How to write a first class essay (history/politics)

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Original post by screenager2004

Hey I'm at Warwick too :biggrin:

I got 81% in both my essays this term, my secret is to disagree entirely with the question set (and then back it up obviously).
Question: “Does Durkheim succeed in avoiding human subjectivity altogether in his work?”'
My Answer: WTF?! He never sought to avoid it in the first place! It's an intrinsic part of his theory!
Question: "Examine the relationship between gender equality and pre-industrial domestic production"
My Answer: "There was none, feminist methodologies are stupid, looking at history though a gendered perspective is ridiculous, all these authors in the set reading are idiots who just contradict themselves with baseless speculation"
They don't want you to prove you understand it. Its a given that you'd understand the material, they want more than that. Just repeating what they've taught you like a drone isn't the point. They don't want to hear their own opinions barked back at them, You have to put your own spin on things, make your own argument. Don't just regurgitate facts and theories.
also:
Read outside the reading lists.
Visit your Personal Tutor
Make use of 2nd/3rd year students
Ask to have a meeting with your seminar tutor and discuss your feedback.
Download the mark schemes from the websites

hey this is old. but one of my questions is how useful are these features in cutting down emissions? I want to completely disagree but I'm afraid I miss the point of the question