 The assignments you do at uni help you show your understanding of different ideas and perspectives. A common type of assignment you might have to do is an essay. The main purpose of an essay is to convince the reader of your position on an issue using academic sources for support. Start with the task. It contains content words that tell you what to write, instruction words to tell you how to do the task, and words which help you identify the limits of the essay. Then do some background reading. For example, you might begin by re-reading parts of your textbook, course materials or lecture notes. Then you'll need to find more readings to develop your position. Use the library catalogue and relevant databases to find more information. Don't forget to note down the source details of the readings you want to use in your essay. This will make it easier when you do your referencing. Keep the essay topic in mind as you take notes of your readings. This will help you make connections, develop your position and stay focused when planning your first draft. Remember, writing is never a linear process. There will be drafting, extra reading, redrafting and editing. It's all part of the writing process. The usual structure of an essay is an introduction, body paragraphs, a conclusion and a reference list. An introduction usually contains background information about the topic. Your position and a preview of how your ideas will be organised. There's usually one main idea per paragraph. Each paragraph contains a topic sentence showing the focus of the paragraph, supporting sentences with evidence and examples to strengthen your argument and a concluding sentence which may sum up the paragraph or connect it to the next one. The conclusion should summarise the main points of your essay and restate your position. There is no new information included in the conclusion. Writing an essay involves taking a position on an issue and defending it using academic support. This is an important part of becoming a critical learner at uni.