Students' transition from high school to university often is more problematic than smooth and a major source of difficulty is writing assignments (Fletcher, 2002; Hunter-Carsch, 1990; Norton, 1990). Research reported here is based on a longitudinal study of university students' experiences as assignment writers. Our work confirms what is widely reported in the literature. What is not widely reported in the literature is how an intelligent use of technology will advance students' development as writers. In this paper, we describe how access to a website tutorial provided students with insights that proved critical for effective planning and completion of assignment writing. These insights allowed students to put together a contextual jigsaw that enhanced their knowledge of how to write along with knowledge of what to write. Specifically, it lead them to see their lecturers as writers, readers and markers of essay topics, to make informed decisions on what to research, on how much to write, and on how to write cohesively.