assorted umbrellas hanging on ceiling

What can make your essay stand out?

Focus - Second and Final Year undergraduates

Content – We will have a close look at the CAL Assessment descriptors for first class essays, followed by a discussion on how to use your reading to inform your writing practice

Preparation – read through a couple of articles on your reading list and make a note of any points that look useful for you in developing your own writing to a higher standard.

Here is the presentation

KEY POINTS

If you are being awarded marks in the 2:1 class boundary, you are producing excellent work! To move up a gear from a 2:1 to a First, then, it is important to be aware of the marking criteria, and to be able to identify where you are hitting each element of the criteria in your own work.
Pay attention to key words in the marking criteria that can help you to push your work further. In the 'Relevance' criteria, for instance, a student working at a 2:1 level 'displays a secure sense of relevance', while a student working at the level of a First 'focuses consistently and accurately on the task'. Some of these differences may seem subtle but will contribute to making a significant difference to your work.
The way you engage with primary and secondary material in your work is a key area in which you can grasp the opportunity to move up a gear. Pushing your engagement further with effective interpretation and analysis - beyond just listing what secondary critics think, for instance - will demonstrate your ability to think critically and foreground your own critical voice.

Points for reflection

What can you take from this presentation and apply to your own writing practice?
- try to be flexible, and think about the analytical techniques you have been shown, and how to adapt them to your own discipline.
- Do make an appointment with one of the team if you would like some help in doing this - we understand that it is not necessarily obvious!

Further resources

To make an appointment, follow these links to the AWAS Canvas sites.
- Undergraduates: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/40481
- Postgraduates, Taught: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/10506
- Postgraduates, Research: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/3145

For independent study
- AWAS On Air: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/54663
- AWAS Online: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/43683