helped prepare you for the different perspectives and challenges you’ll encounter from others on campus. Try and recall as many details about what happened as you can, and draft a description of the situation that’s as true to real events as possible. 

#2: Be thoughtful. Did you learn something new during the experience(s) or lesson(s) you're writing about? Explain what you learned from it in your response! For instance, perhaps you learned that being a nonjudgmental listener can help others feel more comfortable with listening to what you have to say. Whatever you learned, make sure you describe it in your response. This will show Princeton Admissions that you're open to learning and growing.

#3: Show you're forward thinking. How will the knowledge you gained from this experience (or experiences, if you choose to write about more than one) shape your behavior as a Princeton student? Think about what college is like: you'll encounter students, faculty, and staff from all over the world. This means you'll be in constant contact with different values, cultures, and ways of thinking about the world. Princeton wants to know that you're prepared to participate in this environment in positive ways!

#1: Don't disparage anyone. Even if the conversation or experience you're describing was incredibly frustrating, don't insult the other people who were involved. Instead, show empathy toward the people you interacted with. Princeton Admissions wants to know that you're a person who can extend empathy to many different kinds of people to be a good student and citizen.

#2: Don't brag. Don't brag about what you accomplished. Instead, focus on what you learned from the conversation --even if you think that the other people involved were totally wrong and you were totally right. Admissions counselors want to know that you learned from your experience.

2 Tips For Answering This Prompt

Tip #1: Pick an experience or lesson that impacted you. You should definitely write about an experience that was meaningful to you, rather than one that you think is impressive or controversial. This is your chance to show how you’ve made the most of your unique experiences—you’re giving Princeton an idea of who you are, what you’re capable of, and how this all came to be. Take time to reflect on tough situations you’ve encountered and lessons you’ve learned before drafting your response. 

Tip #2: Connect the topic to college life. While you obviously need to describe the topic of your experience, how you handled it, and what you learned from it, a crucial part of your response is how it prepared you to be an engaged, ethical member of the Princeton community. Be sure to focus part of your response on explaining how what you learned will guide your life as a Princeton student. Whichever experiences or lessons you choose, you’ll need to explain how you can use what you’ve learned to have respectful and insightful conversations with people across Princeton’s campus. 

This is a chance to tell your story and show how committed you are to being a good citizen.

Prompt #2: The Service and Your Story Prompt

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals? (250 words or fewer)

This supplement prompt is asking you to show your commitment to serving others and/or being an engaged citizen —and you'll need to describe a specific experience or idea that demonstrates this commitment.

When the prompt asks "how does your own story intersect with these ideals," it means that you should think of real things you've done or real values you hold that motivate your civic engagement. This is a key part of the story you'll have to share in your response.

#1: Tell a story. Basically, the prompt is assuming that who you are and what you value will motivate how you serve others and participate as an engaged citizen. To answer this prompt effectively, then, think about telling the story behind your decision to serve or fulfill your civic responsibilities in a specific way.

#2: Connect it to your local life. The decisions we make about our community involvement are often personal. For instance, maybe someone in your family recovered from cancer as a child, so your story with service involves gathering donations for a pediatric cancer care center in the region where you live. Think about the personal connections that you've made, then include them in your response.

#3: Consider the future. Maybe you don't have much experience with service or civic engagement yet, but you have a big vision for how you'll serve and engage in the Princeton community. This prompt is a chance to describe the details of that vision. Alternatively, if you have existing experience with service and civic engagement and want to continue serving in similar ways at Princeton, share your ideas about how you'll accomplish that. Service and civic engagement are lifelong commitments—describing your ideas about how you'll serve in the future will show that you're prepared for that commitment.

#1: Don't be condescending. While it's likely that the people you've served in the past learned things from you, don't focus your response on describing how wonderful you are . Instead, focus on how your service and civic engagement experiences have refined your values and helped you become a better human, which is what Princeton admissions wants to hear about.

#2: Avoid delusions of grandeur. If you decide to include a description of how you hope to serve once you get to Princeton, don't get too carried away. For example, you probably aren't going to get every single Princeton student registered to vote...but you can probably make some progress. Be realistic about your ideas for how you'll serve in the future. Princeton admissions just wants you to show dedication to service and civic engagement. They don't expect you to solve all of the world's problems.

Tip #1: Tell a story. It's important to coach your answer in the form of a story. Describe who you served, what the service looked like, and why you decided to serve in this way. If possible, connect it to your background, your identity, or your values. Turning your service experience into a story for Princeton admissions will make it more memorable.

Tip #2: Describe the impact. Princeton Admissions doesn't just want to know the story of your past experience with service—they also want to know how the experience continues to impact you today. Describe what you learned from the experience, how it changed you, and how it shapes your current actions and values.

Tip #3: Connect it to your future. Connect your story about your service to your vision for your life as a student at Princeton. This will let admissions know that you'll also be an exceptional student outside of the classroom in the Princeton community.

The "More About You" Short Answer Supplements

The "More About You" short answer section of the Princeton Supplement is your last chance to show who you are: the real person behind all of the stats, scores, and successes that the rest of your application showcases. In fact, the instructions for this required portion of the supplement are clear: "There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!"

This means that, in 50 words or fewer, you'll need to give admissions counselors a clearer picture of the "you" behind the application. All three of the "More About You" short answer questions are required, and each one gives you a chance to provide a little more context for your desire to be a student at Princeton.

#1: The New Skill Prompt

What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? (50 words)

To answer this question, all you need to do is describe a skill that you want to learn in college! There are a couple of different ways that you could interpret this prompt. Just remember: answer honestly.

For starters, you could think of the prompt as asking about a skill that you want to learn from your actual college courses . If this is the path you choose, you could write about how you want to learn to produce a podcast, to lead a Socratic Seminar, or to write a winning elevator pitch. Connecting the skill you want to learn to your areas of academic interests is a solid strategy.

Alternatively, you could think more generally about any skill you want to learn during your time in college ! For example, maybe you struggle with public speaking, and you want to learn to share your ideas more clearly in your classes and your extracurriculars. Writing about skills that are more oriented towards exploring your identity, background, or interests outside of academics is perfectly fine here too.

Whatever skill you decide to write about, it's important to briefly explain why you want to learn that skill. For instance, if you were writing about learning to bake like your grandmother, you might explain that this skill has been passed down in your family for generations, and you'd like to pass it down as well. If you want to learn how to produce a podcast, maybe you'd explain that you were searching for an interesting podcast on Marxist economics, but couldn't find one that had good production quality, so you want to learn how to produce one yourself.

#2: The Joy Prompt

What brings you joy? (50 words)

The same principles go for this prompt: write your response about something that genuinely brings you joy. It could be an activity, a person or relationship, or an experience you've had. To answer this question, simply describe the thing that brings you joy.

A good answer to this question will identify one specific thing that brings you joy, then describe it with gusto. For example, if the thing that brings you joy is building model planes with your little brother, briefly tell the story of why that experience brings you joy. Maybe you like the challenge of focusing on small details, or perhaps your joy comes from building something with your hands.

Briefly giving these specific details will show how the thing that brings you joy reflects your values and identity --both of which will give more clues as to the kind of person you'll be as a student at Princeton.

#3: The Soundtrack of Your Life Prompt

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment? (50 words)

This short answer is fun! Keep your song selection relatively clean, of course, but otherwise, just think of a song that you're literally listening to on repeat right now , or pick a song that symbolizes your current experience. Then explain why!

For example, maybe you'll write about "Inner Child" by BTS because getting ready to leave home for college in the midst of so much has made you reflect on your younger years. Or, if you've literally listened to "my future" by Billie Eilish one thousand times since its release, briefly write about why you can't stop hitting repeat.

Don't overthink this prompt: the music we love reveals things about our personality and how we cope with the realities of our lives. Just be real, and you'll show Princeton admissions another facet of your genuine personality and how you process the world.

How to Write a Great Princeton Essay: 4 Key Tips

To wrap up, here are some final tips to keep in mind as you write your Princeton essays and any other essays for college applications.

#1: Be Specific

A vague essay is certain to squelch your chances of getting into Princeton, so make sure you're being as specific as possible in your writing.

For example, if you're writing about somebody who inspired you, touch on the little quirks or traits they have to help the admissions committee more easily visualize this person, such as their subtle mannerisms, the way they handled stress, or their perseverance in a difficult situation.

Remember that you're writing about something real, whether that's a person, event, object, or experience. Your aim should be to make the subject of your essay feel as real to your readers as it did and does for you.

Other ways to ensure that you're being specific enough in your essay are to use common literary devices such as anecdotes, dialogue (an actual conversation you had with someone), imagery, and onomatopoeia. These not only add color to your writing but also paint the subject of your essay in a more effective, relatable way.

Lastly, I recommend getting somebody else to read over your essay (which I talk about more in tip 4); this person can let you know if your writing isn't specific enough and if too much is left to be implied.

#2: Be Honest and Use Your Voice

The whole point of writing an essay for a college application is to show the admissions committee who you are. In short, what makes you you ? This is why it's so critical to use an authentic voice in your Princeton essays.

For example, if you love making people laugh (and think humor is one of your defining traits), then it might be a good idea to include a joke or two in your personal essay.

However, don't exaggerate anything that happened to you or any feelings you might have —the admissions committee will more than likely be able to see through it. Remember that you want your voice and feelings to come across strongly but also (and more importantly) authentically.

Don't claim in your engineering essay that you've liked engineering since you were 3 years old if you only recently developed an interest in it. Lying about or exaggerating anything in your essay will simply make you seem insincere and, yes, even immature. So avoid it!

#3: Write Well and Avoid Clichés

You'll need to be a decent writer if you're hoping to get into Princeton—one of the most selective universities in the US ! On the technical side, this means that your Princeton essays should have no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.

If you're unsure about a certain grammar rule, such as how to use a semicolon correctly, feel free to consult our SAT grammar guide for a quick refresher.

Writing well also means varying up your sentence lengths and styles (in other words, don't start every sentence with "I," even though you're likely talking about yourself).

On the more stylistic side, your essays should really grab your audience's attention—and keep it throughout. Therefore, you'll need to come up with a unique way to hook your readers from the beginning. For example, you could start with a piece of dialogue that someone said to you once (I'd avoid famous quotations, though, since these can come across really clichéd).

Alternatively, you could start with a memory, opening a description with a strong emotion you had, a sound you heard (using onomatopoeia would be a good idea here), or powerful, sensory images of the setting.

As a final tip, make a conscious effort to avoid clichés. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are often overused. Using clichés indicates laziness to the reader and a lack of authenticity in your voice and storytelling.

