[MUSIC] Coming into university from high school or even work can be quite daunting especially, when asked to write an academic essay. Where do I start? What's required of me? How do I include my own views? How do I reference? These are but some of the questions that you will face when asked to write an academic essay for the very first time. Unlike creative writing, an academic essay requires rational argument and convincing evidence to back up statements that are made. So academic writing has it's own set of norms and practices. However, sometimes these norms and practices remain hidden and so students are not always aware as to what's required of them when they are expected to write an essay at university. Hi, I'm Gideon Nomdo. >> And I'm Aditi Hunma. We are both lecturers on academic literacy courses at the University of Capetown. So this is why we designed this course. Writing Your World introduces you to the writing requirements in the academic world. The course alerts you to possible ways of expressing your views and presenting your perspectives in writing within the academic conventions. You will also have the opportunity of practicing different aspects of writing as part of this journey with us. >> Writing Your World is not just a course about writing skills. It's about engaging with your world. It's about thinking, reading, and writing in a complex way about the environment in which we live. As with any piece of writing, we need something to write about. The content we've selected for this course is based on two themes, the theme of identity and the theme of mobility. So what do we mean when we speak about identity and mobility? Well, some of the questions that could be posed with respect to identity include, who am I? How do I define myself? How do others define me? With respect to mobility, what happens to my identity when I move to a new city or when I joined a university community for the first time? These are some of the things you will grapple with as you learn how to write your world. >> Critically engaging with these themes, with the course readings, with your peers' work, and your own work, are central to producing a well written essay. An important part of writing is also to revise your work and find people to read and give you feedback. You will have some opportunities to practice editing your work and the work of others. >> Joining us on this journey are three student writers Ada, Ziggy and Joey. They will be writing an essay alongside you over the next four weeks. We look forward to going on this adventure with you and helping you discover your identity as an academic writer. So let's get started. [MUSIC]