Essays aren't meant to see how much you know, but to give you a chance to expand your knowledge. They force you to do some independent learning, by giving you a topic and making you "fill in the blanks" using your own research and synthesis.
To help you prepare for your essay and use it to learn:
ASK: What is this essay supposed to do?
Take what you have learnt in class, let the research consolidate, expand and change your understanding, then use your essay to show you have aimed for deep knowledge.
By the time you have finished your essay you should:
Think about who is going to be reading your essay.
You should write for your marker:
Think about:
BUT!
You should also write for the 'stranger':
Learner Autonomy is all about being the project manager of your own learning.
You are the person running your "learning process" - lecturers, tutors, learning advisors and librarians are all members of your support team, and you need to figure out how to use them wisely to get the help you need to learn effectively.
You need to:
Then:
And:
We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and acknowledge Traditional Owners of the lands where our staff and students, live, learn and work.