An overview. If you need to know how to analyse your assignment question or how to structure different assignment types, log in to StudyWISE.

Step-by-step advice. To understand, research and write your academic assignments, come to a writing workshop.

Feedback on your writing. You are welcome to drop by the InfoDesk (12.00-2.00pm, Mon-Fri) or send through an e-consult on the form at the bottom of this page.

Academic writing is more than using long words; it’s also about important academic attitudes and values. Measure up your writing against these suggestions from Learning Skills.

Academic writing is logical and objective
Academic style guides often advise writers not to write ‘I think …’. That’s because your writing, and the logic behind it, should focus on analysis and critical thinking rather than your opinions or feelings about a topic. Even reflective writing assignments, which focus on your experiences and understanding, require you to analyse and sometimes critique your own thinking. 
To improve: Begin assignments by searching for evidence and then plan a series of related arguments that show critical thinking, which support your central thesis, argument or claim. If you can’t support a point, you probably need to leave it out.

Academic writing is precise and cautious 
Any arguments or claims you make must be supported by specific evidence, generally referenced from academic sources. Avoid generalisations unless you have strong evidence. The generalisation ‘All Australians are lazy workers’ seems simplistic and trite, while ‘Unlike some other work cultures, Australian workplaces do not expect workers to complete unpaid overtime’ seems more thoughtful.
To improve: Check you have evidence to support your points and use cautious language to show how sure you are about the points you are making.

Academic writing uses discipline-specific terms 
Get comfortable with the specific technical terms for your discipline, or academic tribe, if you like . This shows you’ve turned up to class and occasionally done the weekly readings.
To improve: Underline the key terms in the assignment question and in lectures or readings on your topic. As you plan your assignment, note which terms would be useful to explain your point and use them. The same goes for exams; learn key terms and use them. Note: if you don’t understand it, don’t use it – your reader can tell.

Academic writing is formal 
Most written assignments require a more formal style than the websites you’re reading. This means taking out friendly language such as ‘really’, ‘just’, ‘so’, ‘like’. For example: ‘It’s like a really important topic that is just found everywhere’ reads more like a casual comment. You can also rewrite long, stringy sentences (that may be full of words like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’) by splitting or reorganising their structure.
To improve: Try this quick Academic Language Quiz to remind yourself of some basic rules of academic style. Also, check out the ideas and activities in this writing workshop.

Academic writing: what it’s not 
Academic writing doesn’t have to be stuffy, wordy or confusing. Law subjects often ask students to write in Plain English; while some academics, such as Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, campaigns against academic writing that ‘stinks’; and Helen Sword, a professor at the University of Auckland who runs academic writing workshops, suggests using fewer zombie nouns.

For more tips on how to write in academic style, login to the iLearn portal for help or get a copy of Academic Culture: A Student’s Guide to Studying at University. Clear and practical, this book is highly recommended as it was written by Brick, J., Herke, M. Wong, D. (2016) – who are all Macquarie academics!  

In this post, the team from Learning Skills explains three steps to help you become more critical in your assignments.

Step 1: Know the difference between descriptive writing and critical writing (because you’ll need to use both)

In the past you might have ‘researched’ a topic by collecting facts and then outlining what you found. This is descriptive writing, and descriptive writing is important to show that you understand the key concepts in a topic.

However, university assignments usually require you to think critically about ideas, not just to describe them. When you write critically, you evaluate the ideas you write about and, above all, you answer the question why. Here are some other key differences between the two:

Step 2: Before you start, make a plan

When you do sit down to tackle an assignment, it’s far easier to set out a clear plan that drafts out answers to the following questions:

• What is your thesis (your 30-second answer to the question/your position)? Does it include an evaluation of the topic?
• What core arguments will you use to support your thesis? Are they relevant to your thesis? Do they answer why questions, as well as what and how?
• Do you have sufficient evidence (specific information) to support each argument?

While it’s completely okay to change your answer and structure as you write (it happens!), mapping out a plan will help you check that your answer has a critical focus.

