history students from anywhere please look....
To All Students doing B.A Hisotry at Portsmouth....or anywhere??
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
Thanks in Advance....
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
Thanks in Advance....
Original post by doorstaff28
To All Students doing B.A Hisotry at Portsmouth....or anywhere??
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
My general feeling is that it is quite difficult to fail a history degree, but equally it is very hard to do extremely well. Most of my colleagues graduated with 2.1s or high 2.2s; there were no thirds in my year, but then there were only a handful of firsts. So you can do well by working consistently, but without having to kill yourself.
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
Read read read. That is the difference. Those that did well read widely, ensuring they had depth as well as breadth in their chosen topics. Also, don't leave essays etc until the last minute. Essay-writing is as much about planning as it is actual writing, and leaving even a day to check back through an essay can make a huge difference. In your final year be sure to choose a good dissertation topic, as it makes up a large chunk of your final grade and, if done properly, can be the most enjoyable part of your entire degree as you're getting to work on something that really interests you.
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
As before, read. And read some more. And when you've done that, keep reading
Seriously, stay on top of topics as they appear in your lectures. Even if you only get to read a little about it and choose to focus on other things for essays/exams, staying abreast of topics as a whole will massively increase both your understanding and enjoyment of periods, as you will be better able to link together events and themes, something which lecturers love.Thanks mate, where did you do History? thanks for all the info and advice much appreciated
Original post by doorstaff28
Thanks mate, where did you do History? thanks for all the info and advice much appreciated
I studied at Trinity College Dublin for my undergraduate; I've just finished a master's in history at Cambridge, and will be staying for my PhD there
Good luck with your course!
Original post by gutenberg
I studied at Trinity College Dublin for my undergraduate; I've just finished a master's in history at Cambridge, and will be staying for my PhD there Good luck with your course!
I studied at Trinity College Dublin for my undergraduate; I've just finished a master's in history at Cambridge, and will be staying for my PhD there
Good luck with your course!How did you find getting funding for your Phd? I only ask because I'm about to start my undergrad at Glasgow and not really sure about a career just yet, I would be open to doing a Phd but have been told funding is nigh impossible to get.
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by Shomberlon
How did you find getting funding for your Phd? I only ask because I'm about to start my undergrad at Glasgow and not really sure about a career just yet, I would be open to doing a Phd but have been told funding is nigh impossible to get.
Whoever you were talking to is not wrong, the situation with Arts & Humanities funding is absolutely dire. I've been very lucky in securing several scholarships to fund the PhD, as I don't qualify for full AHRC-type awards due to being Irish and not having been resident in the UK for the past three years; I will be fully funded but lots of people I know (including people on my MPhil course) didn't get any money, or they got partial scholarships: Cambridge is lucky in that colleges have money of their own to distribute, most universities wouldn't have that.
As to why I got it and others didn't... I strongly believe there's an element of luck. Beyond that I suspect that my referees helped a lot (though equally, most people applying to Cambridge will have a strong application, it's a rather self-selecting place), and I had a good (though not great!) research proposal that my supervisor looked over before I applied. I didn't spend months formulating the proposal though, it was based on something I had worked on previously. I also think my undergrad results helped a LOT, TCD is known for being a hard marker and I got ridiculous results in my final year in particular (in all courses I scored over 80%) which I think looks very impressive.
As you're just starting out, relax and enjoy it!! Try and do as well as you can because contrary to a lot of received 'wisdom' some universities (Cambridge included) ask to see a full transcript of results including first year, and it can be crucial in funding. Otherwise just enjoy exploring different periods of history and see which ones jump out at you as being something you might want to delve deeper into
Original post by doorstaff28
To All Students doing B.A Hisotry at Portsmouth....or anywhere??
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
Thanks in Advance....
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
Thanks in Advance....
1) I think at a minimum you should be aiming to get a 2.1, and if possible, a first
Just to make you stand out from the crowd really when it comes to the jobs market (obviously you need more than just a degree these days, but it's always best to give yourself the best possible assets...) - obviously if you cant achieve these then you cant, but there is no harm in trying and really pushing yourself.2) I'd say it is as difficult as you make it for yourself - which leads me onto the next bit of the question, you make it easier for yourself by doing plenty of reading around your subjects, to broaden your understanding and give you material to use in exams. Good organisational skills and planning is essential here though, as you need to be able to set yourself targets for things to do, and be disciplined enough to get them done. This is especially true around exams, when you need to be doing as many practice essays, or at a minimum essay plans, as you can - and DONT FORGET to memorise specific authors with specific subjects. Believe me... you feel like such an idiot in an exam when you've done the reading for a topic, want to mention an author, but for the life of you you can't remember their name...