For example, instead of writing, "I woke up at the crack of dawn," you could write something like "I woke up as soon as the sun began to peek over the horizon" (if you're the poetic type) or even just "I woke up at dawn" (if you're more like Hemingway).

Here is a lengthy but useful list of clichés to avoid in your writing .

Remember that you're ultimately telling a story with your essays, so don't be afraid to get creative and use a variety of literary techniques!

#4: Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!

The final step before you submit each of your Princeton essays is to edit and proofread it.

Editing isn't a one-step process. After you finish your rough draft, put your essay away and take it out again a few days or even weeks later to get a fresh perspective on what sounds good and what comes across awkward, unclear, or irrelevant. Do this step numerous times. At this time, you should also be checking for any typos, grammar errors, etc.

Once you've done a few editing sessions on your own, give your essay to someone you trust, such as a teacher, counselor, or parent, and have that person look it over and offer any feedback or corrections. Getting another set of eyes to look at your essay can help you catch smaller mistakes you might've failed to notice; it also gives a clearer sense as to what kind of impression your essay will likely leave on the Princeton admissions committee.

What's Next?

If you're applying to Princeton through the Common Application, you'll need to write an essay that answers one of the Common App prompts . Our in-depth guide goes over all the current prompts and gives you expert tips on how to answer them.

You can also check out our guide on how to choose a Common App prompt if you're struggling with deciding on the best one for your college application.

Not sure what your chances are of actually getting into Princeton? Calculate them with our own college acceptance calculator , and read up on how to submit a versatile college application .

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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How to Learn Anything: Skill Acquisition Essay

The speaker in the video handles the concept of learning new things. He gives an example of learning to take care of a child while balancing it with a career. Learning something new is a perpetual process that occurs throughout life. However, with a busy schedule, it may become hard to get time to find out how to do something unusual. I know I need to learn new things, but I still have the impression that I am too occupied to do it. As a student and engineer to be, this is an important reminder that I will perpetually seek to learn something new. The understanding of the need to constantly learn will help me to be able to understand that life will only get busier, but I should not give up on trying something new.

Being an engineer also includes learning a skill to the level of an expert. From the speaker in the video, I was reminded that it takes up to 10,000 hours to be an expert in anything. However, it would be next to impossible to get 10,000 hours anytime I need to acquire a new skill. As a student, I have limited time to gain a lot of knowledge. The time it takes to learn something new is explained, and the misinterpretation around the 10,000-hour rule demystified. The rule is ideal in my engineering career as it will propel me to the top of my career. However, I should not use it as a baseline for learning everything new.

The speaker in the video indicates that the first 20 hours of learning are sufficient to be able to understand anything. They can be described using a set of rapid skills acquisition steps. The first step towards learning something new is the deconstruction of the skill. The new skill or thing to be learned is dissected, and my focus is placed on the important aspects. I found this to be an innovative approach based on the divide and conquer method. Once the important part has been identified, the second step is to learn enough to be able to undertake self-correction. At this point, the learner will be able to correct themselves and move on to the step of being able to remove barriers to the process. I will ensure that I always break down anything I want to master to make the process of learning easier. I will implement this when studying new concepts and tackling hard problems and scenarios as an engineer.

While starting to learn something new, there are barriers to the process. However, as time goes, the learner can detect obstacles to learning as a result of being able to self-correct. The final stage in rapid skills acquisition is to continue practicing until one can grasp the newly acquired skills well within the first 20 hours of learning. I will implement the 20-hour rapid skills acquisition to gain knowledge on new engineering concepts. It will also help me to prepare better for my examinations. As a career person, I will use these 20-hour sprints to learn new concepts and then develop expert-level skills over time. From the whole presentation, I can understand that the main obstacle to skill acquisition is not intellectual capability but the emotional barrier of fear of feeling not intelligent enough.

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IvyPanda. (2022, July 7). How to Learn Anything: Skill Acquisition. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-learn-anything-skill-acquisition/

"How to Learn Anything: Skill Acquisition." IvyPanda , 7 July 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-learn-anything-skill-acquisition/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'How to Learn Anything: Skill Acquisition'. 7 July.

IvyPanda . 2022. "How to Learn Anything: Skill Acquisition." July 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-learn-anything-skill-acquisition/.

1. IvyPanda . "How to Learn Anything: Skill Acquisition." July 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-learn-anything-skill-acquisition/.

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12 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Academic Essay Writing Skills

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Written by  Scribendi

Anyone can learn to produce an academic essay if they begin with a few basic essay-writing rules. 

An academic essay must be based upon a solid but debatable thesis, supported by relevant and credible evidence, and closed with a succinct and thorough conclusion.

By adhering to the best way to write an essay, you can create valuable, persuasive papers even when you're under a time crunch!

What Makes a Good Essay?

As previously noted, the foundation of any good academic essay is its thesis statement. 

Do not confuse your thesis with your opening sentence. There are many good ways to start an essay , but few essays immediately present their main ideas.

After you draft your thesis, you can begin to develop your essay around it. This development will include the main supporting points of your essay, which will scaffold its main body. 

Essays also typically include a relevant and compelling introduction and conclusion.

Learn How to Write a Great Thesis Statement .

Understanding How to Write a Good Essay

When writing an academic essay, you must take a number of qualities and characteristics into careful consideration. Focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness all play critical roles when it comes to distinguishing an exceptional essay from one that is less than perfect.

The following essay-writing tips can help writers organize, format, and support their essays in ways that fit their intended purpose and optimize their overall persuasiveness. Here are 12 essay tips for developing and writing your next academic paper.

1. Know What You Are Going to Write About Before You Start Writing

While untrained writers might just sit down and start typing, educated and experienced writers know that there are many steps to writing an essay.

In short, you should know what you want to say before you type a single word. The easiest way to narrow down a thesis and create a proper argument is to make a basic outline before you begin composing your essay.

Your outline should consist of rough notes that sketch out your introduction (including your thesis), the body of your essay (which should include separate paragraphs that present your main supporting points with plenty of evidence and examples), and your conclusion (which ties everything together and connects the argument back to your thesis).

2. Acquire a Solid Understanding of Basic Grammar, Punctuation, and Style

Before getting into more refined essay-writing techniques, you must have a solid grasp of grammar, punctuation, and style. Without these writing fundamentals, it will be difficult to communicate your ideas effectively and ensure that they are taken seriously.

Grammar basics include subject and verb agreement, correct article and pronoun use, and well-formed sentence structures. Make sure you know the proper uses for the most common forms of punctuation. Be mindful of your comma usage and know when a period is needed.

Finally, voice is tremendously important in academic essay writing. Employ language that is as concise as possible. Avoid transition words that don't add anything to the sentence and unnecessary wordiness that detracts from your argument.

Furthermore, use the active voice instead of the passive whenever possible (e.g., "this study found" instead of "it was found by this study"). This will make your essay's tone clear and direct.

3. Use the Right Vocabulary and Know What the Words You Are Using Actually Mean

How you use language is important, especially in academic essay writing. When writing an academic essay, remember that you are persuading others that you are an expert who argues intelligently about your topic.

Using big words just to sound smart often results in the opposite effect—it is easy to detect when someone is overcompensating in their writing.

If you aren't sure of the exact meaning of a word, you risk using it incorrectly. There's no shame in checking, and it might save you from an embarrassing word misuse later!

Using obscure language can also detract from the clarity of your argument—you should consider this before pulling out a thesaurus to change a perfectly appropriate word to something completely different.

4. Understand the Argument and Critically Analyze the Evidence

While writing a good essay, your main argument should always be at the front of your mind. While it's tempting to go off on a tangent about an interesting side note, doing so makes your writing less concise.

Always question the evidence you include in your essay; ask yourself, "Does this directly support my thesis?" If the answer is "no," then that evidence should probably be excluded. 

When you are evaluating evidence, be critical and thorough. You want to use the strongest research to back up your thesis. It is not enough to simply present evidence in support of an argument. A good writer must also explain why the evidence is relevant and supportive.

Everything you include should clearly connect to your topic and argument.   

5. Know How to Write a Conclusion That Supports Your Research

One of the most overlooked steps to writing an essay is the conclusion. Your conclusion ties all your research together and proves your thesis. It should not be a restatement of your introduction or a copy-and-paste of your thesis.

A strong conclusion briefly outlines the key evidence discussed in the body of an essay and directly ties it to the thesis to show how the evidence proves or disproves the main argument of your research.

Countless great essays have been written only to be derailed by vague, weakly worded conclusions. Don't let your next essay become one of those.     

6. Build a Solid Thesis to Support Your Arguments

A thesis is the main pillar of an essay. By selecting a specific thesis, you'll be able to develop arguments to support your central opinion. Consider writing about a unique experience or your own particular view of a topic .

Your thesis should be clear and logical, but it should also be debatable. Otherwise, it might be difficult to support it with compelling arguments.

7. Develop an Interesting Opening Paragraph to Hook In Readers from the Get-Go

No matter how you begin your essay, you must strive to capture the reader's interest immediately. If your opening paragraph doesn't catch the eye and engage the brain, any attempt at persuasion may end before the essay even starts. 

The beginning of your essay is crucial for setting the stage for your thesis.

8. Always Remember to Edit and Proofread Your Essay

Any decent writer will tell you that writing is really rewriting. A good academic essay will inevitably go through multiple drafts as it slowly takes shape. When you arrive at a final draft, you must make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible.

This means subjecting your essay to close and comprehensive editing and proofreading processes. In other words, you must read your paper as many times as necessary to eliminate all grammar/punctuation mistakes and typos.

It is helpful to have a third party review your work. Consider consulting a peer or professional editing service. Keep in mind that professional editors are able to help you identify underdeveloped arguments and unnecessarily wordy language, and provide other feedback.

Get Critical Feedback on Your Writing

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, 9. when developing your essay's main body, build strong and relevant arguments.

Every sentence in the main body of your paper should explain and support your thesis. When deciding how much evidence to include in an academic essay, a good guideline is to include at least three main supporting arguments.

Those main supporting arguments, in turn, require support in the form of relevant facts, figures, examples, analogies, and observations. 

You will need to engage in appropriate research to accomplish this. To organize your research efforts, you may want to develop a list of good research questions . 

10. Choose the Format of Your Essay before Writing It

The final shape that your essay takes depends a great deal on what kind of format you use. Popular college essay format types include the Modern Language Association of America ( MLA ), American Psychological Association ( APA ), and Chicago Manual of Style ( Chicago style).