Step 3: Highlight your critical thinking through your writing style

Maybe you feel that you are already thinking critically, but you’re frustrated because your readers don’t seem to pick up on it. Check that your writing style makes your thesis, arguments and evidence clear to your reader. The following strategies can help you:

• Thesis: Include your thesis in your introduction. It should be clearly written in one or two sentences and your reader should be able to underline it. Think of it as a sound bite in writing.
• Arguments: Summarise your arguments in your introduction, then deal with one in each body paragraph. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph to signal the argument you will cover.
• Evidence: Use evidence in the supporting sentences of your body paragraphs and don’t forget to reference it. You can also include a sentence after your evidence explaining how it supports the point you’re trying to make.
• Reasoning: Help your reader follow the steps in your argument through linking words and phrases. Visit the Academic Phrasebank for phrases to help frame your ideas.

What are your steps for successful writing? Share them in the comments below.

1. Have an attack plan

Before the exam, decide on the order you are going to complete the questions. Starting with the questions you feel most confident about increases confidence, starts your thinking and triggers your memory.

2. Organise your timing

Allocate time for each exam question based on the following:

• How many marks questions are worth (e.g. if a question is worth 40 marks out of 100, then it should be allocated 40% of your time)
• The type of exam question (e.g. short answer)

Avoid spending too much time on a difficult question, and note your time allocations on the exam paper so you don’t forget your deadlines.

3. Be prepared

Avoid any nasty surprises! Read through all the exam instructions and all the questions in your reading time and before you start to write.

4. Understand your questions

For multiple-choice and true-false:

• Read each question carefully several times.
• Try to come up with the answer before you read all the options (this will help you pick the correct answer).
• If not negatively marked, answer all questions even if you have to guess.
• Don’t spend too long on any one question. You won’t get any more marks!
• Be alert for specific wording, such as
  • Negative phrasing – (choose answer which doesn’t…)
  • Subjective questions – (choose option that best …)
  • Judgement questions – (choose the most correct…)
  • Multiple answers – (choose more than one…)
  • Generalising words – (all, none, always, never)

For short answer questions:

• Keep to the point.
• Provide your answer in the first sentence then use the details and facts to demonstrate your understanding.

For essay style questions:

• Take some time to plan your answer first.
• Understand what the instruction words (e.g. discuss, compare, evaluate) are asking you to do.
• If the question has several parts, answer them in the order they are given.
• Put each main point in a separate paragraph.
• If you are running out of time, use dot points to outline your ideas.

For open book and take home exams:

• Know your texts and notes well so you can find the information you need quickly.

Interested in more ideas and information on exam strategies? Check out:

• Learning Skills workshop slides, Preparing for exams, and Be exam ready from WellbeingWISE
• Exam strategies: How to tackle different questions
• How to prep for exams like a pro

Know your enemy: find out the exam details
To get your preparation started, find out as much as you can about your exam. Having this information on hand and ready will help relieve stress on the day.

– What topics/material will be covered?
– What types of questions will you have to answer (essays, multiple choice, short answer etc)?
– How long will the exam be?
– What room will the exam be in (check the timetable for updates)?

Get ready to revise
There’s no better time to start than right now! Someday is not a day of the week, after all.

– Collect all your relevant material (unit guide, notes, readings, handouts, PowerPoint slides etc.)
– Organise your material into topic areas
– Create a realistic study plan/timetable (only set short focused study sessions, no longer than 50 minutes)
– Prioritise – allocate more time to the topics or subjects you find more difficult
– Check out How do I manage my time?

Revise actively
Don’t just read or re-read your notes, there’s other, more engaging ways to study.

– Draw diagrams, concept maps or mind-maps of your notes
– Make hand-written summaries (this technique helps with memory as well as provides you with writing practice for the exam)
– Make flash cards of key words and concepts
– Practice by taking previous exams (under exam conditions!); find a buddy to check it for you, or test yourself
– Avoid multi-tasking. Stay focused (switching between tasks negatively impacts your higher cognitive activity)
– Avoid distractions (hide your phone!)

For more exam preparation strategies, check out Preparing for Exams in StudyWISE.

To make your writing clearer and more effective, follow these five tips, which will help sharpen your skills. You can also download our editing checklist to use with your next assignment.

