Writing at university
Why do you need good writing skills at university?
You learn by writing
Writing is a good way of learning about your subject. Whether you take notes in a lecture or write an essay, you learn to conceptualise the matters at hand since writing makes you think. Through writing, you also practise communicating your ideas and your knowledge.
You will be assessed based on your writing
Most assessment at university involves writing. Depending on what field you are in and what courses you take, you will be assessed based on, for instance, written exams, reports, take-home exams, response papers and degree essays. Knowing how to write the expected text will increase your chances of reaching your goals. See the following pages for tips on how to approach different types of written examination:
- Understanding instructions and stylesheets
- Understanding essay / exam questions
- Different kinds of student texts
Writing is a transferable skill
Apart from what is said above, writing is also one of the transferable skills that is a goal of all university education.
As the term suggests, transferable skills (sometimes referred to as generic skills) are skills that can be used in situations other than the ones in which they were acquired. Together with other communicative skills, as well as organisational and management skills, for instance, the ability to write well is a valuable skill on the job market.