Individual Essay: Reviewing Study Skills for Higher Education, CCCU

This individual essay review reflects on the key themes and messages related to study skills in higher education, particularly focusing on academic writing. It discusses the importance of four features of academic writing: structured, balanced, objective, and precise, explaining why each is crucial for effective communication in an academic context. The essay also includes a personal reflection on the author's learning experience in the BA (Hons) Business Studies with Foundation course, detailing how the course has improved their understanding of academic writing and the specific skills they have acquired to enhance their writing abilities, such as avoiding long sentences and maintaining an objective tone. The review concludes by emphasizing the importance of developing strong academic writing skills for success in the competitive academic world and highlights the value of reading academic journals and planning before writing to ensure a well-structured and logically progressive outcome.

Individual Essay Review

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Choosing four of the features concerned with academic writing that are mentioned in the
article along with discussion of why they are important.............................................................1
Describing personal experience: Since started this course, what is learned that can improve
own academic writing..................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Essay review reflects opinions and thoughts on key themes together with messages which a
person, particularly author try to pass across piece of literature (O'Flaherty and Costabile, 2020).
Purpose of essay review is to succinctly reviewing progress in specific topic. The present
individual essay review includes discussion about importance of four features of academic
writing that are mentioned in the article. It also describes personal experience about learning
since start of the course which can improve my own academic writing.
MAIN BODY
Choosing four of the features concerned with academic writing that are mentioned in the article
along with discussion of why they are important
Academic writing is termed to writing that exchanges information, thoughts along with
research to wider academic community (EAP Foundation, 2021). There are two kinds of
academic writing, one is student academic writing and another is expert academic writing. These
academic writing predicts to adhere to same standards that are complex for students to master.
Mentioned below is discussion about importance of four chosen features of academic writing:
Structured: It is reviewed that academic writing must possess clear structure as it will
often derive from genre of writing. Structured academic writing is important as well structured
text assists reader to follow argument along with navigate content of writing. A clear structure
provides logical follow to cohesive text. It aids to make ideas clear, guides comprehension and
strengthen text of academic writing (Wang and Zhang, 2021). The way in which students and
experts structure academic writing is significant to present ideas and argument coherently.
Structure helps a student to follow logic of ideas together with understand overall point. It
envisages work as a whole with all items having subordinate addition to legitimate place.
Structured academic writing smoothens overall framing of project which makes it ambitious and
adventurous to focus on details.
Balanced: Another feature of academic writing is balanced that reflects on giving
consideration to all sides of issues as well as avoiding bias. Balanced feature is significant in
academic writing as it gives rhythmical flow of content or text. Well balanced report or
assignment draws attention of readers to sentences as well as makes it stand out among rest. It
also focusses on particular ideas in order to make meanings clear and create pleasing rhythms. It
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shows stances of academic writer on specific topic which means level at which claims are strong.
Moreover, balanced writing illustrates contrast among things, people as well as duality of
circumstances.
Objective: It is reviewed that academic writing is characterised for being objective as
focus is placed on information addition to arguments despite of writer (Purser, Dreyfus and
Jones, 2020). Objective enables an individual to sound more convincing as well as persuasive to
academic audiences. Objective is important characteristic of academic writing as it creates
proper understanding about topic for reader through highlighting purpose of working. It presents
together with evaluates issues addition to arrives at accurate explanation of the ways things work
on the basis of facts. Objective in academic writing shows ideas and content are free from bias
and are written in specific manner.
Precise: It is one of feature of academic writing that means use of clear along with
precise language which ensure readers understand meaning of content and text. It comprises
usage of technical vocabulary that used to convey meaning in more accurate manner despite of
similar non-technical terms. In academic writing, feature of precise is important as it adds
credibility as well as perception of validity together with accuracy of claims (Rakedzon and
Baram-Tsabari, 2017). Moreover, precise improves likelihood that readers understand research
and findings of the content or report. Precision permits people to clearly follow methodology as
well as argument. It reflects that student and expert while writing academic report cannot cut
corners through neglecting to provide clear explanation of issues, theories, concepts, trials,
terminology and so on that are used and discussed.
Describing personal experience: Since started this course, what is learned that can improve own
academic writing
In the starting of the course that is BA (Hons) Business Studies with Foundation, I have
learnt about requirements of skills that are essential for higher education. The course provided
me insights about business skills development, face to face training as well as avenues for future
career. In the course, my learning is attaining thorough combination of tutorials, workshops,
presentations, lectures and assignments. As a business student, I have developed broad
knowledge about business operations and gain targeted skills that could help me in improving
my academic writing. Since beginning of the course, I have received full guidance that ensures
me to attain best possible learning for strengthening my academic writing.
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During the course, I engage with challenges faced by a business in stimulating environment
and written an academic report that boost my level of confidence addition to acquiring
significant academic skills. My learning about not to use long sentences along with avoiding
complicated vocabulary could help me to make necessary improvising in academic writing. I
have also learned about ways to maintain objective as well as detached tone that I can use could
be used properly for improving academic writing. Furthermore, academic writing could be
developed by a student through seeking particular areas for improvements and paying attention
to feedback from tutors.
CONCLUSION
From the individual essay review, it is concluded that academic writing is key skill which all
students are require to develop. Major purpose of academic writing is to persuade, synthesise
along with inform. For achieving success in competitive world of academia, an individual should
have potential for communicating idea with power, grace as well as clarity. Main features of
academic writing are objective, structured, precise and balanced. To develop and improve
academic writing, it is important to read more academic journals or texts. Proper planning before
academic writing is crucial as it ensure that end outcome is well structured, with clear emphasis
together with logical progression of thoughts.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
O'Flaherty, J. and Costabile, M., 2020. Using a science simulation-based learning tool to develop
students' active learning, self-confidence and critical thinking in academic
writing. Nurse Education in Practice. 47. p.102839.
Purser, E., Dreyfus, S. and Jones, P., 2020. Big ideas & sharp focus: Researching and developing
students’ academic writing across the disciplines. Journal of English for Academic
Purposes. 43. p.100807.
Rakedzon, T. and Baram-Tsabari, A., 2017. Assessing and improving L2 graduate students’
popular science and academic writing in an academic writing course. Educational
psychology. 37(1). pp.48-66.
Wang, M. and Zhang, Y., 2021. ‘According to…’: The impact of language background and
writing expertise on textual priming patterns of multi-word sequences in academic
writing. English for Specific Purposes. 61. pp.47-59.
Online:
EAP Foundation. 2021. What is Academic Writing - EAP Foundation, 5 June. Available at:
https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/what/ (Accessed 9 August 2021)
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