1. Include a thesis statement in your introduction

An assignment is not like a movie with a twist at the end: it should show from the start where your argument will be heading and what conclusion you will reach. Your introduction should contain a thesis statement that clearly shows your answer to the question. Think of it as an elevator pitch that summarises your position on the topic.

– Write your introduction last. It’s hard to write your thesis when you haven’t finalised your arguments. So the pro tip is to jump straight into writing the body of your assignment, then write the intro later, once you know what you’re going to say.

– Check that your introduction contains: some background to the topic, your thesis, and an outline of the points you will cover.

2. Get to the point: put your topic sentence first in the paragraph

Make the main point of your paragraph crystal clear by putting it near the beginning of the paragraph (in writing classes, this is often called the topic sentence), then following it with supporting explanations and evidence. It’s much easier for your reader (who is often the person giving you a grade) to find your main point.

– Always re-read your paragraphs – you may find a sentence from the middle or the end of the paragraph explains the main point best. Move this to the first place.

3. Use reliable evidence

For most written assignments, you’ll need to use references to support your arguments. But that doesn’t mean Wikipedia, or some random website you’ve found on a Google search. For many classes, your references should come from academic, professional, legal or government sources.

– For tips on searching for and analysing sources, check out the Library website.

– To find key sources for your subject area, go to the subject-specific Libguides.

– If you have a question about referencing, download a referencing guide or use a referencing tool.

4. Use an appropriate writing style

There are two common problems students have with writing style. Some students throw in every long word they’ve read for class (even if it doesn’t quite make sense), while others write long, rambling sentences with informal vocabulary, as if they’re chatting with friends. Your writing should be somewhere in the middle.

– First, take our quick quiz to check you know the basics of academic style.

– If your writing is too wordy and verbose, you need to use the technical terms of your discipline, but be sure to explain some points in your own words. Read through your writing carefully and ask yourself, “do I know what this is about?” If you don’t, then rewrite, explaining in a slightly simpler style.

– If your writing is too informal, look for words or phrases that you could replace with more technical vocabulary used in your classes. Look for ways to summarise (or condense) your ideas, so that your sentences are slightly shorter and have more content. Cut out the waffle.

5. Don’t forget to proofread!

Even if you’ve followed our other strategies, the overall effect can be ruined if you misspell the names of authors or the key terms you’re talking about. Checking one last time takes a bit of effort but pays off in the long run, as your document will seem far more polished.

– Build in 15 minutes at the end to check over your work. Grab a cuppa and read through your assignment one last time, looking for spelling errors, repeated words, and little grammar errors.

– A simple proofreading technique is to start on the last line of your assignment and work backwards word by word. It’s much easier to spot misspelt words this way.

Best of luck with your assessments! Got any other tips to share? Comment below.

Most students know that it is plagiarism to cut and paste a paragraph or even a sentence from the internet (or any other source) into your own paper without quotation marks or a citation. But it can be more than that, such as incorrectly citing your sources.

Read through the following situations and then check your answers below. Can you recognise which incidents amount to plagiarism, and which are acceptable usage?

Am I plagiarising?

1. I found an excellent article to use in my education essay. I wrote a whole paragraph about it, and at the end of the paragraph I gave a citation. I included the article in my reference list.

2. I found an external agency/company claiming to be associated with Macquarie and got them to write my assignment.

3. For my business case study, I used data from a recent Australian Bureau of Statistics report. I acknowledged the ABS in my reference list and within my case study.

4. In my education assignment, I changed the author’s words to my own words. I included the article in my reference list, but not in the body of the assignment.

5. My lecturer has asked us to use the article that she set for our media assignment. As she is familiar with the article, I won’t have to acknowledge it.

6. While I was researching for my biology essay, I found great information from a book that wasn’t on my reading list. I used some sentences from one of the chapters. I didn’t reference the book as it wasn’t required reading.

Plagiarism is basically presenting the work of others (ideas, phrases, paragraphs, diagrams or data) as your own. To avoid plagiarising, you need to:

– Include a reference for every source (book, journal article) you use in the body of your assignment AND in your reference list.