These formats govern everything from capitalization rules to source citation. Often, professors dictate a specific format for your essay. If they do not, you should choose the format that best suits your field.

11. Create Clear Transitions between Your Ideas

Although unnecessary transition words are the enemy of clarity and concision, they can be invaluable tools when it comes to separating and connecting the different sections of your essay. 

Not only do they help you express your ideas but they also bring a cohesive structure to your sentences and a pleasant flow to your writing. Just be sure that you are using the right transition words for the right purpose and to the proper effect.

12. Always Include an Organized Reference Page at the End of Your Essay

As a key component of MLA, APA, and Chicago Style formatting, the reference or Works Cited page is an essential part of any academic essay.

Regardless of the format used, the reference page must be well organized and easy to read so that your audience can see exactly where your outside information came from. 

To produce a properly formatted reference page, you may have to familiarize yourself with specialized phrases and abbreviations, such as " et al ." 

How to Write a Good Hook for an Essay

The key to a good hook is to introduce an unexplored or absorbing line of inquiry in your introduction that addresses the main point of your thesis. 

By carefully choosing your language and slowly revealing details, you can build reader anticipation for what follows. 

Much like an actual worm-baited fishing hook, a successful hook will lure and capture readers, allowing the writer to "reel them in."

How to Get Better at Writing Essays

You can get better at writing essays the same way that you improve at anything else: practice, practice, practice! However, there are a few ways that you can improve your writing quickly so you can turn in a quality academic essay on time.

In addition to following the 12 essay tips and guidelines above, you can familiarize yourself with a few common practices and structures for essay development. 

Great writing techniques for essays include brainstorming and tree diagrams, especially when coming up with a topic for your thesis statement. Becoming familiar with different structures for organizing your essay (order of importance, chronological, etc.) is also extremely helpful.

How to Write a Good Introduction for an Essay

To learn how to write a good essay, you must also learn how to write a good introduction. 

Most effective essay introductions begin with relatively broad and general subject matter and then gradually narrow in focus and scope until they arrive at something extremely specific: the thesis. This is why writers tend to place their thesis statements at the very end of their introductory paragraph(s).

Because they are generally broad and often relate only tangentially to an essay's main point, there is virtually no limit on what the beginning of a good introduction can look like. However, writers still tend to rely on somewhat cliché opening sentences, such as quotations and rhetorical questions.

How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Essay

Briefly put, a good conclusion does two things. It wraps up any loose ends and drives home the main point of your essay. 

To learn how to write a good conclusion, you will want to ensure that no unanswered questions remain in the reader's mind. A good conclusion will restate the thesis and reinforce the essay's main supporting points.

Take Your Essay from Good to Great

About the author.

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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Learning a new skill can be hard. Here's how to set yourself up for success

Rommel Wood

Andee Tagle

This is one of my favorite questions to ask people: What was the last thing you taught yourself how to do?

I (Rommel) like it because the answers are usually less about the actual skill and more about the motivation behind learning it. It's a question I leaned on a lot when I was booking contestants on the NPR game show Ask Me Another .

But I don't really get to ask it anymore. Maybe it's because I'm in my 30s and I'm not meeting as many new people these days. The pandemic might also be a factor. Plus, Ask Me Anothe r recently ended, and it got me thinking about my time on the show and "the question" that so often cracked people open in a really interesting way.

A Knitter, A Rock Climber And A Mixologist Teach Us How To Find A Hobby

So I reached out to some former contestants to see if they remembered their answers. Sam Cappoli learned how to drive a car with a manual transmission, AKA "a stick." Amy Paull was training herself to do a pull-up. Cappoli's motivation was to finally learn how to do something his mom tried to teach him as a teenager. Paull's motivation was to gain strength so she could become a better escape room teammate. But there is more to both of their stories. Sam realized that he couldn't learn how to drive from just watching a few youtube videos and a shoulder condition made Amy re-evaluate her goal of pullup dominance.

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It can be incredibly gratifying to harness mastery of a skill. But, why is learning new things so hard?

Maybe it's because we need to rethink how we go about learning. Here are some tips! Figure out what it is that you want to learn. Then...

Set yourself up for success

In addition to asking former Ask Me Another contestants "the question" I also turned to my 3-year-old daughter and asked her what was the last thing she learned how to do? She was quick to tell me she can turn on the lights all by herself. After a couple of years of attempts, she is now tall enough to reach a switch and has mastered the fine motor skills it takes to grip a switch and flip it on and off. It's a skill relevant to her but also to everyone — we just don't necessarily think of it as a skill anymore.

Rachel Wu is an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. She studies how we learn over the course of our lives. Wu says it's easier for kids and babies to learn new things because their whole lives are centered on learning. Babies are incredibly open-minded. They want to learn everything because everything is relevant to them.

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Wu says we can learn from that by asking, "is the thing I'm trying to learn relevant to my life?" Next, find yourself an instructor — someone who is really good at breaking up the things you want to learn in approachable ways.

Then, give yourself a realistic timeline to learn something new. Using babies as an example — we don't expect newborns to be able to communicate the second they are born. It often takes a baby at least a year to start accumulating a pen of recognizable words in their vocabulary. Give yourself the same amount of time to learn something as you'd give a child to learn it too.

Keep tinkering with the challenge at hand

If you're struggling to stay motivated, or feel like you're hitting a wall in your progress, stop and adjust your process. Play around with your method by introducing a new path to learning.

Take Wu, for example. She's learning how to speak German. She takes classes on the campus where she works, but she also started watching one of her favorite TV shows, The Nanny, dubbed in German and slowed down to 50%.

" The Nann y was nice because it teaches you more everyday language, and phrases that you would encounter on a daily basis," Wu says.

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She uses this handy trick with Pixar films and with listening to German audiobooks for kids.

Tinkering is part of it but so is accepting that you'll need to be open to possibly starting over.

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Feeling artsy here's how making art helps your brain.

Take Nell Painter. Painter is a retired professor at Princeton. She wrote a book called, Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over . When she was in her 60s she earned a bachelor's degree and an MFA in painting. She says an exercise she learned during an early art class really helped her adjust her relationship with her work and mistakes.

She would draw and draw, look at the model, and draw some more trying to get it right, Painter says. Then the teacher would come and tell her to "rub it out and draw it again, 10 inches to the right." Once again, Painter would draw and work to get it right, and then the teacher would say rub it out and draw it 10% smaller.

"The lesson is you can rub out your work," Painter says. "It doesn't all have to be a [masterpiece.] It doesn't all have to be right, and it doesn't all have to be saved. ... You can rub that sucker out."

Don't be afraid to make mistakes

We don't like making mistakes. But when you're learning something, mistakes are an important part of the process.

Manu Kapur is a professor of learning sciences and higher education at ETH in Zurich Switzerland, where he writes and teaches about the benefits of renormalizing failure and the idea of productive failure. He says the struggle to let yourself make mistakes is really hard.

A Field Guide for Fledgling Birders

"It's a constant effort to tell yourself that 'This is something I do not know. I cannot possibly expect myself to get it immediately,'" Kapur says. "when I'm struggling, I just need to tell myself that this is exactly the right zone to be in and then to do it again and again and again. And until such time, you just become comfortable with being uncomfortable because you're learning something."

So, if you're worried it's too late to start that new language class or the fear of failure has stopped you from picking up that instrument, this is your sign to put your caution aside and just get started. Failure will likely be a part of the process, and that's okay. It's the trying — and the learning — that counts most.

The audio portion of this episode was produced by Andee Tagle, with engineering support from Stuart Rushfield.

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5 Tips for Improving Your Essay Writing Skills

• 5-minute read
• 5th November 2021

As a student , essay writing is an integral part of your education. So, how can you improve your essay writing skills? We’ve got five top tips that may help:

• Analyse the essay question so you understand the assignment.
• Write an outline to organize your ideas and prepare your essay.
• Do research to find evidence and sources to support your ideas.
• Use the drafting process to refine your essay before submitting it.
• Get your essay proofread to make sure it is clear and error free.

Read on to learn more about how to improve your essay writing skills.

1. Analyze the Essay Question

The most important step in writing an essay is understanding the assignment. As soon as you have your essay question, then, try to identify the following key words:

• Content words – Content words will tell you what the topic of your essay should be. For instance, in “Discuss the causes of World War II,” the key content words are “causes” and “World War II.”
• Instructional verbs – Instructional verbs will give you a sense of how to approach your essay. There is a big difference, for example, between explaining an idea and analyzing it. Look for what you’re being asked to do in the question, then let this guide your essay writing.
• Limiting words – Limiting words will tell you what to focus on. For example, “In discuss the consequences of the Brexit for trade in the EU,” the phrase “for trade in the EU” limits the scope of the essay question (i.e., while Brexit may have many consequences, the focus here should be trade in the EU).

Try underlining or highlighting these types of words in your essay question.

2. Create an Outline

Another great essay writing skill is to outline your work before you start writing. Most essays will follow a basic format, which you can use to structure an outline:

• An introductory section or paragraph that presents the topic, your thesis statement , and any important background information the reader will need.
• The body paragraphs (or sections), each of which should discuss a single point, example, or idea that supports your main argument.
• A conclusion , where you summarize how your argument supports your thesis.

When planning an essay, then, you can break it down in the way shown above and make notes about what each part will say. Once you are happy with your outline, you can then use this to guide the essay writing process.

3. Use Evidence and Sources Effectively

Having a point you want to argue for or a claim you want to make is fine, but a good essay will also use evidence and sources to support the points it makes.

Once you have worked out a position to argue for, then, do some research to find evidence that supports it. This can include quotations, statistics, and illustrations.

As well as including this evidence in your essay, though, you’ll need to analyze it and show how it support your arguments. Whatever you use, make sure there’s a clear connection between the evidence and the point you’re trying to make.

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In addition, remember to cite your sources properly! You need to show where you’ve found your evidence. This will usually include citing sources in the text of your essay and adding a reference list or bibliography at the end of your document, where you should provide full details of the sources you cited. If you’re not sure how to approach referencing sources, check your style guide or ask your professor.

4. Use the Drafting Process

The biggest mistake people make when writing an essay is to only write it once! Rather, you should always redraft at least once to polish your initial version.

Once you’ve written a draft, then, take a break from it (ideally at least overnight). Then, when you’re ready, go back over your essay and look for ways to improve it. This might be simply checking that you express yourself clearly. But you might also spot ways to strengthen your arguments, such as by adding more evidence.

If you do this at least once, your essay will be far stronger. And there’s always room for further redrafting if you want to be certain your writing is perfect.

