From what i've gathered, to get a first you need to.......
1) Have a decent bibliography 2) Have a decent amount of quotes but relevant ones - they need to be in balance though, too much is bad, what are they supposed to be marking? Your work or someone else's? But they don't like too little quotes either. 3) Talk about theorists, be critical of their approach 4) Make links to other subject areas
Unless you're studying Lit or a subject in which quoting in essays is necessary, I would advise you to avoid using too many quotes. I rarely use them at all. Of course you don't need to do this, but I prefer to take general ideas from texts (backed up with references, obviously), rather than specific quotes, as I feel there is more freedom to analyse.
You can do whatever you like, but if you want a first you should avoid quoting because otherwise you can't prove you understand what it means. And then if you go on to explain it, you've basically wasted words and won't gain any extra credit.
As far as disagreeing with the quote, you need to provide further references for that. As I also said you can't go around making up your own theories, so if you want to disagree, you have to say why by paraphrasing from another article.
You can't get a first by being lazy. If you're just going to treat good advice as a joke then don't bother making a thread.
Sorry for the inappropriate smiley
I was just a bit confused because another poster said that she would introduce her own ideas, and I just thought that by using these ideas and taking on a stance of a critical viewpoint, it could be original and possibly gain higher marks?
I was just a bit confused because another poster said that she would introduce her own ideas, and I just thought that by using these ideas and taking on a stance of a critical viewpoint, it could be original and possibly gain higher marks?
I guess it depends on the subject you're studying. I'm doing radiography so it's a factual subject and I can't argue anything myself unless I've done my own research. If you're doing something more theory-based then maybe it's different.
You can do whatever you like, but if you want a first you should avoid quoting because otherwise you can't prove you understand what it means. And then if you go on to explain it, you've basically wasted words and won't gain any extra credit.
As far as disagreeing with the quote, you need to provide further references for that. As I also said you can't go around making up your own theories, so if you want to disagree, you have to say why by paraphrasing from another article.
You can't get a first by being lazy. If you're just going to treat good advice as a joke then don't bother making a thread.
Thats not true from what i've heard. Quotes are great in moderation, I have a book called 'How to get a first' and it says use quotes but make sure they aren't too long in length. I've heard the same from various lecturers too.
From what i've gathered, to get a first you need to.......
1) Have a decent bibliography2) Have a decent amount of quotes but relevant ones - they need to be in balance though, too much is bad, what are they supposed to be marking? Your work or someone else's? But they don't like too little quotes either. 3) Talk about theorists, be critical of their approach4) Make links to other subject areas
Thats all I can think of off the top of my head.
1) So what do you mean by decent, like, e-journals and all the books you've read? Or just books?
3) I don't understand when people say 'be critical of their approach', like say that you disagree with something?
I was just a bit confused because another poster said that she would introduce her own ideas, and I just thought that by using these ideas and taking on a stance of a critical viewpoint, it could be original and possibly gain higher marks?
You can. According to my 'How to get a first' book, its a good move to put in your own thoughts because originality does gain you better marks.
I guess it depends on the subject you're studying. I'm doing radiography so it's a factual subject and I can't argue anything myself unless I've done my own research. If you're doing something more theory-based then maybe it's different.
Thankyou for your help anyway, I really aprreciate it I'm doing Political Science so yes, it is theory based unfortunately
This depends on what subject. Beyond this different departments and universities will have different basic expectations. And beyond this you often need to hope you have someone marking it who likes your style.
You should email your tutors and ask them exactly what they are looking for; they will be happy to answer such questions.
1) So what do you mean by decent, like, e-journals and all the books you've read? Or just books?
3) I don't understand when people say 'be critical of their approach', like say that you disagree with something?
THANKYOU big time for your help
I put in my bibliography all the books i've read that are relevant to the essay and that have somehow helped me write the essay. Eg If I read a book and think well I thought it was relevant but in fact its a bunch of crap and won't help me gain any better understanding then I won't put it in my bibliography. From what I understand, a 2000 word essay should have around 12 sources in the bibliography and it goes up depending on essay length. Oh it should include everything as well, books, journals, websites etc etc.
