Dede Patterson

I take a structured and personalised approach to every session. I begin by reviewing your assignment brief, marking criteria, and any notes from your lecturer so we’re completely clear on what’s required. This ensures we start from a place of clarity rather than confusion. From there, we outline the essay together, breaking the task into manageable steps and creating a clear structure before any writing begins. I also help you find strong academic sources and teach you how to understand, evaluate, and use them critically, rather than simply summarising them.
Some lessons focus on developing your academic writing skills — building arguments, improving clarity, strengthening paragraphs, and mastering referencing techniques. I also offer detailed offline editing between sessions, so you return with clear, actionable feedback that helps you improve your draft with confidence and direction.
This approach is designed to do far more than help you complete a single assignment. By working step-by-step, you learn how to plan effectively, research with purpose, and write with confidence. You begin to understand why certain choices strengthen your work, which means you can apply these skills to every future essay, report, or dissertation. Students often find that this structured method reduces stress, increases motivation, and helps them feel genuinely in control of their academic progress.
Every lesson adapts to what you need most — planning, research, writing, or refining — but the goal remains the same: to help you work with clarity, independence, and confidence across your entire degree.

I make sure to develop a strong professional relationship with my students, acting as an academic mentor who they can rely on.