5. Have Your Essays Proofread

Okay, strictly speaking this doesn’t quite fall under the category of “essay writing skills” in the same way as the other points here. But one of the smartest things you can do before submitting an essay is have it proofread by an expert.

At Proofed, for example, our academic proofreaders can check your writing to make sure it reads clearly and smoothly, correcting any spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors that slipped through the drafting process. We can even provide feedback on how to improve your academic writing.

If you need help polishing an essay, then, submit it for proofreading today.

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This page continues from our page: Planning an Essay , the essential first step to successful essay writing.

This page assumes that you have already planned your essay, you have taken time to understand the essay question, gathered information that you intend to use, and have produced a skeleton plan of you essay – taking into account your word limit.

This page is concerned with the actual writing of your essay, it provides some guidelines for good practice as well as some common mistakes you'll want to avoid.

Structuring Your Essay

An essay should be written in a flowing manner with each sentence following on logically from the previous one and with appropriate signposts to guide the reader.

An essay usually takes the following structured format:

• The introduction
• The main body: a development of the issues
• A conclusion
• A list of references of the sources of information you have used

The Introduction

The function of the introduction is simply to introduce the subject, to explain how you understand the question, and describe briefly how you intend to deal with it.

You could begin by defining essential terms, providing a brief historical or personal context if appropriate, and/or by explaining why you think the subject is significant or interesting.

Some people are far too ambitious in writing their introductions. Writing a lengthy introduction limits the number of words available for the main body of the assignment.

Keep the introduction short, preferably to one or two paragraphs and keep it, succinct, to the point.

Some students find it best to write a provisional introduction, when starting to write an essay, and then to rewrite this when they have finished the first draft of their essay. To write a provisional introduction, ask yourself what the reader needs to know in order to follow your subsequent discussion.

Other students write the introduction after they have written the main body of the essay – do whatever feels right for you and the piece of work you are writing.

The Main Body: A Development of the Issues

Essays are generally a blend of researched evidence (e.g. from additional reading) and comment.

Some students' essays amount to catalogues of factual material or summaries of other people's thoughts, attitudes, philosophies or viewpoints.

At the opposite extreme, other students express only personal opinions with little or no researched evidence or examples taken from other writers to support their views.  What is needed is a balance.

The balance between other researchers’ and writers’ analysis of the subject and your own comment will vary with the subject and the nature of the question.   Generally, it is important to back up the points you wish to make from your experience with the findings of other published researchers and writers.

You will have likely been given a reading list or some core text books to read. Use these as your research base but try to expand on what is said and read around the subject as fully as you can. Always keep a note of your sources as you go along.

You will be encouraged and expected to cite other authors or to quote or paraphrase from books that you have read. The most important requirement is that the material you cite or use should illustrate, or provide evidence of, the point you are making. How much evidence you use depends on the type of essay you are writing.

If you want a weight of evidence on some factual point, bring in two or three examples but no more.

Quotations should not be used as a substitute for your own words. A quote should always have an explanation in your own words to show its significance to your argument.

When you are citing another author's text you should always indicate exactly where the evidence comes from with a reference, i.e. give the author's name, date of publication and the page number in your work.  A full reference should also be provided in the reference list at the end.

See our page: Academic Referencing for more information.

A Conclusion

At the end of an essay you should include a short conclusion, the purpose of which is to sum up or draw a conclusion from your argument or comparison of viewpoints.

In other words, indicate what has been learned or accomplished. The conclusion is also a good place to mention questions that are left open or further issues which you recognise, but which do not come within the scope of your essay.

Neither the conclusion, nor the introduction, should totally summarise your whole argument: if you try this, you are in danger of writing another assignment that simply repeats the whole case over again.

You must include a reference list or bibliography at the end of your work.

One common downfall is to not reference adequately and be accused of plagiarism. If you have directly quoted any other author's text you should always indicate exactly where the evidence comes from in a reference. If you have read other documents in order to contrast your argument then these should also be referenced.

See our page: Academic Referencing for a more comprehensive look at the importance of referencing and how to reference properly.

Signposting or Guiding your Reader

When writing an essay it is good practice to consider your reader.

To guide the reader through your work you will need to inform them where you are starting from (in the introduction), where you are going (as the essay progresses), and where you have been (in the conclusion).

It is helpful to keep the reader informed as to the development of the argument. You can do this by using simple statements or questions that serve to introduce, summarise or link the different aspects of your subject.

Here are a few examples:

There are two reasons for this:  first,... second,...

Moreover, it should not be forgotten that...

With regard to the question of...

Another important factor to be considered is...

How can these facts be interpreted? The first point...

There are several views on this question. The first is...

Finally, it is important to consider...

Constructing Paragraphs

One important way of guiding the reader through your essay is by using paragraphs.

Paragraphs show when you have come to the end of one main point and the beginning of the next.  A paragraph is a group of sentences related to aspects of the same point.  Within each individual paragraph an idea is introduced and developed through the subsequent sentences within that paragraph.

Everyone finds it easier to read a text that is broken into short paragraphs.

Without paragraphs, and the spaces between them, the page will appear like an indigestible mass of words.

You should construct your essay as a sequence of distinct points set out in a rational order.

Each sentence and paragraph should follow logically from the one before and it is important that you do not force your reader to make the connections. Always make these connections clear signposting where the argument or discussion is going next.

Although the points you are making may seem obvious to you, can they be more clearly and simply stated?

It is also worth bearing in mind that the marker of your work may have a lot of other, similar pieces of work to mark and assess. Try to make yours easy to read and follow – make it stand out, for the right reasons!

Essay Style

There are two general misconceptions about essay style:

• One is that a good essay should be written in a formal, impersonal way with a good scattering of long words and long, complicated sentences.
• The other misconception is to write as we talk. Such a style is fine for personal letters or notes, but not in an essay. You can be personal, but a certain degree of formality and objectivity is expected in an academic essay.

The important requirement of style is clarity and precision of expression.

Where appropriate use simple and logical language and write in full or complete sentences.  You should avoid jargon, especially jargon that is not directly connected to your subject area. You can be personal by offering your own viewpoint on an issue, or by using that view to interpret other authors' work and conclusions.

Drafts and Rewriting

Most essays can be improved by a thorough edit.

You can cross out one word and substitute another, change the shape or emphasis of a sentence, remove inconsistencies of thought or terminology, remove repetitions and ensure there is adequate referencing.

In short, you are your first reader, edit and criticise your own work to make it better. Sometimes it is useful to read your essay out loud.

Another useful exercise is to ask someone else to read the essay through. A person proofreading the essay for the first time will have a different perspective from your own and will therefore be better placed to point out any incoherence, lack of structure, grammatical errors, etc.

Ideally find somebody to proofread who has a good grasp of spelling and grammar and at least a casual interest in your subject area.

One or two edits should be sufficient. It is best not to become involved in an unproductive multiplicity of drafts. The remedy is to analyse the question again and write another, simple, plan based on how to organise the material you are not happy with in the draft of your essay. Rewrite the essay according to that revised plan and resist the tendency to panic in the middle, tear it up and start all over again. It is important to get to the end and then revise again. Otherwise you will have a perfect opening couple of paragraphs and potentially the rest of the essay in disarray.

You will learn and improve much more through criticising and correcting your work than by simply starting again.

Don't Panic!

A few students can get so anxious about an assignment that they find themselves unable to write anything at all.

There are several reasons why this can happen. The primary reason is usually that such students set themselves too high a standard and then panic because they cannot attain it. This may also be due to factors such as the fear of the expectations of others or placing too high an expectation on themselves.

Whatever the reason, if you cannot write an assignment, you have to find a way out of your panic.  If you find yourself in this position, do not allow the situation to drift; try to act swiftly.  Discussing your worries with your tutor and/or peers, or simply writing them down, will help you clarify why you might feel stuck.

Another trick is to dash off what you consider to be a 'bad' essay, hand it in and see what happens, or decide to write the assignment in two hours without notes or references and see how that goes. You can always come back to enter the references later.

Students often say that their hurried and most casual essay got a higher mark than one which they struggled with for weeks; in fact this happened because they got down to essentials and made their points quickly.  The experiment might be worth a try.

If, despite study and good intentions, you cannot seem to get your essay written, or even started, you should let your tutor know as soon as possible.

Your tutor will have encountered such problems many times, and it is part of his/her job to help you sort them out.

Continue to: Assignment Finishing Touches Academic Referencing

See also: The Do’s and Don’ts of Essay Writing Effective Reading Note-Taking for Reading

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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7 Effective Strategies to Improve Your Essay Writing Skills

Essay writing is an essential aspect of academic and professional life. Whether you are a student, a researcher, or a professional, your ability to convey your ideas effectively through writing can significantly impact your success. Therefore, it is crucial to improve your essay writing skills to excel in your academic or professional career.

While some people possess a natural talent for writing, most individuals can learn to write well with some effort and practice. This essay explores various strategies that can help you improve your essay writing skills and elevate your writing to the next level.

1. Develop Strong Writing Habits

To become a skilled writer, you must develop strong writing habits. One of the most effective ways to do this is by setting aside dedicated time each day to write. Whether it's for 30 minutes or an hour, making writing a regular habit can help you improve your skills over time. 

Additionally, it's crucial to create a comfortable and distraction-free writing environment. Find a quiet and comfortable place to write, turn off your phone and other electronic devices, and focus solely on the task at hand.

2. Read Extensively and Analyze Writing Styles

Reading extensively is another effective strategy for improving your essay writing skills. By exposing yourself to a wide variety of writing styles and genres, you can learn different techniques and approaches to writing that you can then apply to your own work. 

Pay attention to how authors structure their arguments, how they use language to convey meaning, and how they engage readers. By analyzing these elements of good writing, you can incorporate them into your own work and improve your writing skills.

3. Develop Strong Research Skills

Good research skills are a critical component of effective essay writing . The ability to find, evaluate, and use sources effectively can help you write well-informed and well-structured essays. 

Start by familiarizing yourself with different research methods and sources, such as academic journals, books, and online databases. Additionally, ensure that you properly cite all sources in your work, as plagiarism can result in serious consequences.

4. Use a Clear and Concise Writing Style

Clear and concise writing is essential for effective communication. Avoid using overly complicated vocabulary and convoluted sentence structures that can confuse readers.

Instead, strive to write in a simple, straightforward, and easy-to-understand style. This will make your arguments more accessible and help you connect with your readers.

5. Edit and Revise Your Essay

Editing your essay and revising it is a critical step in improving your essay writing skills. Start by reading through your work to identify any errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Then, revise your work for clarity and organization.

Ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and supports your thesis. Additionally, ensure that your writing flows smoothly and logically from one idea to the next.

6. Seek Feedback and Learn from Criticism

Seeking feedback is an essential strategy for improving your essay writing skills. Share your work with others and ask for their honest opinions and suggestions for improvement. 

This can help you identify areas where you need to improve and provide you with valuable insights into your writing. Additionally, be open to constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a writer.

7. Practice Writing on Different Topics

Writing on different topics is an effective way to challenge yourself and expand your writing skills. Experiment with different writing styles and genres, and practice writing on topics that you're not familiar with. This will help you develop a broader range of writing skills and increase your versatility as a writer.

Improving your essay writing skills is a challenging but rewarding journey. It requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to learn and grow. By utilizing the strategies discussed in this article, you can improve your writing and increase your chances of success in academia, career, and personal endeavors.

Remember that writing is not just about conveying information or ideas; it is also about engaging and inspiring your readers. Your ability to articulate your thoughts effectively and persuasively can make all the difference in achieving your goals.

So, take the time to develop your writing skills, practice regularly, and seek feedback from others. With patience and hard work, you can become a proficient and confident writer who can express yourself clearly and effectively.

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How to Learn New Things

Last Updated: March 29, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jai Flicker and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau . Jai Flicker is an Academic Tutor and the CEO and Founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area-based business focused on providing tutoring, parental support, test preparation, college essay writing help, and psychoeducational evaluations to help students transform their attitude toward learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 185,136 times.

Is it ever too late to learn a new skill? The answer is: absolutely not! Learning new things is beneficial at any age, and it can change your life in many ways—from giving you a career boost to helping you discover a new passion. All you need is enthusiasm, focus, and some helpful learning strategies. From cooking to learning a new language, here’s a list of tips and techniques that will help you learn any new skill you desire.

Things You Should Know

• There are lots of ways to learn! Take a class, find a mentor, or self-teach. Use lots of different learning materials from books to online videos.
• Learn by doing and use experts' work as a guide. Try teaching someone else to hone your understanding of the subject, and give yourself tests.
• Make a practice schedule. Work in short bursts, practice often, and get rid of distractions. Challenge yourself, and reward yourself for progress.

Teach yourself using many sources.

• For example, there are plenty of available resources if you want to master drawing. Find books on drawing techniques at the library, look up video tutorials, and read a variety of how-to blogs online.
• Any and every new source of information can help! Don't read a single how-to guide; using different learning styles to practice a skill can be even more helpful than using one method.
• Don't worry about sticking to a particular learning style (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic). Engaging with the information you learn is far more important than studying a particular way.

Learn through practical experience.

• Let's say you want to learn a programming language like C# . Try it out rather than spending all your time in a textbook! Learn by coding a small program and working out the bugs yourself.

Take a class or online course.

• If you're already a student enrolled in college, this should be an easy task! Just search your school's course list for a subject that interests you.
• Ask people you know if they can recommend a teacher or tutor to you.
• Many colleges and research institutions also have free online courses you can take, called "Massive Open Online Courses" (MOOC).
• Make incremental goals small and manageable, so they build on each other. When learning to play guitar, start by learning scales and chords and then graduate to a basic song, and reward yourself after each.

Find a mentor.

• For example: “I’m a news journalist with plans to venture into columns and feature writing. I’d love to learn more about your journey pursuing a similar path and hone my proofreading and editing skills with your help.”
• Reach out to a potential mentor through their contact information or a professional site like LinkedIn.
• Once they express interest in being your mentor, set up an initial meeting for the two of you to discuss the mentorship further. Meet up in person if you can, or do a video call otherwise.
• You could also propose a skill exchange! Teach someone in exchange for them teaching you, too. As a result, you'll both benefit and learn something new.

Compare your work with an expert's.

• For example, read work from famous poets if you want to write poetry but are unsure how to start. Pick a style of poetry you like, analyze that poet's style, and try replicating it in a work of your own.
• Eventually, you’ll develop your own style and technique. Until then, borrowing from an expert can help you gain a better understanding of the skill and improve your abilities overall.

Teach someone else.

• Say you’re learning how to decorate cakes . Craft a lesson plan for a friend! What techniques should they learn? In simplest terms, how would you explain working with fondant, or making a frosting flower?
• However you decide to teach others about your chosen skill, practice explaining each concept with easy-to-follow steps. The better you can explain something, the better you understand it.

Set a study or practice schedule.

• For instance: if you're a morning person, schedule your learning period in the morning. You’ll be more alert and absorb more information that way.
• Write the schedule in a planner, journal, or calendar. Putting your plan down in writing will help keep you accountable going forward.

Practice the hardest things first.

• For example, if you’re learning to play the violin and understand major scales but struggle with minor scales, focus on learning a new minor scale with each practice instead of sticking solely to major scales.
• Work on going out of your comfort zone and trying new things, even if they're difficult initially. You'll better understand the discipline by focusing on the most difficult concepts.
• You might be confused and uncomfortable when practicing something unfamiliar. You might even fail at first. That's okay! Embrace each failure as a learning experience that teaches you what not to do in the future.

Get rid of distractions.

• Avoid multitasking too, which makes you less productive overall. Dedicate all of your focus to learning that skill or concept for the entire study period.

Work in short bursts and take breaks.

• Mental fatigue can make it more difficult to absorb information and stick with a new skill. By taking frequent breaks, you're improving your productivity and preserving your motivation to learn.

Test yourself.

• You can also test skills that wouldn’t require a traditional exam, like skateboarding or drawing. Each time you learn a concept—like a skateboarding trick or a drawing technique—try it and then grade your performance.
• Say you learned about the drawing technique cross hatching . Test yourself by creating a work of art shaded only with cross hatching. Then, evaluate the finished product. What did you do well? What could be improved?
• The goal of testing is never to criticize yourself or your abilities—it’s to figure out where you can make progress and become the best that you can be.

Reward yourself at important milestones.

• For instance, you might aim to learn a new Mandarin character every day for a month. Celebrate at the end of the month by getting a treat from your favorite bakery or buying that game you want.

Master a skill you’re passionate about.

• For example, you might be hesitant to study guitar because you don't plan to be a musician, but that's no reason not to learn! Music is a great creative outlet and source of fun, no matter what.
• There are lots of other fun skills you could learn. Consider drawing , learning a new language , singing , or dancing .
• You could also learn practical skills that can help you with everyday life, like organization techniques , basic car repair , or making a budget.

Improve job-related skills to give yourself an edge.

• Other skills that could make you an even more desirable employee include proficiency in search engine optimization, Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, and even typing.
• Your company may even have funding available for certain skills you want to learn—then you can hone your abilities courtesy of your employer!
• You could also learn a skill that allows you to start a side business. Many artists and creators take commissions while working other jobs; one day, you could even transition to being self-employed full-time.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/10-ways-improve-transfer-learning/
• ↑ https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/experiential-learning.shtml
• ↑ https://careerwise.minnstate.edu/exoffenders/expand-skills/gain-skills.html
• ↑ https://www.npr.org/2019/10/25/773158390/how-to-find-a-mentor-and-make-it-work
• ↑ https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/effective-educational-videos/
• ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/5-study-skills-and-techniques-for-students-who-want-to-succeed-in-college/
• ↑ https://ideas.ted.com/dont-have-10000-hours-to-learn-something-new-thats-fine-all-you-need-is-20-hours/
• ↑ https://www.npr.org/2021/10/30/1049098913/learning-new-skills-tips
• ↑ https://success.oregonstate.edu/learning/concentration
• ↑ https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-short-breaks-help-brain-learn-new-skills
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-research-backed-studying-techniques
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201912/9-key-principles-learning-new-skill
• ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/five-steps-to-mental-wellbeing/
• ↑ https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/resources/upskilling-career-advancement

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Essay and dissertation writing skills

Planning your essay

Writing your introduction

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• Writing essays in science subjects
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Structuring your dissertation

• Top tips for writing longer pieces of work

Advice on planning and writing essays and dissertations

University essays differ from school essays in that they are less concerned with what you know and more concerned with how you construct an argument to answer the question. This means that the starting point for writing a strong essay is to first unpick the question and to then use this to plan your essay before you start putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard).

A really good starting point for you are these short, downloadable Tips for Successful Essay Writing and Answering the Question resources. Both resources will help you to plan your essay, as well as giving you guidance on how to distinguish between different sorts of essay questions. 

You may find it helpful to watch this seven-minute video on six tips for essay writing which outlines how to interpret essay questions, as well as giving advice on planning and structuring your writing:

Different disciplines will have different expectations for essay structure and you should always refer to your Faculty or Department student handbook or course Canvas site for more specific guidance.

However, broadly speaking, all essays share the following features:

Essays need an introduction to establish and focus the parameters of the discussion that will follow. You may find it helpful to divide the introduction into areas to demonstrate your breadth and engagement with the essay question. You might define specific terms in the introduction to show your engagement with the essay question; for example, ‘This is a large topic which has been variously discussed by many scientists and commentators. The principle tension is between the views of X and Y who define the main issues as…’ Breadth might be demonstrated by showing the range of viewpoints from which the essay question could be considered; for example, ‘A variety of factors including economic, social and political, influence A and B. This essay will focus on the social and economic aspects, with particular emphasis on…..’

Watch this two-minute video to learn more about how to plan and structure an introduction:

The main body of the essay should elaborate on the issues raised in the introduction and develop an argument(s) that answers the question. It should consist of a number of self-contained paragraphs each of which makes a specific point and provides some form of evidence to support the argument being made. Remember that a clear argument requires that each paragraph explicitly relates back to the essay question or the developing argument.

• Conclusion: An essay should end with a conclusion that reiterates the argument in light of the evidence you have provided; you shouldn’t use the conclusion to introduce new information.
• References: You need to include references to the materials you’ve used to write your essay. These might be in the form of footnotes, in-text citations, or a bibliography at the end. Different systems exist for citing references and different disciplines will use various approaches to citation. Ask your tutor which method(s) you should be using for your essay and also consult your Department or Faculty webpages for specific guidance in your discipline. 

Essay writing in science subjects

If you are writing an essay for a science subject you may need to consider additional areas, such as how to present data or diagrams. This five-minute video gives you some advice on how to approach your reading list, planning which information to include in your answer and how to write for your scientific audience – the video is available here:

A PDF providing further guidance on writing science essays for tutorials is available to download.

