Effective essay writing can be one of the most challenging parts of any student's transition to university learning, but De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) Business and Law graduate Leslie George is hoping to change this with her new book 'Elevate Your Essay Writing Skills'.
Students are expected to be well-acquainted with good writing techniques before embarking on higher education journey but are often unfamiliar with the specifics of academic writing when beginning their studies.
In Elevate Your Essay Writing Skills, Leslie channelled her passion for supporting students and young professionals on their journeys to create a guide to the nuances of effective writing, drawing on her personal experience as a student and mentor to graduates.
Discussing the book, Leslie-Ann said: "I have always been passionate about helping students to develop and my employers have supported me doing this throughout my career. At my first role after leaving university, I independently began setting up initiatives in different countries within the graduate framework to help bring graduate employees together and foster a sense of community.
"I was able to get senior directors and leaders on board with my strategy, which gave me the opportunity to go out to higher education institutions and share my experiences with current students. I found a lot of young graduates and final year students were having difficulty developing a plan for starting or progressing their career because they lacked the skill set of writing to express their skills and ambitions.
"The book covers topics such as: how unpack essay and report questions, choosing topics and undertaking research, overcoming barriers with referencing, adapting writing skills to the subject matter, and using case studies. I want people to take away an outline of how to write well and to be able to articulate their ideas in a way that will allow them to highlight their successes.
"When researching you need to consider ethics, pilot studies, and sampling. In terms of academia, it’s going to provide a structure and lead them to resources and frameworks they haven’t considered that will help them. Lastly, the book gives them an idea of how to develop their career journey, who and how to speak to people, how to justify their worth and contributions and why they offer value."
As a graduate, Leslie-Ann has had time to reflect on her university experience and said: "Most of my family members were either in the healthcare or legal fields and I was keen to follow suit. However, I was good at business studies in college and wanted to attend a university that offered a joint degree in business and law.
"I loved both the social and academic sides of my time at DMU. From the academic perspective, the way I was taught was amazing, the tutors took the time to recognise both my strengths and weaknesses during 1-1 sessions. Tutors would analyse what you can improve and demonstrate how to make changes tailored to your needs. Even after leaving DMU, I stayed in touch with my tutors who continued to share advice about my options for the future.
"Socially, I was involved with a lot of activities on campus, the Square Mile project, Street Law Society, and helping local communities with legal information. I also worked with the Christian society PENSA and held events for people from across society to foster community spirit. I spent a lot of time working with other students to help coach and mentor them, as I was keen to share my own success with others.
"Just after graduating I secured a scholarship to go to Asia for two months for an internship and had the chance to learn about the culture and people. Exposure to the board, governance procedures, and how they operate internationally at such an early stage of my career was a breath-taking opportunity. As a result of this, I moved directly into a role as a Research Analyst with the International Chamber of Commerce on my return to the UK.
"After successfully completing a Masters in Oil and Gas Management, I moved to BAE Systems to work as a Project Management Specialist. Alongside my role, I was able to continue my interest in advising others and I mentored three students as they entered their first year of university, helping them to acclimatise and get to grips with the rigours of their course."
Leslie-Ann has been delighted by the early success of the book and said: "The book has been well received, I was surprised to have 50 people attend the virtual launch and was able to sell 25 copies at the launch. In the aftermath people have been getting in touch with me, organisations and students have been really interested in the book. I’ve been invited to do interviews, summits, virtual conversations, and free events. I only launched it this month, so it’s been incredible to see an early response.
"My advice for students is to start early. Don’t leave your planning until third year, come up with an outline of what you want to learn or achieve by the end of your time at university. As workloads increase it can be hard to find time to come up with a plan, but if you set your milestones early you have something to refer to.
"If you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail. Keep your goals and plan in mind so you know where things like the careers department are, what’s expected from the course, and how your tutors can support you. Think about and learn how to write in a way that allows you to fully articulate and express your ideas to ensure your work is both clear and visible."
The book is out now and available here.
Posted on Thursday 26 August 2021