What is the best way to structure an essay exam question?

These can seem a bit intimidating at first, but no need to panic over them!

Firstly, look at the question and highlgiht the key terms. Identify exacltly what it is asking you to do (explain? describe? evaluate?) and pin-point the key part of the question.

From here, it may be useful to think about the question in two ways :

1) In terms of social, economic and political or environemental responses. This is often a good way to break up your thinking, and get your thoughts down in a logical order.

2) Long term / short term impacts. These can often be quite different, and so it provides a useful way for you to compare two different strands of thinking

Top tips for the essay:

- Use case studies! These are great to show specific examples of your points

- Put a sentence at the end of each paragraph which links back to the question. Although it might seem repetivitive, it is a great way to stay focussed throughout the essay.

Good luck!