– Reference every sentence that uses words or even ideas from sources. It’s not enough to just put a reference at the end of a paragraph.

Still not sure, or want to know more? Download a quick guide to referencing or check out the Library Referencing LibGuide page, which has links to the referencing style guides you will need for study at Macquarie.

Answers to the quiz

1. That’s plagiarism! References apply to the sentence they are in; if several sentences all come from the same sentence, put the citation in the first sentence, then repeat it in the other sentences.

2. That’s plagiarism and a serious breach of academic integrity. Macquarie does not have affiliations with external companies. There are, however, accredited bodies, such as the NSW Society of Editors, that you can use. Check out the guidelines on proofreading, editing and assignment feedback for more information.

3. That’s correct referencing. Reference the ideas in the sentences where you use them, and also in the reference list.

4. That’s plagiarism! Even if you use your own words, you must acknowledge where your information comes from.

5. That’s plagiarism! Even if your readers know an article/book, you must include a reference showing where the words/ideas come from.

6. That’s plagiarism! You must include a reference for every source, even if they are additional sources.

With everything from getting started at uni to what you need to know to launch your career, there’s something for everyone. And we’ve made it even easier: here’s a breakdown of all the resources available in iLearn, and why you should use them.

But that’s not all; there’s also info that is faculty-specific, too.

For students doing an Arts degree, FoA101 provides valuable and useful learning resources and health and wellbeing support. There’s also resources to help you take control, skill up, stay connected and explore your potential.

For students doing a business, economics or commerce degree, BE Successful builds on your skills to help improve chances of employment and teaches you about all the initiatives and programs for studying a business degree. The Twitter feed is also a great resource.

For students doing a human sciences degree, FoHS101 helps orientate you to the faculty and its specific departments, the faculty’s philosophy of learning and teaching, and its approach to assessment and feedback.

Students doing a science and engineering degree should use FSE101, a unit for the support of students enrolled in STEM units. It includes a collection of resources, links, events and contacts for studying in the faculty. Follow the team on Twitter for more tips and info.

How do I enrol?

Check on your iLearn homepage to see whether you are already enrolled. If you’re not, search for the module on the website and enrol yourself. If you are still not able to access the unit, contact ask@mq.edu.au. Easy!

1. Get organised. Add all of your assessments to your planner or calendar now – having everything mapped out will help you divide the workload.

2. Get started with your class readings. You’ll find the weekly reading schedule in your unit guides, so jump in! It’ll help having a head start once the assessments start rolling.

3. Learn to love the library. Take a self guided tour, bookmark the homepage and drop by to add printing credit to your student card.

4. Hunt down your favourite coffee/food outlet on campus. They can be a great place to get some work done, especially if you find a great spot that works for you. Compare your list with ours!

5. If you’re not sure about something, ask. Drop by Student Connect (MUSE Building, at C7A Level 2) with your questions or find answers online.

Throughout Weeks 2 and 3, the Learning Skills team is running free workshops on academic writing, different types of assignments, referencing and many more skills. Click here to find out more about topics, times and locations.

If you can’t get to a workshop, check out our new week-by-week guide to uni in StudyWISE. It will step you through the skills, resources and tips you’ll need for the session. Now, go forth and start acing!

Multiple choice questions
– Don’t spend too long on any one question – you won’t get more marks for it
– Try and work out the answer before you look at the options
– If the test is not negatively marked, answer every question rather than leaving any blank, even if that means guessing
– Read each question carefully paying attention to:
-negative phrasing (choose answer which doesn’t …)
-subjective questions (choose option that best …)
-judgement questions (choose the most correct …)
-multiple answers (choose more than one …)

Short answer questions
– Keep to the point; you won’t get extra marks for making answers longer than they need to be
– Work out what the question is asking you to do – the purpose of the question – before you start answering
– Provide the answer in the first sentence then use the details and facts to demonstrate your understanding

Essay style answers
– Take some time to plan your answer first
– Know what the instructional word(s) are asking you to do (e.g. analyse, discuss, evaluate, compare etc.)
– Put each main point in a separate paragraph
– If the question has several parts, answer them in the order they are given

Need more help on essay-style questions? Check out our overview of written assessments.