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Well, have all my friends who are NatSci's been doing it all wrong, then? :rolleyes: :wink:

Anyway, they're only essays in the sense that they are generally extended pieces of writing. However, they differ from, say, a History essay in that they focus on facts, for example, synthesising knowledge about one particular chemical reaction from their text books and lecturer notes. History essays, on teh other hand, are in my opinion far more based upon argument and interpretation- you don't quote facts so much as explain why the facts / events happenned and why your interpretation is the most accurate. Science essays at a more advanced level later in the course may well be more interpretive and argumentative, but at the lower stages at least they're fact based.

I suppose it all depends upon how you interpret an "essay" and what the term covers...
Reply 21
Megsy
You can definitely get 80% on history, it's just very, very rare.


Q.E.D.
FadeToBlackout
Well, have all my friends who are NatSci's been doing it all wrong, then? :rolleyes: :wink:


Anyway, they're only essays in the sense that they are generally extended pieces of writing. However, they differ from, say, a History essay in that they focus on facts, for example, synthesising knowledge about one particular chemical reaction from their text books and lecturer notes. History essays, on teh other hand, are in my opinion far more based upon argument and interpretation- you don't quote facts so much as explain why the facts / events happenned and why your interpretation is the most accurate. Science essays at a more advanced level later in the course may well be more interpretive and argumentative, but at the lower stages at least they're fact based.

I suppose it all depends upon how you interpret an "essay" and what the term covers...
hehe :p:, if you looked closely to what I quoted, it was about A2 essay.
Reply 23
I think it is quite ridiculous that some marks are deemed unattainable no matter what the standard of the essay for no apparant reason. The universities should be made to provide a sample essay that would get 100% in the time available, using the amount of material an undergraduate can be expected to know. Certainly it should be of a standard that almost no-one can achieve it. But, never the less, they should be made to prove that it is theoretically achievable- if only by a world expert on a good day.
darkenergy
hehe :p:, if you looked closely to what I quoted, it was about A2 essay.


It's what I'm like after having spent 8 hours running between Clare and Kings trying to run two gigs at once... :biggrin:
Megsy
You can definitely get 80% on history, it's just very, very rare.


Apparently, the top History first in Oxford last year had an average of 72.4%. Out of 300 people. I've not seen the examiners' report in question (any idea if they're online, anyone?) but it's just amazing.
Reply 26
I think that in practice most firsts are only just over the average though. My boyfriend got a first last year and was 12th out of about 20 or so in his subject, but he was only 1% over the percentage required to get one.
Its basically a con that the teak in Hustle would be proud of... there's nothing, wither, to stop Oxbridge Essays from not bothering to write or send anything, or not care about teh standards of the work- after all, its not as if anyone's likely to complain to their uni or anyone that they were ripped off with a custom essay writing service...

In short, I'm fairly sure that the work they provide isn't of the standard that is advertised...
Reply 28
FadeToBlackout
Its basically a con that the teak in Hustle would be proud of... there's nothing, wither, to stop Oxbridge Essays from not bothering to write or send anything, or not care about teh standards of the work- after all, its not as if anyone's likely to complain to their uni or anyone that they were ripped off with a custom essay writing service...

In short, I'm fairly sure that the work they provide isn't of the standard that is advertised...


I disagree. Some students will be repeat customers.
allymcb2
I think it is quite ridiculous that some marks are deemed unattainable no matter what the standard of the essay for no apparant reason. The universities should be made to provide a sample essay that would get 100% in the time available, using the amount of material an undergraduate can be expected to know. Certainly it should be of a standard that almost no-one can achieve it. But, never the less, they should be made to prove that it is theoretically achievable- if only by a world expert on a good day.


100%, arguably, is revolutionary in advancing the field. Which is pretty hard to just 'come up with'. In the context of say, Economics back in 1900, I could write several 100% essays by cheating and writing breakthrough after breakthrough that was developed in the last 100 or so years.

FtB - mugging the stupid and rich is a profitable business.
Reply 30
That should only be at pHD level, not undergraduate. I would like to get an Oxford don to buy an essay with college money, mark it, and demand a refund VERY PUBLICLY if it wasnt an upper first. They have 'mystery shoppers' in stores why can't it work for this?
Reply 31
allymcb2
That should only be at pHD level, not undergraduate. I would like to get an Oxford don to buy an essay with college money, mark it, and demand a refund VERY PUBLICLY if it wasnt an upper first. They have 'mystery shoppers' in stores why can't it work for this?


Haha good idea! I'm personally quite curious how they can guarantee me an upper first PhD in 1000 words (and only 600 pounds too!)
Reply 32
Especially considering PhDs aren't classified like that...
Reply 33
Sounds pretty average wages, really. I was told on an open day that an UGrad essay takes around 40 hours reading and a day to write. So for a 125 quid (their basic rate for 2500 words) you're getting about £2-3/hour. Obviously, it's possible to do them quicker than that, but say you take half that time, you're only getting what you would working in a shop. When you've got all your own college work to do it doesn't sound like a particularly fun way of making money.
Reply 34
MatthewH
Sounds pretty average wages, really. I was told on an open day that an UGrad essay takes around 40 hours reading and a day to write. So for a 125 quid (their basic rate for 2500 words) you're getting about £2-3/hour. Obviously, it's possible to do them quicker than that, but say you take half that time, you're only getting what you would working in a shop. When you've got all your own college work to do it doesn't sound like a particularly fun way of making money.



40 hours reading and a day to write? Hell no! Not when you have 2-3 essays to write a week. More like 15-20 hours reading and a couple of hours to write it.
Reply 35
Thank god for that! Point still stands though, really.
Reply 36
A piece of A Level Physics coursework written to an upper first PhD level will not raise any suspicions right?
Isaiah Berlin
Apparently, the top History first in Oxford last year had an average of 72.4%. Out of 300 people. I've not seen the examiners' report in question (any idea if they're online, anyone?) but it's just amazing.

I thought we were just talking for essays? The girl who lives above me got an 80 in Collections, and the tutors say she's the best Historian we've had for 10+ years. Disappearing to Princeton next year:rolleyes:
Reply 38
Obviously it'll be different for different unis but my sister (Newcastle) was told at the start of her degree that 80% was basically the maximum mark because if you knew the syllabus inside out and back to front that was the top mark you could get. To get more than 80% you'd have to have covered material not in the course
Megsy
I thought we were just talking for essays? The girl who lives above me got an 80 in Collections, and the tutors say she's the best Historian we've had for 10+ years. Disappearing to Princeton next year:rolleyes:


For individual essays I think it's not that rare to get an 80. Apparently someone at Corpus got an 86 once and he was pretty average. It's a question of marking - the deparment is trying to shift from a 70-73 scale to a 70-100, and during the transition period (probably about a decade...) there'll be essay that some people will award a 73 to that others will award a high 80 for.

An 80 average in a collection is very, very impressive. I think I'd struggle to get an 80 if I wrote the questions in advance of the paper!

As that finals stat showed, going anywhere beyond 70 over an entire degree is hugely difficult. Generally getting a first in history finals is ridiculously more difficult than prelims - average of 68.5 needed instead of 66. Get one poor 2:1 and that's it...

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