Essay qualifications in Uni

My course (biomed) isn't very essay intensive, but I believe essay writing is an important skill to acquire. Besides from writing essays in my spare time, is there anything I can do to prove I am good at writing essays/ any competitions/ qualifications I can attend and slap on my CV?

Reply 1

University of Sheffield Students

Official Rep

Original post by happyhippo1234

Hey,
There are lots of essay competitions online that you can enter, many are aimed at medical students but some also allow other students to enter. It will give you a topic, deadline and something to aim for and you can even get prizes if you do well. I'd do a quick google search for essay competitions for students.
Evie (final year medic at UoS)

Reply 2

YSJstudents

Official Rep

Original post by happyhippo1234

Hi!

There are many medical essay writing competitions/journal entries online where you can potentially have one of your essays published as proof of your competency. I recommend looking into the specific area you are interested in as this can also help with future study/job prospects.

Hope this helps! Faye 🙂

Reply 3

Katy07503

Original post by happyhippo1234

Hi happyhippo1234!

Essay competitions are a great way to do this and i see some people have already suggested this! I would recommend looking at competitions such as The Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Competition, The John Locke Institute Essay Competition and The Routledge History Essay Prize!

I would also have a look at any writing workshops or events that you could attend and place on your cv!

There are also a lot of online writing platforms which allow you to write blogs, essays, articles e.t.c that you could write about topics of interest on such as topics that may involve your course. An example of one of these platforms is Medium and Substack!

Try join a writing club! Whether it's online or in person and it could be a great way to gain inspiration and work with others!

Look at doing some writing courses or getting writing qualifications!
Some of examples of this are:

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The Cambridge English Writing Certificate or TOEFL Writing

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The Advanced Writing Course (available on edX)

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The Creative Writing Certificate

You can also become a peer reviwer or writing tutor! Schools may have tutor or mentor programs and teaching others can help you identify the type of writer you are and develop yourself whilst helping others!

You can put any of this on your cv!

Hope this helps!!!
Katy,
LJMU Student Ambassador

Reply 4

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

Hi happyhippo,
Great question! As a Coventry University student ambassador, I’d be happy to help!
Although your biomedical course may not require a lot of essay writing, it's fantastic that you want to develop your writing skills. Being good at writing essays can benefit you in many ways, both academically and professionally. Here are a few ways you can boost your essay-writing skills and add to your CV:
1. Participate in Essay Writing Competitions
There are various essay competitions that can help you hone your skills and look impressive on your CV. Some examples include:

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The Royal Society of Biology Essay Competition (this could be particularly relevant for you given your biomed studies!)

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The Oxford University Essay Prize (covers multiple disciplines, including sciences)

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The British Science Association Essay Prize (great for anyone in a scientific field, like biomed)

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Keep an eye on Coventry University's own competitions or challenges – sometimes there are writing competitions or research-based challenges that allow you to get creative with your writing.

2. Take Short Online Courses
There are plenty of online platforms where you can take free or affordable courses to improve your essay writing skills:

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FutureLearn and Coursera offer university-backed courses that can help you sharpen academic writing.

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LinkedIn Learning often has courses on essay writing and academic writing that are widely recognized and could help add value to your CV.

3. Get Involved in Writing-Related Extra-Curricular Activities

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Join a student magazine or newspaper: If you enjoy writing, getting involved in student journalism at Coventry University can be a fun and practical way to improve your writing.

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Peer mentoring or tutoring: Helping fellow students with their academic writing can improve your skills, too. You could consider becoming a writing mentor or tutor through your university’s academic support services.

4. Start a Blog or Write for Online Platforms

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Starting a blog or contributing to well-regarded online publications (even scientific ones like PubMed or research blogs) could help you practice and showcase your writing skills.

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It also demonstrates your ability to write on a variety of topics, which could be useful for future job applications or postgraduate opportunities.

5. Work on Research Papers or Review Papers
Even if your course doesn't focus on essays, try writing research papers or review papers as a side project. These will help you practice structuring complex arguments and presenting information clearly. If you can get them published in student journals or platforms, even better!
6. Get Feedback
It's always great to get feedback from lecturers, writing tutors, or even peers. This will help you improve and refine your writing style over time. At Coventry, there are academic support services that can help with improving writing, such as writing workshops and one-to-one tutoring.
By actively seeking out these opportunities, you can show future employers or postgraduate programs that you're proactive about developing your academic skills—especially essay writing!
I hope that helps! If you have more questions or want advice on anything specific, feel free to ask! 😊

Many thanks,
Coventry University Student Ambassador