UndergradSkiller: Skill Set Map for Undergraduates and Their Educators
ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING
Essay Writing
Definition:
The essay is one of the most common forms of university assessment. Writing a good essay requires understanding the question, planning a clear structure, developing an argument with evidence, and revising the finished draft. The resources below cover essay writing from introductory to more advanced levels.
Useful Resources on Essay Writing:
The Open University. (2019, April 26). Essay and report writing skills. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/essay-and-report-writing-skills
Annotation: Free self-paced course from The Open University covering the full process of writing essays and reports at university level, from understanding the task and analyzing the question through preparation, planning, drafting, polishing, and reflecting on feedback.
Sokolik, M. (2026, August 6). How to write an essay. edX. https://www.edx.org/learn/professional-writing/university-of-california-berkeley-how-to-write-an-essay
Annotation: University of California, Berkeley course introducing academic writing for English language learners. Focuses on essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. Can be audited for free. Particularly relevant for undergraduates writing in English as a second language.
Faery, R. B. (2005). Writing and reading the essay. MIT OpenCourseWare. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/21w-735-writing-and-reading-the-essay-fall-2005/
Annotation: MIT undergraduate course focused on the literary genre of the essay as a form of nonfiction prose. Includes a syllabus, calendar, readings list, and written assignments with examples. The course develops close reading and analytical writing skills.
Peer Review: None
Table of contents:
- 1.1. Reading Strategies
- 1.2. Academic Writing
1.3. Essay Writing
- 1.4. Thesis Writing
Author: Leeanne Irwin
Peer Reviewer(s): None