To be honest, i've never understood what is meant by critical, I think as you said it means to criticise. I think the point that most lecturers try to make is not to take things at face value, you should be critical about it, so yeah criticise I imagine. But don't quote me on that one i'm not 100% sure......i'm only a first year too these are just things i've picked up from books and lecturers!
I get what you mean. OP asks ''How to get a first in an essay'', you say ''I got 78, god knows how''. In other words you can't really offer advice on HOW you achieved the first as you yourself are not sure HOW you did it in the first place. Right?
I got an 80 once @ uni, and the same as yourself god knows how because I really don't know how I did it.
Yeah, pretty much. It was a total surprise, on an essay on a subject completely different to the others, with a totally different structure etc..
I put in my bibliography all the books i've read that are relevant to the essay and that have somehow helped me write the essay. Eg If I read a book and think well I thought it was relevant but in fact its a bunch of crap and won't help me gain any better understanding then I won't put it in my bibliography. From what I understand, a 2000 word essay should have around 12 sources in the bibliography and it goes up depending on essay length. Oh it should include everything as well, books, journals, websites etc etc.
To be honest, i've never understood what is meant by critical, I think as you said it means to criticise. I think the point that most lecturers try to make is not to take things at face value, you should be critical about it, so yeah criticise I imagine. But don't quote me on that one i'm not 100% sure......i'm only a first year too these are just things i've picked up from books and lecturers!
On my course to be 'critical' of an article is to pick out both good and bad things about it. I imagine that would be similar for most courses though, even if the style of writing is different.
After nearly 3 years in university, I find that the less and less effort I put into my essays and preparing for them, the higher marks I get. Essentially, I just make sure I have i) plenty of critical analysis of sources; ii) strong structure and flow of argument with thesis statement in introduction and proper topic sentences; iii) sources not included in lectures.
I get what you mean. OP asks ''How to get a first in an essay'', you say ''I got 78, god knows how''. In other words you can't really offer advice on HOW you achieved the first as you yourself are not sure HOW you did it in the first place. Right?
I got an 80 once @ uni, and the same as yourself god knows how because I really don't know how I did it.
What if the EXAM essay has to be based on a journal.... would they mark you down if you write the introduction with quotes of the journal to the EXAM essay question?? Bearing no journals are allowed to take in the exam
What if the EXAM essay has to be based on a journal.... would they mark you down if you write the introduction with quotes of the journal to the EXAM essay question?? Bearing no journals are allowed to take in the exam
I started one of my assignments with a quote, in my final year. It wasn't a big quote however - it was a sentence, just to set the scene of what I was going to write about.
No, because it then becomes plagiarism; lecturer's see the essay as not your own work!!
(I wrote that assignment over 2 years ago now, I have since graduated - just thought I'd let you know lol).
I started one of my assignments with a quote, in my final year. It wasn't a big quote however - it was a sentence, just to set the scene of what I was going to write about.
What course did you do, if you don't mind me asking?
I am doing Accounting and i have exams where i am expected to write an essay based on journals and atm i am just copying the journal's introduction and memorising it... it wouldn't be plagiarised because it is an exam right?
What course did you do, if you don't mind me asking?
I am doing Accounting and i have exams where i am expected to write an essay based on journals and atm i am just copying the journal's introduction and memorising it... it wouldn't be plagiarised because it is an exam right?
Criminology and Sociology! I did a few exams, and we were basically expected to obv. write about the topic, but back it up with what people had written. Regurgitating (word for word) what someone has already done isn't really showing your examiner what you've learnt. However using what someone else had written, as a back up for your argument, will give you the marks.
Memorising what someone else has written about, and putting it into your own words (so long as you correctly reference them), is NOT plagiarism. Loading up assignments full of quotes and changing a few, if any, words IS plagiarism! (It's what I was told @ uni anyway ). ALL uni's are different though.