3) Couple more tips... use your tutors if you are stuck - could be on anything to do with the material, but if you're stuck just go and ask - you are paying for their service after all, so feel free to badger them, pester them and so on (albeit in a polite way) when it comes to your course if you're stuck. Furthermore, when you get bits of coursework back with their marks, and you notice a mistake in marking, or just plain think you should have got better, dont be afraid to challenge them on it and get it looked at again - it wont kill you or them
To give an e.g. from my own experience again, in my first year I got a piece of Cwork back in which it was specified that we should have used the Uni's search thing when looking for books - I had and had provided screenshots to boot, but somehow my teacher/marker missed them and marked me down - I read the comments, gave it back to him, got it remarked and my grades went up... yeah, sometimes it pays to get it checked...Other than that all I can say is enjoy your time studying history
Original post by gutenberg
Whoever you were talking to is not wrong, the situation with Arts & Humanities funding is absolutely dire. I've been very lucky in securing several scholarships to fund the PhD, as I don't qualify for full AHRC-type awards due to being Irish and not having been resident in the UK for the past three years; I will be fully funded but lots of people I know (including people on my MPhil course) didn't get any money, or they got partial scholarships: Cambridge is lucky in that colleges have money of their own to distribute, most universities wouldn't have that.
As to why I got it and others didn't... I strongly believe there's an element of luck. Beyond that I suspect that my referees helped a lot (though equally, most people applying to Cambridge will have a strong application, it's a rather self-selecting place), and I had a good (though not great!) research proposal that my supervisor looked over before I applied. I didn't spend months formulating the proposal though, it was based on something I had worked on previously. I also think my undergrad results helped a LOT, TCD is known for being a hard marker and I got ridiculous results in my final year in particular (in all courses I scored over 80%) which I think looks very impressive.
As you're just starting out, relax and enjoy it!! Try and do as well as you can because contrary to a lot of received 'wisdom' some universities (Cambridge included) ask to see a full transcript of results including first year, and it can be crucial in funding. Otherwise just enjoy exploring different periods of history and see which ones jump out at you as being something you might want to delve deeper into
As to why I got it and others didn't... I strongly believe there's an element of luck. Beyond that I suspect that my referees helped a lot (though equally, most people applying to Cambridge will have a strong application, it's a rather self-selecting place), and I had a good (though not great!) research proposal that my supervisor looked over before I applied. I didn't spend months formulating the proposal though, it was based on something I had worked on previously. I also think my undergrad results helped a LOT, TCD is known for being a hard marker and I got ridiculous results in my final year in particular (in all courses I scored over 80%) which I think looks very impressive.
As you're just starting out, relax and enjoy it!! Try and do as well as you can because contrary to a lot of received 'wisdom' some universities (Cambridge included) ask to see a full transcript of results including first year, and it can be crucial in funding. Otherwise just enjoy exploring different periods of history and see which ones jump out at you as being something you might want to delve deeper into
Thanks for the reply. I'm looking forward to starting and am looking slightly ahead but taking Latin and celtic civilisation along side.
Yeah I was told that because it's so competitive they look all the way back, so although I'm not 100% sure I'll even go down the Phd path I'm still going to aim for top marks just in case.
Anyway congrats on securing your funding.
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by doorstaff28
To All Students doing B.A Hisotry at Portsmouth....or anywhere??
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
Thanks in Advance....
I hope you are all well and I wanted to ask a few questions to anyone, which ever stage they are at in their studies in History at Portsmouth....i posted this in the portsmouth forum but would be interested in hearing from History students everywhere... thanks people
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
Thanks in Advance....
Hi,
From my experience (I studied History at Exeter, both BA and MA), I would say it's generally considered hard to fail a history degree because it's all essay based. You'd have to either do nothing, or go out of your way to fail. However, it is hard to score high (i.e. upper 2:1 or 1), and you'll have to work hard to get those marks.
Having said that, I think a lot of it is in your essay writing style and how you interpret documents - to certain extent I do think people either have it or they don't. For us, the people at the top of the class generally became clear in late first year/early second, and those people stayed the same all the way through.
Nonetheless, there are a lot of things to factor in, particularly the lecturers. They will have different ideas about an essay should be structured and research for - I used to get widely different marks using the same approach. So, my top tip would be to pick modules which are run by the lectures who give you the highest marks, once you're in your second and third years.