Short videos to support your essay writing skills

There are many other resources at Oxford that can help support your essay writing skills and if you are short on time, the Oxford Study Skills Centre has produced a number of short (2-minute) videos covering different aspects of essay writing, including:

• Approaching different types of essay questions  
• Structuring your essay  
• Writing an introduction  
• Making use of evidence in your essay writing  
• Writing your conclusion

Extended essays and dissertations

Longer pieces of writing like extended essays and dissertations may seem like quite a challenge from your regular essay writing. The important point is to start with a plan and to focus on what the question is asking. A PDF providing further guidance on planning Humanities and Social Science dissertations is available to download.

Planning your time effectively

Try not to leave the writing until close to your deadline, instead start as soon as you have some ideas to put down onto paper. Your early drafts may never end up in the final work, but the work of committing your ideas to paper helps to formulate not only your ideas, but the method of structuring your writing to read well and conclude firmly.

Although many students and tutors will say that the introduction is often written last, it is a good idea to begin to think about what will go into it early on. For example, the first draft of your introduction should set out your argument, the information you have, and your methods, and it should give a structure to the chapters and sections you will write. Your introduction will probably change as time goes on but it will stand as a guide to your entire extended essay or dissertation and it will help you to keep focused.

The structure of  extended essays or dissertations will vary depending on the question and discipline, but may include some or all of the following:

• The background information to - and context for - your research. This often takes the form of a literature review.
• Explanation of the focus of your work.
• Explanation of the value of this work to scholarship on the topic.
• List of the aims and objectives of the work and also the issues which will not be covered because they are outside its scope.

The main body of your extended essay or dissertation will probably include your methodology, the results of research, and your argument(s) based on your findings.

The conclusion is to summarise the value your research has added to the topic, and any further lines of research you would undertake given more time or resources. 

Tips on writing longer pieces of work

Approaching each chapter of a dissertation as a shorter essay can make the task of writing a dissertation seem less overwhelming. Each chapter will have an introduction, a main body where the argument is developed and substantiated with evidence, and a conclusion to tie things together. Unlike in a regular essay, chapter conclusions may also introduce the chapter that will follow, indicating how the chapters are connected to one another and how the argument will develop through your dissertation.

For further guidance, watch this two-minute video on writing longer pieces of work . 

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7 strategies for learning new skills

Sure, it might be trickier for an adult to dedicate the same amount of time to learning as, say, an eight-year-old with no responsibilities, but given the right environment and the right mindset, people can learn new skills at any age. For example, at the ripe age of 30-something, I learned a new language, learned how to knit, and even became skilled at writing with my non-dominant hand—all equally important life skills. 

If you've been wanting to learn a new skill or even strengthen existing ones, here are the seven tried-and-trued strategies I used to boost my expertise—and how you can, too.

Set clear goals

Adopt a growth mindset

Use active learning strategies

Use different learning mediums

Learn from someone with more experience

Take frequent breaks

Why is it important to learn new skills? 

I could write an entire article devoted to this question, but that's not why you're here. However, if you'll entertain me, here are three of the most compelling reasons I keep yearnin' for more learnin'. 

Brain fitness 

When I get out of bed, my body makes so many snaps, crackles, and pops you'd think I was pouring milk over a bowl of Rice Krispies. That's why my main goal for working out is simply to build enough strength and mobility to keep moving efficiently—and with fewer aches and pains. The same mentality applies to learning a new skill: I view it as a fun way to keep my brain sharp and healthy for as long as this world will have me. 

Career flexibility and advancement 

If you've spent any time on LinkedIn, you've likely seen your fair share of stories detailing rescinded job offers and layoffs. And if you, like me, have been fortunate enough to keep your job, you may have asked yourself, "How can I make myself a critical part of this team?" This is where having a diverse set of skills can be a true asset. 

Let's take Zapier's secondment program , for example. To meet Zapier's 2023 hiring needs, a full team wasn't required. But to avoid laying off a portion of our Talent Acquisition team, Zapier was able to leverage their various skills and experiences to add value to other business-critical departments. 

A diverse skill set also keeps you adaptable to change. For example, the onslaught of artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting nearly every job. And while the fear of being replaced by AI is very real , if you have the skills to learn a new skill, you can actually learn to embrace AI at work —not fear it. 

Tip: If you're a software engineer—or an aspiring one—AI is undoubtedly going to change the game for you. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Here are a few ways you can make your work even more fulfilling and effective with AI . 

Confidence boost  

I haven't pored through the research, so you'll have to trust my gut (and yours) on this one. But think of what it takes to even approach learning a new skill. It often means stepping out of your comfort zone and pushing past any self-doubt. That knowledge alone fills me with a sense of pride and accomplishment—and I hope it does for you, too.  

7 strategies to help you learn new skills

If you've ever struggled to learn something new, let's get one thing out of the way: you're the furthest thing from alone. Even the "greats" struggled their way to the top. Now that we're on the same page, let's dive into the seven strategies you can use to learn a new skill or enhance the ones you already have.  

1. Set clear goals

There's an episode of The Office where one of the main characters, Michael Scott, literally declares bankruptcy to make all his money problems magically disappear. But as his colleague points out, "you can't just say the word 'bankruptcy' and expect anything to happen."  

Similarly with goals, simply saying (or declaring) that you're going to learn something, doesn't just make it so. Instead, set a SMART goal ( S pecific, M easurable, A chievable, R ealistic, and T ime-bound), so you can get clear on what you're trying to achieve. 

Now take your goal one step further by writing it as an affirmation. Here's how: 

Use "I" statements. Make these goals personal to you. 

Make it positive. Write your goal in terms of what you want to achieve—not what you don't want. 

Write it in the present tense. Write your goal as if it's happening now instead of in the future. This will encourage you to work on achieving the goal immediately rather than putting it off. 

For example, instead of the goal, "I will stop working as a law clerk, and I'll no longer have to commute for an hour into the office each day," your affirmation might be, "I work from home as a software developer for a video game company." 

But don't stop there. Once you set your goal, create an actionable, trackable plan to help you make progress towards it. 

Tip: As venture capitalist John Doerr puts it, "a plan is only as good as its implementation." With your plan in hand, use these tips to help you build the necessary daily habits to achieve your goal.  

2. Adopt a growth mindset 

It can be daunting to learn a new skill. You might be tempted to tell yourself, "I wish I could, but I don't have the talent to do [insert skill here]" or "it's too late" (which, for what it's worth, it's never too late ).  

This is where adopting a growth mindset comes in. The term, which was originally coined by academic scholar Carol Dweck, refers to a way of perceiving challenges and setbacks. In Dweck's words : 

"Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts)." 

Let's say you wanted to join the circus as a trapeze artist (I can't be the only one). If you believed that only people born with the gift of strength, flexibility, and not wanting to hurl when thrown around 50 feet in the air could successfully make it, you likely wouldn't bother even attempting to swing upside down. But if you believe that there's room for you to develop the necessary skills, you'll put in the effort to learn, which, in turn, helps you build the required skills. 

3. Use active learning strategies 

Let's say you're studying quantum physics (um, wow!). Now imagine if the only way you learned about it was by listening to your teacher go on and on about atoms and subatomic particles. Not only would this type of passive learning put you to sleep, but you'd probably have a hard time developing any true understanding of the material. 

Enter: active learning strategies. At its core, these strategies require you to engage in different hands-on activities, such as group discussions and role-playing, to promote a richer understanding of the content. Why? Because knowledge sharing benefits everyone . It forces you to truly process a subject, examine it, and nail the fundamentals.  

This strategy doesn't always have to go from theory to practice either. You can also reverse the order. 

Let's say your goal is to hit one out-of-the-park home run. You have the strength and the hand-eye coordination, but for whatever reason, your hits just keep coming short. Instead of continually swinging and missing, you could listen to renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explain the physics (i.e., the theory) behind a near-guaranteed home run. After that, you can take another swing. 

4. Use different learning mediums 

There's a popular theory that people have unique learning styles. I've definitely uttered, "I'm more of a visual learner" once or twice in my life (mainly to stop my friends from trying to explain complex board game rules to me). But learning styles are flimflam . 

Instead of confining yourself to only one learning method, try this approach, courtesy of Daniel Willingham, a psychologist at the University of Virginia: 

"Think of everyone having a toolbox of ways to think, and [ask] yourself, which tool is best [for the job]?"

Take learning a new language, for example. To learn how to write in Japanese, the best tool for the job might be a Japanese grammar textbook. But if you want to improve your listening and verbal skills, reading a textbook won't be as effective as, say, chatting with a native speaker. 

In an age where so much information is available at your fingertips, don't limit yourself to just one book or course. Mix things up!

5. Learn from someone with more experience

There are many times when I've written something where the words feel just off—but I can't quite figure out how to fix it. This is where it can be helpful to get feedback from someone with more experience. For example, if I'm writing for a new-to-me medium like video scripts, I'll ask my teammate Krystina to review my work. Because of her many years working as a public radio journalist, she's quick to spot potential tongue twisters and uneven beats.

If finding a mentor or asking someone for feedback makes you a little uneasy, I'll give you one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received: just ask. Worst case scenario, they say no, and you're no worse off. 

Tip: If you want to improve your writing, but human feedback isn't readily accessible, try asking AI for feedback instead. Here's how to create your own personal writing coach . 

6. Practice 

This one might seem obvious, but let's clarify the difference between two types of practice that are key to building a new skill: 

Rote learning . This involves memorizing information based on repetition. For example, reciting the French alphabet from A to Z over and over again. 

Deliberate practice . This involves intentional, goal-directed rehearsal paired with applying your learning to different situations. For example, pronouncing a randomized mix of French vocabulary using your base knowledge of how to pronounce each individual letter. And if a combination of letters is particularly tricky for you, you might seek out more words containing those combos to improve your fluency. 

While rote learning might help you, say, recite the French alphabet super fast, it won't, by itself, help you achieve verbal proficiency. Instead, this is what deliberate practice and applying your knowledge to varied, real-life scenarios will help you achieve.

One final note: it's tempting to practice what you're already good at, but be intentional about also practicing your weaknesses . Make time for it. For example, I'm very comfortable reading in French (to myself), but I'm significantly less comfortable speaking French out loud. So when I practice in my language learning app, I force myself to do more speaking exercises than translation ones. 

Tip: Feeling meh about practice? Try these practical tips to start doing the work you need to do—even when you really, really don't want to . 

7. Take frequent breaks

Ever get stuck doing a drill or a task? When this happens, my initial response is to double down on my efforts. For example, I might continue doing American Sign Language (ASL) fingerspelling exercises even if my fingers are tired and seemingly operating with a mind of their own. 

