How to write a first class essay & dissertation WITH EXAMPLES

Summary

The speaker shares a strategy for achieving a first-class degree by focusing on the university's mark scheme. They emphasize the importance of understanding the examiner's expectations and structuring essays to meet those criteria. The key to success is a specific paragraph structure: Point, Evidence, Explain, Critical Analysis, and Link back to the question. The speaker also recommends using academic databases for research, creating an Excel spreadsheet to organize sources, and leveraging the expertise of dissertation supervisors. They highlight the value of studying marked dissertations and academic phrase banks to enhance critical analysis skills.

Takeaways

• 📘 Focus on studying the mark scheme to understand what examiners are looking for in a first-class degree.
• 📝 Always have the mark scheme open while writing your essay to ensure you're hitting all the required points.
• 📊 Use a paragraph structure of Point, Evidence, Explain, Critical Analysis, and Link back to the question for a cohesive and clear essay.
• 🔍 Synthesize multiple academic sources in your evidence to achieve a higher mark, rather than just quoting one or two sources.
• 📚 Utilize academic databases like Mintel and Google Scholar for credible sources, avoiding websites for academic research.
• 📋 Create an Excel spreadsheet to organize academic sources, including author, date, title, arguments, and limitations.
• 🔎 Identify the author's intention and potential biases in pre-read academic articles to address knowledge gaps in your essay.
• 📈 Use academic phrase banks to signal critical analysis in your writing, which is essential for a top mark.
• 👩‍🏫 Take advantage of your dissertation supervisor's expertise to guide you through the process and improve your work.
• 📚 Study previous dissertations with different mark bands to understand the differences and improve your own work.
• 📖 Visit your university library to find resources on writing dissertations and achieving a first-class degree.

Q & A

What is the key strategy the speaker used to achieve a first-class degree?

The key strategy was studying the mark scheme and structuring essays to align with the top band requirements.

How did the speaker manage to balance a social life with academic success?

The speaker focused on working smarter, not harder, by using an efficient essay structure and planning method that saved time for social activities.

What is the recommended paragraph structure for a first-class degree essay?

The recommended structure is Point, Evidence, Explain, Critical Analysis, another Explanation, and then link back to the question.

How did the speaker ensure a high mark in their essays?

By synthesizing sources, collating information from a wide range of academic sources, and including critical analysis in their writing.

What academic databases did the speaker use for research?

The speaker used academic databases like Mintel and Google Scholar to find academic journals for their essays.

What is the importance of understanding the author's intention in academic research?

Understanding the author's intention helps identify biases and limitations in the research, which can be included in the essay to discuss gaps in knowledge.

How did the speaker organize their research for their dissertation?

The speaker used an Excel spreadsheet to organize information from academic sources, noting down the author, date, title, main argument, and limitations.

What role did the dissertation supervisor play in the speaker's success?

The supervisor provided guidance and expertise, helping the speaker stay on track for a first-class mark and offering insights into the mark scheme.

How did the speaker use examiner reports to improve their dissertation?

The speaker studied examiner reports and previous dissertations to understand the differences between various mark bands and incorporated the successful strategies into their own work.

What additional resources did the speaker use to improve their dissertation writing skills?

The speaker used textbooks from the university library on topics like writing a literature review, conducting primary research, and achieving a first-class degree.