Hope that helps.
If you want to ask anything else, I don't mind if you message me.
thanks for your response mate, I may well p.m you if I have any other ideas.. thanks again
Original post by TheHistoryStudent
1) I think at a minimum you should be aiming to get a 2.1, and if possible, a first Just to make you stand out from the crowd really when it comes to the jobs market (obviously you need more than just a degree these days, but it's always best to give yourself the best possible assets...) - obviously if you cant achieve these then you cant, but there is no harm in trying and really pushing yourself.
2) I'd say it is as difficult as you make it for yourself - which leads me onto the next bit of the question, you make it easier for yourself by doing plenty of reading around your subjects, to broaden your understanding and give you material to use in exams. Good organisational skills and planning is essential here though, as you need to be able to set yourself targets for things to do, and be disciplined enough to get them done. This is especially true around exams, when you need to be doing as many practice essays, or at a minimum essay plans, as you can - and DONT FORGET to memorise specific authors with specific subjects. Believe me... you feel like such an idiot in an exam when you've done the reading for a topic, want to mention an author, but for the life of you you can't remember their name...
3) Couple more tips... use your tutors if you are stuck - could be on anything to do with the material, but if you're stuck just go and ask - you are paying for their service after all, so feel free to badger them, pester them and so on (albeit in a polite way) when it comes to your course if you're stuck. Furthermore, when you get bits of coursework back with their marks, and you notice a mistake in marking, or just plain think you should have got better, dont be afraid to challenge them on it and get it looked at again - it wont kill you or them To give an e.g. from my own experience again, in my first year I got a piece of Cwork back in which it was specified that we should have used the Uni's search thing when looking for books - I had and had provided screenshots to boot, but somehow my teacher/marker missed them and marked me down - I read the comments, gave it back to him, got it remarked and my grades went up... yeah, sometimes it pays to get it checked...
Other than that all I can say is enjoy your time studying history
Just to make you stand out from the crowd really when it comes to the jobs market (obviously you need more than just a degree these days, but it's always best to give yourself the best possible assets...) - obviously if you cant achieve these then you cant, but there is no harm in trying and really pushing yourself.2) I'd say it is as difficult as you make it for yourself - which leads me onto the next bit of the question, you make it easier for yourself by doing plenty of reading around your subjects, to broaden your understanding and give you material to use in exams. Good organisational skills and planning is essential here though, as you need to be able to set yourself targets for things to do, and be disciplined enough to get them done. This is especially true around exams, when you need to be doing as many practice essays, or at a minimum essay plans, as you can - and DONT FORGET to memorise specific authors with specific subjects. Believe me... you feel like such an idiot in an exam when you've done the reading for a topic, want to mention an author, but for the life of you you can't remember their name...
3) Couple more tips... use your tutors if you are stuck - could be on anything to do with the material, but if you're stuck just go and ask - you are paying for their service after all, so feel free to badger them, pester them and so on (albeit in a polite way) when it comes to your course if you're stuck. Furthermore, when you get bits of coursework back with their marks, and you notice a mistake in marking, or just plain think you should have got better, dont be afraid to challenge them on it and get it looked at again - it wont kill you or them
To give an e.g. from my own experience again, in my first year I got a piece of Cwork back in which it was specified that we should have used the Uni's search thing when looking for books - I had and had provided screenshots to boot, but somehow my teacher/marker missed them and marked me down - I read the comments, gave it back to him, got it remarked and my grades went up... yeah, sometimes it pays to get it checked...Other than that all I can say is enjoy your time studying history
Thanks for all the ino, i really appreciate it, great stuff
thanks againThanks for all the info guys, also it seems that higher marks are given when you are analitical rather than just descriptive....
could anyone give me some examples of what it means to be analityical rather than just descriptive in an essay??
How can you show this best in your work??
thanks again in advance to all of you
could anyone give me some examples of what it means to be analityical rather than just descriptive in an essay??
How can you show this best in your work??
thanks again in advance to all of you
Original post by doorstaff28
T
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
1) What are everyones feelings on getting 2.1's or 1st's at in History.?
2) Is it incredible difficult to get these grades? What really makes the difference in achieving these grades??
3) Any other top tips or hints would be really appreciated.
2'1's - follow the advice given by others above
1st's - follow the advice above PLUS come up with original arguments, different approaches, bring in different disciplines, attack the assumptions of the questions etc
(No I didn't get a First!)