But a more effective response would be for me to take a break. Otherwise, I risk repeating the same mistakes, practicing incorrect movement patterns, and setting my progress back.  

While it seems counterintuitive, taking frequent breaks is just as important as practicing regularly. Done strategically, breaks can reduce brain fatigue and boost your performance . 

Tip: Create a structured schedule that incorporates a mix of focus periods and breaks. The Pomodoro technique is a great approach for tackling exercises that are less exciting (like practicing piano scales) or tasks that require little thought. For other tasks that require creativity, innovation, and/or problem-solving, try the more flexible Flowtime technique . 

Bonus: Keep a record and reflect on your progress 

Ever since I saw my high school French teacher write on the chalkboard with both hands, I've been dead set on becoming ambidextrous. Unfortunately for me, true ambidexterity is rare . But that hasn't stopped me from pursuing the ability to skilfully write with both my hands.

I've been actively working on this for over two years now, but there are days when I'll look at my left-handed writing, deflate a little, and think, "Well, it looks like a second-grader wrote this." But then I compare it with earlier writing samples, and I can quickly see how far I've come. 

This is the value of tracking your progress . It gives you a clearer representation of how far you've come, reminding you that you're doing something right. 

Tip: If you're someone who's motivated by a little friendly competition, why not create a personal best challenge bot ? It's a fun way to measure your progress and see how you stack up against the most important competition: yourself. 

Reframing failure 

To be abundantly clear, none of the above tips will immediately take you from novice to expert. (If it did, I'd be touring with Cirque du Soleil right now and signing autographs with my left hand instead of writing this article.) 

You're going to make mistakes along the way—we all do. And at the first sign of "failure," you might be tempted to doubt your abilities and stop learning altogether. 

But what if you reframed your failures as feedback? Let's go back to baseball as an example. If I keep hitting high fly balls, which are usually easier to catch, that "failure" is simply telling me that my bat is getting too far under the ball. I need to swing earlier or adjust my stance to increase my chances of hitting a nice line drive.  

This type of reframing is the same strategy former NASA engineer Mark Rober uses to trick your brain into learning more . And hey—if it's good enough for a NASA engineer, it's sure as heck good enough for this wannabe circus performer. 

Related reading: 

The best way to learn technology? Click all the buttons

4 strategies to keep building skills for your career

When to give up on a goal—and how to do it

7 mental models to help you make better business decisions

This article was originally published in 2017 by Farheen Gani. The most recent update was in April 2023.

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Jessica Lau

Jessica Lau is a senior content specialist at Zapier. Outside of writing, she likes to snuggle her dogs, and provide unsolicited podcast and book recommendations.

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Life skills essay.

Look at the essay about life skills and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first. Then read the text and do the other exercises.

Preparation

Check your writing: multiple choice

Check your writing: reordering, check your writing: gap fill typing, worksheets and downloads.

What do you think are the most useful things to learn at school? Does school prepare you well enough for the real world?

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Essay on Listening Skills

Students are often asked to write an essay on Listening Skills in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Listening Skills

Importance of listening skills.

Listening skills are vital in all aspects of life. They help us understand others, learn new things, and build strong relationships.

Types of Listening

There are different types of listening: active, passive, and empathetic. Each type is useful in different situations.

Improving Listening Skills

To improve your listening skills, pay attention, avoid distractions, and show empathy. Practice also plays a key role in enhancing these skills.

Benefits of Good Listening

Good listeners are successful in personal and professional life. They can solve problems, make better decisions, and foster positive connections.

250 Words Essay on Listening Skills

Introduction.

Listening skills are an integral part of effective communication that often goes unappreciated despite their significant role in our personal and professional lives. They involve not just hearing the words spoken, but also comprehending and interpreting them to understand the underlying message.

The Importance of Listening Skills

In an academic setting, students with good listening skills tend to excel as they can understand and retain information more effectively. In professional environments, these skills help in building strong relationships, solving problems, and making informed decisions. They are crucial in team collaboration, as they foster understanding and mutual respect among team members.

Improving listening skills requires conscious effort. It begins with giving undivided attention to the speaker, avoiding distractions, and being genuinely interested in the conversation. It also involves practicing patience, not interrupting the speaker, and providing feedback to ensure understanding.

Active Listening

Active listening is a step further. It involves showing empathy, asking relevant questions, and paraphrasing to confirm comprehension. This not only enhances understanding but also makes the speaker feel valued and heard, strengthening the relationship.

In conclusion, listening skills are an essential part of effective communication. They play a crucial role in academic achievement, professional success, and personal relationships. By practicing active listening, we can enhance these skills and improve our interactions with others.

500 Words Essay on Listening Skills

Listening is an integral part of communication, a skill often overlooked in our fast-paced, technology-driven world. It is more than just hearing the words spoken by another person; it involves understanding and interpreting these words in a meaningful way.

Listening skills are crucial for effective communication and are a fundamental requirement in many professional environments. They can enhance our relationships, improve our understanding of the world, and foster effective problem-solving and decision-making. By actively listening, we can better comprehend others’ perspectives, ideas, and emotions, leading to more empathetic, meaningful interactions.

The Art of Active Listening

Active listening is a more involved form of listening where the listener not only hears the words but also understands and interprets them. It involves giving feedback, such as nodding or paraphrasing, to show understanding. This kind of listening also requires one to avoid distractions, maintain eye contact, and show empathy towards the speaker. Active listening can lead to better understanding, improved relationships, and more effective communication.

Barriers to Effective Listening

Several barriers can hinder effective listening. These include physical distractions, such as noise or discomfort, and psychological distractions, like preconceived notions or emotional bias. Additionally, cultural differences can also pose a challenge, as they can lead to misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the speaker’s words. Overcoming these barriers requires conscious effort and practice.

Improving listening skills is a continuous process that involves practicing active listening, being aware of and overcoming barriers, and developing empathy. Here are a few strategies:

1. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness helps us focus on the present moment, making it easier to concentrate on the speaker’s words without being distracted. 2. Provide feedback: Giving feedback, such as nodding or paraphrasing, can show the speaker that you are actively engaged in the conversation. 3. Ask questions: Asking questions not only shows your interest but also helps to clarify any misunderstandings. 4. Respect cultural differences: Understanding and respecting cultural differences can help avoid misinterpretation and foster better communication.

In conclusion, listening skills are a vital part of effective communication. They require active engagement, understanding, and empathy. By practicing active listening and overcoming the barriers to effective listening, we can improve our communication skills, enhance our relationships, and better understand the world around us. Indeed, the art of listening is a skill that, when mastered, can open a world of possibilities and deeper connections.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Interview Skills
• Essay on Interpersonal Skills
• Essay on Importance of Soft Skills

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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Home / Healthy Aging / The power of neuroplasticity: How your brain adapts and grows as you age

The power of neuroplasticity: How your brain adapts and grows as you age

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Over the summer, I spent an evening with my wife’s family, many of whom had recently flown in from France for their annual visit. All crammed on the back patio, we were quite the crowd: my wife and I, her mother, her sister, her nephew, her aunt, and family friends all catching up while sharing drinks. By convenience and habit, the majority of the conversation was in French, which I don’t speak. However, I’d known the visit was coming and had done my best to prepare. I enlisted my wife for tutoring sessions, changed all my favorite shows to French subtitles and dubs, and practiced with a language learning app every day for months.

Of course, aside from courtesies and a few phrases here and there, the conversation was too fast and too complex for me to keep up with. Mostly, I just enjoyed the challenge and quick translations from my mother-in-law.

However, what really struck me was how effortlessly my 4-year-old nephew worked the crowd. As the two most recent additions to the family — through birth in my nephew’s case and marriage in mine — he and I were both still learning the language. Though he was often too shy to speak, it was clear he knew what was going on and was able to adapt to the language much more quickly.

Unlike me, my nephew is not poring over grammar books or language apps — he simply has the advantage of a younger brain with incredible neuroplasticity.

“The ability of the brain to change — to adapt based on the environment, stimuli or experiences — is termed broadly as neuroplasticity,” says Mayo Clinic expert Prashanthi Vemuri, Ph.D., who researches the brain and neurodegenerative disorders.

Though it’s true that people of any age can benefit from the power of neuroplasticity, the brain does change as you get older, meaning it’s important to understand how to care for your cognitive health.

Below, Dr. Vemuri discusses exactly what neuroplasticity is, why it matters and how to optimize your brain’s potential.

Understanding neuroplasticity, even as you age

To understand neuroplasticity, it’s important to get familiar with the basic functioning of the brain. The brain is composed of billions of neurons — nerve cells that collect, process and send information — as well as a complex network of electrical circuits that allow these neurons to “talk” with one another. These connections are crucial, as neurons in the brain also can send messages to other parts of the body through the nervous system. In short, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to form and adapt this vast network of neural connections.

When you’re younger, your brain has an abundance of young neurons, which helps your brain take in new information quickly and form new neural connections. And this greater plasticity is exactly why kids have a much easier time learning a new language than adults do, explains Dr. Vemuri.

“Your brain is still developing when you are young — the brain volume is increasing, the brain connectivity is still maturing and the brain development hasn’t yet peaked,” says Dr. Vemuri. “Your brain is still growing and because of that, you can learn new things and the brain adapts much more easily.”

Dr. Vemuri says brain development continues to mature into mid-to-late 20s. From there, the brain slowly shrinks, with the rate of shrinkage increasing after 60 years of age. This change can affect cognitive functions like memory, processing speed, decision-making and learning — all the areas that may leave you feeling a little less sharp as you get older.

However, the brain still has an incredible capacity for change, in large part due to neuroplasticity. Though the number of neurons may decline with age, emerging research has shown that neuroplasticity helps the brain retain its ability to adapt both structurally and functionally throughout life. In short, neuroplasticity means you can retrain your brain, tap into new skills and maybe even learn a new language, no matter your age.

How neuroplasticity can help heal the brain after damage

Interestingly, neuroplasticity can play a key role in helping people bounce back from serious conditions like stroke and even COVID-19.

During a stroke, adequate blood supply doesn’t reach a portion of the brain or bleeding occurs in the brain, typically due to a blocked or burst blood vessel. As a result, brain cells become damaged or die. However, the brain can sometimes recover from this damage, says Dr. Vemuri.

“Let’s say you experience motor or speech symptoms with the stroke — that is, difficulty with mobility or speech. You could, over time with a lot of practice, recover that function because the brain functionally reorganizes itself.”

