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>> No. 5611 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 2:51 am
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Any lads here done a history degree or similar type essay subject?

I am normally quite alright but my dissertation is giving me pains. I've got two weeks left and I'm not sure if it's good or absolute wank. Luckily my grades last year mean I can take a bad grade but obviously with it being so important it could trash my degree classification.

How bad does it have to be to get below a 55?

I know I shouldn't be asking this but my tutor specialises in a completely different area and time period and she couldn't give a fuck. After countless meetings I always left with no practical advice and just a load of floaty 'have you considered A,B and C instead of D,E and G?' and 'I don't know this period so I can't say...'

So yeah, how bad does it have to be to get a 55 or lower?
Expand all images.
>> No. 5612 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 2:58 am
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>>5611
Rushed through.
>> No. 5613 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 11:37 am
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>>5612
Don't really get what you're saying here mate ?
>> No. 5614 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 2:43 pm
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>>5613
Rushed through.
>> No. 5615 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 7:51 pm
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>>5613
You see the feeling you had after reading >>5612? If your essay elicits that feeling in the person marking your essay, you're gonna get below a 55.
>> No. 5616 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 8:09 pm
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Mine was 10,000 words and I left it to the last two weeks, and got a first. Now, reading that you might find me incredibly lazy. I actually started mid-second year and worked all through summer, I just couldn't provide anything but terrible film-reviews that used flowery language. Tutorials were helpful, but didn't fix the problem. The main thing for me was really making sure I grounded my ideas through referencing. I pretty much completely rewrote it in two weeks, and I managed a first by a few marks. Surprising, because I'd felt I was due 40-50. I tend to be a harsh critic to myself.

Do you have access to your criteria? Often we were guided through it (although it can be incredibly vague) it does help somewhat. To get a 40-50, you basically have to follow all the dissertation guidelines and that's it. In the case you haven't, refer to your criteria and dissertation handbook, ask someone you have faith in for feedback. There is some good advice online, but I've lost the links I used to use. I'll have a look and see.

You'll be fine if your dissertation has a clear argument and structure. A large part of it though, is handing it in and having no idea if it's any good or not.
>> No. 5617 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 8:26 pm
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>>5615
Thanks I guess. I've got a lot of knowledge and a lot of extra reading in therew so it's clear I haven't just picked this out of nowhere and started writing, I've talked about all the historiography etc and the person marking it knows I;ve been to see them a few times, just they were unhelpful. But strangely useful, thanks.

>>5616
Thanks a lot lad it is much appreciated. We do have a dissertation handbook but it is one of the vaguest documents I've ever read in my life. I quote:

"A mark in the upper range (57-59) suggests work that is adequately structured. The source or sources chosen will tend to be appropriate. There will be clear evidence of a capacity to utilise the chosen source or sources to address a research question and to elaborate on the research context. There will be argument, but it may not fully cohere. The significance of piecemeal research findings will be clearly appreciated and addressed in the main sections and in the conclusion. References will be cited clearly and presentation will normally be satisfactory. There will be few historical or technical errors."

Adequate structures, sources tend to be appropriate. What does that even mean?

It's got a pretty simple structure but I just have no confidence because everytime I've asked what sort of level this seems like it is at I've been met with a vague response of 'it's not terrible but it needs a lot of work.' What the fuck does that mean?
>> No. 5618 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 8:57 pm
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There's nothing stopping you from consulting other tutors, or even tutors from other universities. Send an email asking if they could spare 15 minutes to talk about your dissertation. Bring some talking material with you to show that you take their time seriously.
>> No. 5619 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 9:18 pm
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>>5618
Thanks for the suggestion. Without giving away enough to identify myself and get myself fucked over for discussing it online, this won't really work.

I'[ve been to other tutors who have informed me they cna't hear or look at any of my work and only my tutor can because it's past a certain date (Apparently this rule is to stop people like me pestering already busy tutors who have their own students), I have my own who I've used up my one small draft with and got once again vague feedback.

It's quite a specific topic so I contacted some other departments across the UK who seem to have a professor or two who writes on it. I got a reply from one saying they passed, and the other said that they'd be happy for me to come in in person and discuss it but they can't really get a flavour of it through email without sending it, which I'm not allowed to do. I'd love to walk in but it's miles away and a 100 quid train ticket for 10 minutes with somebody who may or may not be useful probably isn't going to help.

Honestly, I know it sounds like I'm being an awkward lad but if I hadn't exhausted every possible avenue of support I wouldn't be resigning myself to asking how bad it can be to scrape by. I'm pretty resilient and my posting here only illuminates the desperate predicament I've found myself in.
>> No. 5620 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 9:20 pm
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>>5619
I should add, the picture is probably an accurate reflection of the two phases my face falls into when I'm asked by other students how it's going
>> No. 5621 Anonymous
30th March 2015
Monday 9:50 pm
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>>5619
>I'[ve been to other tutors who have informed me they cna't hear or look at any of my work


You can, however, talk about 'plans' and 'lines of enquiry'. Just condense your dissertation into bullet points and bring that along.
>> No. 6010 Anonymous
30th October 2015
Friday 5:49 pm
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I I'm sure it was burning in the back of a few minds but I just wanted to let you all know it was fine in the end and I took a 65. It's a great sense of relief to look back at how much I was stressing and know I won't have to do that again.

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