A high 2.1 good for second year?

Hi,

I got a mid 2.1 in my second year.

I really wanted a first but missed out... any advice for the final year?

Thanks

Reply 1

SlowlorisIncognito

Tbh, this is a really vague and open question, and there's a limit to the advice we can give you without even knowing your subject/subject area. It might be better to discuss individual pieces of work with teaching staff, or perhaps everything with your academic tutor.

In third year, on my degree (which came within the broad area of biological sciences), I found getting a first for a piece of coursework was helped by doing my own analysis e.g. of the studies I was citing, or bringing lots of studies together to make a new point. I also needed to be tightly focused on the question/instructions, and not waste space/words. I also felt a good intro and conclusion were key. Also, make sure your written English is up to scratch, and use subject specific vocabulary correctly. IME this gives a more polished feel to your work and makes you more likely to get a first.

Do lots of reading around the subject, and bring this into exam answers.

Also, for your dissertation, make your supervisor aware you are aiming for a first, and check your work is up to scratch.

Getting a first in third year that's high enough to change your degree classification is going to take a lot of sustained effort- you'll need to spend longer on each piece of coursework, no handing it in because it's "good enough" and lots of revision and reading around for exams. A 2.1 is still a good classification. While aiming high is good, it might be better to go for more of a "work/life balance" and accept you may only get a 2.1.