The Student Room Group

How to get a first in English? your top tips!

Hi all,

I was hoping those who are achieving firsts or have graduated with a first in English, please could you provide me with some top tips?

I really would like a first but what can I do to achieve it? All my friends seem to be getting firsts and it just makes you feel so rubbish!

thank you :smile:
Hey, sorry to see you haven't had any replies to your thread yet. :frown: Are you sure you’ve posted in the right place? Posting in the specific university or course forum should help get more responses. :redface:

If you haven’t already found it, then university connect is a really useful way for finding people at your course/university! You can also find a list of applicant threads and courses here. :h: It's worth checking out if you have questions.

If you need advice on your academic work, then the Study Help section will be able to help you. :h: Hope this helps! :h:
Can't you ask to see their essays, to see what they're doing right that you're not? That's the easiest way; the other way is to do a LOT of reading, spend a LOT of time thinking and basically dedicate your life to that essay for like 4-5 days while writing it. That's what I do, but I think I maybe spend too much time writing them. Then again, I get firsts in all my essays, so maybe this is how it's supposed to be!
Surely you can see what works, and reuse those formula; assume you can do it by trial and error?
Looking at others work is a huge help though, as then you know what standard you need to write at etc.
Original post by LannaBanana
Can't you ask to see their essays, to see what they're doing right that you're not? That's the easiest way; the other way is to do a LOT of reading, spend a LOT of time thinking and basically dedicate your life to that essay for like 4-5 days while writing it. That's what I do, but I think I maybe spend too much time writing them. Then again, I get firsts in all my essays, so maybe this is how it's supposed to be!


Firsts in all your essays? You make me feel bad! (even though I did a different subject)
Original post by hellodave5
Firsts in all your essays? You make me feel bad! (even though I did a different subject)


Haha! Well, firsts in all my English essays; I got average results for any other subjects.
Original post by LannaBanana
Haha! Well, firsts in all my English essays; I got average results for any other subjects.


You have different subjects in your degree?
Original post by hellodave5
You have different subjects in your degree?


In Scotland, for the first two years, you take 3 modules each semester - one of them is your degree subject, the other two you choose are different. For instance, in Semester 1, I did English, History and Religion, then semester 2 I did English, Religion, Media; semester 3 was English, Media, Language... etc. It's to allow some flexibility I think, and lets you sample other courses. I don't know if it's the same in English/Welsh/Northern Irish Unis.
Original post by LannaBanana
In Scotland, for the first two years, you take 3 modules each semester - one of them is your degree subject, the other two you choose are different. For instance, in Semester 1, I did English, History and Religion, then semester 2 I did English, Religion, Media; semester 3 was English, Media, Language... etc. It's to allow some flexibility I think, and lets you sample other courses. I don't know if it's the same in English/Welsh/Northern Irish Unis.


Ah I get ya. Do you like that way of doing it?
I would find it rather frustrating, I think.
Original post by hellodave5
Ah I get ya. Do you like that way of doing it?
I would find it rather frustrating, I think.


I both liked and disliked it... it seemed like a lot of effort to put into something that didn't make a difference to my degree at the end of the day; but I absolutely love studying English, so I knew I wasn't going to change my mind about the course. A lot of people have though, they've started off with a joint degree in mind and decide they much prefer one over the other (or vice versa, they start with one and realise they like two), and they're able to easily drop or pick up a subject without it affecting anything.

I'm pretty sure it depends which subject you're doing as well - there are probably a lot less options for extra modules if you're studying chemistry, than if you're studying philosophy.

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