Additionally, neuroplasticity is helping some people recover from COVID-19. An estimated 20% of those who acquire the illness experience a change in their sense of taste and smell, with another 20% experiencing prolonged changes lasting for weeks to months. But in an estimated 95% of people with these changes, neuroplasticity helps senses improve in less than a year — most effectively through olfactory retraining , which involves smelling scents like clove or lemon to train the nerves to heal and adapt.

How to maintain your neuroplasticity

There are a number of strategies to maintain, and potentially even improve, your brain health.

Dr. Vemuri says sleep is one of the most important — though often overlooked — strategies to maintain your brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Researchers believe that sleep disruption is associated with beta-amyloid, a protein that can harden into plaque — an early sign of the Alzheimer’s cascade.

During sleep, the brain clears itself of toxins like the amyloid protein, Dr. Vemuri explains, potentially lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s. In fact, studies show that people who don’t sleep enough may be twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, in addition to having an increased risk of dementia.

Other lifestyle factors like regular exercise, managing stress and blood pressure, limiting alcohol consumption, not smoking, and maintaining a strong social network all play a role in maintaining brain health.

And research suggests that the phrase “use it or lose it” applies to your brain and cognitive abilities. To use neuroplasticity to your advantage, especially as you age, Dr. Vemuri recommends regularly stimulating your brain with puzzles and challenges like sudoku, Wordle, or family game night. The more you cultivate this habit, the better. Research suggests that the benefits of these activities accrue over your lifetime.

Likewise, research suggests that you can build up your cognitive reserve — or how your brain copes with certain changes or even cognitive decline — through moderately challenging activities like reading, playing an instrument or learning a new skill. In fact, people who spend more time learning tend to have neural networks better equipped to adapt to the changes brought on by brain disorders.

Retirement is an especially important time to focus on neuroplasticity, says Dr. Vemuri, as many people experience a significant shift in lifestyle at this time.

Often, “cognitive function can decline because you’re doing less complicated tasks and the demands on the brain are lower,” she says. “Retirement therefore presents an opportunity to continue using it to keep it.”

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How to develop 21st-century skills in students

It is becoming more and more important for students to showcase skills and achievements outside of the classroom to reflect the changing requirements from universities and workplaces. Here’s some ways in which counsellors can support that

Nayantara Handa

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In today’s ever-changing world, students applying for an undergraduate degree must showcase more than just academic achievement to stand out to university admissions. 

Universities are looking for students who are constantly challenging themselves, who will actively contribute to a diverse undergraduate community, and who have a well-rounded personality with strong interpersonal skills.

It is becoming more and more important for students to develop skills and interests outside of the classroom in order to ensure that they are preparing themselves, not just for university, but also for the world of work. 

University applications

A qualitative application to a university includes a personal essay that reflects a student’s academic strengths and relevant choice of subjects. Importantly, it must be a true reflection of themselves. The essay plays a crucial role in telling a student’s story about “who they really are”.

The most organic essays will “show rather than tell”. Succinctly written, they will demonstrate qualities currently at the forefront of the undergraduate landscape. These include empathy, leadership and integrity and reflect a student’s inner voice through an authentic story, learning or incident that has been instrumental in shaping them.

Academic ability is important, but universities are also looking for evidence of interdisciplinary skills, which will eventually enable students to adapt to new age careers and rapidly changing workplaces.

Detailed and evidence-based letters of recommendation serve to enhance a student’s academic and extracurricular strengths. Academic ability is important, but so are interdisciplinary skills, passion, initiative and a true desire to be the best at what a student chooses to do.

Last, but not least, are a student’s achievements and interests outside of school: universities are looking for accomplishments that show a student is willing to stretch the boundaries of their knowledge both inside and outside of the classroom.

This could be, for example, a student identifying a need in the community and responding through a community service project or innovating a solution. Initiative, compassion and a genuine respect for diverse cultures and communities are crucial in today’s interconnected world.  

How to develop students’ skills

The key lies in focusing on a student’s inherent strengths, managing their time well and choosing subjects in high school that are both reflective of their academic abilities and interests, as well as being relevant to university choices. 

The student, for their part, must look beyond the rankings in a quest to find a university where they will flourish and come into their own. The right fit between a student and a university lays the foundation for   personal success. 

A university guidance counsellor on their part can ensure that students develop these skills during their high school journey. Planning out a road map so that a student can build on their interests and skills could, for example, include active participation in school clubs, seeking out student council positions to build leadership skills, debating and MUN opportunities to build public-speaking skills and performance opportunities such as the school choir to build on creative skills.

Creating a realistic timeline with achievable academic and extracurricular goals helps students develop into well-rounded individuals with strong interpersonal and communication skills.

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How One Tech Skeptic Decided A.I. Might Benefit the Middle Class

David Autor, an M.I.T. economist and tech contrarian, argues that A.I. is fundamentally different from past waves of computerization.

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By Steve Lohr

David Autor seems an unlikely A.I. optimist. The labor economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is best known for his in-depth studies showing how much technology and trade have eroded the incomes of millions of American workers over the years.

But Mr. Autor is now making the case that the new wave of technology — generative artificial intelligence, which can produce hyper-realistic images and video and convincingly imitate humans’ voices and writing — could reverse that trend.

“A.I., if used well, can assist with restoring the middle-skill, middle-class heart of the U.S. labor market that has been hollowed out by automation and globalization,” Mr. Autor wrote in a paper that Noema Magazine published in February.

Mr. Autor’s stance on A.I. looks like a stunning conversion for a longtime expert on technology’s work force casualties. But he said the facts had changed and so had his thinking.

Modern A.I., Mr. Autor said, is a fundamentally different technology, opening the door to new possibilities. It can, he continued, change the economics of high-stakes decision-making so more people can take on some of the work that is now the province of elite, and expensive, experts like doctors, lawyers, software engineers and college professors. And if more people, including those without college degrees, can do more valuable work, they should be paid more, lifting more workers into the middle class.

The researcher, whom The Economist once called “the academic voice of the American worker,” started his career as a software developer and a leader of a computer-education nonprofit before switching to economics — and spending decades examining the impact of technology and globalization on workers and wages.

Mr. Autor, 59, was an author of an influential study in 2003 that concluded that 60 percent of the shift in demand favoring college-educated workers over the previous three decades was attributable to computerization. Later research examined the role of technology in wage polarization and in skewing employment growth toward low-wage service jobs .

Other economists view Mr. Autor’s latest treatise as a stimulating, though speculative, thought exercise.

“I’m a great admirer of David Autor’s work, but his hypothesis is only one possible scenario,” said Laura Tyson, a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, who was chair of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton administration. “There is broad agreement that A.I. will produce a productivity benefit, but how that translates into wages and employment is very uncertain.”

That uncertainty usually veers toward pessimism. Not just Silicon Valley doomsayers, but mainstream economists predict that many jobs, from call center workers to software developers, are at risk. In a report last year , Goldman Sachs concluded that generative A.I. could automate activities equivalent to 300 million full-time jobs globally.

In Mr. Autor’s latest report, which was also published in the National Bureau of Economic Research, he discounts the likelihood that A.I. can replace human judgment entirely. And he sees the demand for health care, software, education and legal advice as almost limitless, so that lowering costs should expand those fields as their products and services become more widely affordable.

It’s “not a forecast but an argument” for an alternative path ahead, very different from the jobs apocalypse foreseen by Elon Musk, among others, he said.

Until now, Mr. Autor said, computers were programmed to follow rules. They relentlessly got better, faster and cheaper. And routine tasks, in an office or a factory, could be reduced to a series of step-by-step rules that have increasingly been automated. Those jobs were typically done by middle-skill workers without four-year college degrees.

A.I., by contrast, is trained on vast troves of data — virtually all the text, images and software code on the internet. When prompted, powerful A.I. chatbots like Open AI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini can generate reports and computer programs or answer questions.

“It doesn’t know rules,” Mr. Autor said. “It learns by absorbing lots and lots of examples. It’s completely different from what we had in computing.”

An A.I. helper, he said, equipped with a storehouse of learned examples can offer “guidance” (in health care, did you consider this diagnosis?) and “guardrails” (don’t prescribe these two drugs together).

In that way, Mr. Autor said, A.I. becomes not a job killer but a “worker complementary technology,” which enables someone without as much expertise to do more valuable work.

Early studies of generative A.I. in the workplace point to the potential. One research project by two M.I.T. graduate students , whom Mr. Autor advised, assigned tasks like writing short reports or news releases to office professionals. A.I. increased the productivity of all workers, but the less skilled and experienced benefited the most. Later research with call center workers and computer programmers found a similar pattern.

But even if A.I. delivers the largest productivity gains to less-experienced workers, that does not mean they will reap the rewards of higher pay and better career paths. That will also depend on corporate behavior, worker bargaining power and policy incentives.

Daron Acemoglu, an M.I.T. economist and occasional collaborator of Mr. Autor’s, said his colleague’s vision is one possible path ahead, but not necessarily the most likely one. History, Mr. Acemoglu said, is not with the lift-all-boats optimists.

“We’ve been here before with other digital technologies, and it hasn’t happened,” he said.

Mr. Autor acknowledges the challenges. “But I do think there is value in imagining a positive outcome, encouraging debate and preparing for a better future,” he said. “This technology is a tool, and how we decide to use it is up to us.”

Steve Lohr writes about technology and its impact on the economy, jobs and the workplace. More about Steve Lohr

Explore Our Coverage of Artificial Intelligence

News  and Analysis

U.S. clinics are starting to offer patients a new service: having their mammograms read not just by a radiologist, but also by an A.I. model .

OpenAI unveiled Voice Engine , an A.I. technology that can recreate a person’s voice from a 15-second recording.

Amazon said it had added $2.75 billion to its investment in Anthropic , an A.I. start-up that competes with companies like OpenAI and Google.

The Age of A.I.

A.I. tools can replace much of Wall Street’s entry-level white-collar work , raising tough questions about the future of finance.

The boom in A.I. technology has put a more sophisticated spin on a kind of gig work that doesn’t require leaving the house: training A.I, models .

Teen girls are confronting an epidemic of deepfake nudes in schools  across the United States, as middle and high school students have used A.I. to fabricate explicit images of female classmates.

A.I. is peering into restaurant garbage pails  and crunching grocery-store data to try to figure out how to send less uneaten food into dumpsters.

David Autor, an M.I.T. economist and tech skeptic, argues that A.I. is fundamentally different  from past waves of computerization.

Economists doubt that A.I. is already visible in productivity data . Big companies, however, talk often about adopting it to improve efficiency.