Brief Summary
This video provides a comprehensive guide on how to effectively study sociology and write sociology essays. It covers a six-step planning system, referencing tips, advice for each section of an essay (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion), and general study tips. The goal is to help students approach sociology studies and essay writing in a structured and less daunting manner.
- Six-step planning system for essays and projects.
- Referencing tips and tools.
- Section-specific essay writing advice.
- General sociology study tips.
Intro
The video introduces the topic of sociology and how to study it effectively. It aims to provide guidance on writing sociology essays, covering planning, referencing, section-specific tips, and general study advice.
6 step planning system for essays/projects
The video introduces a six-step planning system designed to make essay writing less overwhelming. The first step involves creating an overview with the deadline, project details, and time allocation. For example, setting a start date (June 8th) and end date (June 10th) with specific times helps manage the workload. The second step includes breaking down the essay into components like the introduction, main body paragraphs (three to four, depending on word count), and conclusion, along with their respective word counts. The third step focuses on establishing working hours, such as working between 10 AM and 6 PM, and designating time for lunch to maintain a structured schedule. The fourth step involves calculating how much time to allocate to each component, using a 1,000-word essay as an example. By dividing the word count by the allocated hours, one can determine the number of words to write per hour. For instance, writing 181 words per hour makes the task seem more manageable. The video provides an overview of the six-step planning system to help reduce anxiety when tackling essays.
Referencing
The video emphasizes the importance of referencing in sociology essays. It advises using university referencing guides, often found on library websites, to understand citation styles for various sources like articles, journals, books, and web pages. A key tip is to maintain a running list of references, especially for long projects like dissertations, to avoid plagiarism. Google Scholar is recommended for easy referencing; by clicking the quote mark symbol, users can access different referencing styles like Harvard.
Tips for each section of the essay
The video provides specific tips for each section of an essay. For the introduction, it suggests outlining the essay's scope, defining key terms, and presenting the argument, which can be refined later. For the body paragraphs, the recommendation is to first jot down notes and bullet points to identify main arguments and points. Then, search for literature to support these points, ensuring arguments are justified and guided by academic sources. The video stresses the importance of incorporating personal opinions while grounding arguments in literature. To avoid merely regurgitating existing work, the advice is to write down personal points before consulting literature, shaping arguments based on findings. For the conclusion, it advises against introducing new points and instead summarizing the essay's argument, possibly including recommendations for further research to provide a strong finish.
General Sociology study tips
The video offers general study tips for sociology, starting with the importance of taking frequent, short breaks to avoid eye strain and fatigue, especially during large projects like literature reviews for dissertations. Blocking out specific times for specific subjects or dissertation sections helps maintain concentration by preventing the mind from switching between topics. The Pomodoro Method, which involves working for a set time (e.g., 50 minutes) followed by a short break (e.g., 10 minutes), is also recommended for those who struggle with long study sessions. The length of work and break intervals can be adjusted based on individual concentration spans.