Original post by doorstaff28
Thanks for all the info guys, also it seems that higher marks are given when you are analitical rather than just descriptive....
could anyone give me some examples of what it means to be analityical rather than just descriptive in an essay??
How can you show this best in your work??
thanks again in advance to all of you
could anyone give me some examples of what it means to be analityical rather than just descriptive in an essay??
How can you show this best in your work??
thanks again in advance to all of you
Description would be, as the word suggests, just listing off or describing the events that happened, usually in a narrative or 'storytelling' fashion. Being analytical is all about argument. It involves really examining the reasons for events and weighing up which factors were more important, for example. Analysing historical events and processes involves questioning what lay behind them rather than just relating what happened, if that makes sense?
(edited 11 years ago)
Read.
Its sounds obvious but you'd be amazed at the number of people who think they dont actually have to read much to get a degree. The more you read from the reading list, the better your grasp of issues will be and your understanding of 'the bigger picture'. This is what makes a good student - someone who understands what they are trying to argue in an essay, not someone who has done the bare minimum and can only write a 'descriptive' essay. So, dont just coast along - get down to reading as much as you can from day one of term one.
Get a copy of this book : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-History-Palgrave-Study-Skills/dp/1403987343 Its a brilliant introduction to the subject of history and how/why we study it. It also has solid advice about writing essays and dissertations etc.
Its sounds obvious but you'd be amazed at the number of people who think they dont actually have to read much to get a degree. The more you read from the reading list, the better your grasp of issues will be and your understanding of 'the bigger picture'. This is what makes a good student - someone who understands what they are trying to argue in an essay, not someone who has done the bare minimum and can only write a 'descriptive' essay. So, dont just coast along - get down to reading as much as you can from day one of term one.
Get a copy of this book : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-History-Palgrave-Study-Skills/dp/1403987343 Its a brilliant introduction to the subject of history and how/why we study it. It also has solid advice about writing essays and dissertations etc.
Original post by returnmigrant
Get a copy of this book : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-History-Palgrave-Study-Skills/dp/1403987343 Its a brilliant introduction to the subject of history and how/why we study it. It also has solid advice about writing essays and dissertations etc.
Excellent advice - I bought this book recently on returnmigrant's recommendation and found it both extremely informative and practically useful... I only wish I had read something similar when I was studying history at university many, many years ago!
Original post by returnmigrant
Read.
Its sounds obvious but you'd be amazed at the number of people who think they dont actually have to read much to get a degree. The more you read from the reading list, the better your grasp of issues will be and your understanding of 'the bigger picture'. This is what makes a good student - someone who understands what they are trying to argue in an essay, not someone who has done the bare minimum and can only write a 'descriptive' essay. So, dont just coast along - get down to reading as much as you can from day one of term one.
Get a copy of this book : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-History-Palgrave-Study-Skills/dp/1403987343 Its a brilliant introduction to the subject of history and how/why we study it. It also has solid advice about writing essays and dissertations etc.
Its sounds obvious but you'd be amazed at the number of people who think they dont actually have to read much to get a degree. The more you read from the reading list, the better your grasp of issues will be and your understanding of 'the bigger picture'. This is what makes a good student - someone who understands what they are trying to argue in an essay, not someone who has done the bare minimum and can only write a 'descriptive' essay. So, dont just coast along - get down to reading as much as you can from day one of term one.
Get a copy of this book : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-History-Palgrave-Study-Skills/dp/1403987343 Its a brilliant introduction to the subject of history and how/why we study it. It also has solid advice about writing essays and dissertations etc.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Studying-History-2nd-ed-Macmillan-How-to-Study-Jeremy-Black-Donald-M-MacRai-/310512677899?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item484bff740b
Would this edition be okay?
Original post by doorstaff28
Thanks for all the info guys, also it seems that higher marks are given when you are analitical rather than just descriptive....
could anyone give me some examples of what it means to be analityical rather than just descriptive in an essay??
How can you show this best in your work??
thanks again in advance to all of you
could anyone give me some examples of what it means to be analityical rather than just descriptive in an essay??
How can you show this best in your work??
thanks again in advance to all of you
just to add to the excellent advice you've already been given- being analytical also usually involves explaining why something happened, rather than just listing the details of the event itself.
like others have said it can be quite hard to get a 1st in part because to do that you need to give an original oppinion which can be hard if your understanding of the subject comes entirely from the reading you've done.
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