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Studying at University

Gaining a good degree: Things you need to know...

Gaining a good degree should be hard work.  However, with good time management, effective use of all the resources and support available, alongside peer and family support, it should be an enjoyable and valuable experience.  

Skills and qualities required:

  1. Develop a professional attitude
  2. Prepare for your lectures just as you would for a work meeting
  3. Learn to search for academically acceptable resources (facts not fiction)
  4. Understand how to approach your assignments
  5. Produce professional written work
  6. Develop your IT skills

Factsheet

What is expected at each academic level?

As Academic Librarians and Skills Tutors we are often asked by students to help them prepare for the year ahead. For example, students just finishing their first year (Level 4) will ask what will be required of them at Level 5; same for students preparing to begin Level 6 of their course. 

The tabs on this box cover the steps students need to make to move from one level to another, and provides a range of resources that can be used to help with this.  

In general, students need to be able to show evidence of the following in their academic work: 

Learning: The acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, independent research, experience, or being taught. 

Enquiry: Investigating and seeking information. 

Analysis: Breaking information into its component parts. 

Application: Showing how learning/theory is put into operation or practice. 

Problem solving: Find an answer to; explanation for; or a way of effectively dealing with something. 

Reflection: Serious thought and consideration of an action. Turning an experience into learning. 

These definitions are from the Starting an Assignment guide – open the Terms and Definitions factsheet.  

Some actions will apply to all assignments, some only to specific types of task (e.g. reflection). 

Depending on where you are on your academic journey, there will be different emphasis placed on each of these areas. This guide will help you to work out which you will need to focus on as you progress from level to level. You will be able to work out which skills you will need to maintain while learning new ones as you continue your journey. 

This is a generic guide: some subjects will need each skill to be developed earlier than others. Therefore, read your module handbooks, and each assignment brief, carefully so you know what will be expected of you at each level within your subject area. Listen to what your lecturers are saying during the module launch and in related lectures and tutorials too. 

At Level 3, there is a focus on demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of a subject through description. 

To achieve a good mark, you will be expected to: 

  • Identify issues, processes, and / or concepts related to the topic  

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the issues, concepts and theories related to the topic 

  • Explore uncertainty or limits of the topic 

  • Present a range of academic evidence to support your points  

  • Present a well organised argument 

  • Apply evidence and theory to support your argument 

  • Apply evidence and theory to solve problems 

  • Present data effectively  

This means your work should include: 

  • Description. Provide the facts and information that your reader needs to understand the topic.  

  • Demonstration of understanding. Your reader, who will be marking your work, needs to see evidence that you understand the topic well. Ensure that there is enough detail and information for them to be able to do this.

You should also start to develop:

  • Application. This means that you should apply your knowledge of the subject and related theory to the points you are making. Consider how the information you have provided be used in a real situation within your field of study, and explain this. 

Recommended actions / resources:  

  • Use resources suggested on your module reading list 

  • Read wider by finding more books using key word searches in Library Search. 

At Level 4, there is a focus on demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of a subject through description and application. 

To achieve a good mark, you will be expected to: 

  • Demonstrate good management of own learning, using initiative to develop qualities and skills necessary for study 

  • Demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of the issues, methodologies, concepts and theories related to the topic, and the interrelationships between these 

  • Demonstrate analysis and independent thought 

  • Present well organised arguments, supported well with academic evidence 

  • Apply evidence and theory effectively to solve problems  

  • Present qualitative and quantitative data effectively  

This means your work should include: 

  • Description. Provide the facts and information that your reader needs to understand the topic.  

  • Demonstration of understanding. Your reader, who will be marking your work, needs to see evidence that you understand the topic well. Ensure that there is enough detail and information for them to be able to do this. 

  • Application. This means that you should apply your knowledge of the subject and related theory to the points you are making. Consider how the information you have provided be used in a real situation within your field of study, and explain this. 

You should also start to: 

  • Analyse. This is your opportunity to explain the points you make in more detail. You should explain: why points are important; how something works; explore what impact an intervention would have, for example.  

Recommended actions / resources:  

  • Use resources suggested on your module reading list 

  • Use the PEEL model of paragraph structure: Point, Evidence, Explain, Link. This structure will help to ensure you are doing everything required at Level 4, as well as start to consider analysis (Explain). It will also help you to plan a logical order for the points you make (Link).

At Level 5, there is a focus on demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of a subject through description, application, and analysis. 

To achieve a good mark, you will be expected to: 

  • Demonstrate very good management of own learning, using initiative to develop qualities and skills necessary for study 

  • Demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of the issues, methodologies, concepts and theories related to the topic, and the interrelationships between these 

  • Demonstrate clear awareness of the limits of knowledge 

  • Demonstrate excellent analysis and independent thought 

  • Present well organised arguments, supported well with academic evidence 

  • Apply evidence and theory competently to solve problems  

  • Present qualitative and quantitative data effectively  

This means your work should include description, demonstration and understanding, and application (as for Level 4), plus: 

  • Analysis. This is your opportunity to explain the points you make in more detail. You should explain: why points are important; how something works; explore what impact an intervention would have, for example. These explanations should be backed up with appropriate evidence.

  • Critical points. Demonstrate your critical thinking skills by commenting on the quality of the evidence you use. For example, identify limitations of research; comment on how recently a source was published; compare the methodology of two research papers.  

You should also start to: 

  • Evaluate. Make judgments about the topic and evidence as you write. If you have compared two things, which can be applied to the topic best? Which evidence is best? Which is the best course of action? You will need evidence to support your evaluations. 

  • Synthesise evidence. This is another way to demonstrate critical thinking. Present evidence from a range of sources to support one point. Showing that you didn’t just accept the first thing you read by citing more than one source. Look at Cite Them Right Online (via the RefZone) to find out how you can present multiple citations using the style relevant to your subject.  

Recommended actions / resources:  

At Level 6, there is a focus on demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of a subject through description, application, analysis and evaluation, with strong evidence synthesis. 

To achieve a good mark, you will be expected to: 

  • Demonstrate very good management of own learning, using initiative to develop qualities and skills necessary for study 

  • Demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of the issues, methodologies, concepts and theories related to the topic, and the interrelationships between these 

  • Demonstrate clear awareness of the limits of knowledge 

  • Demonstrate excellent analysis and independent thought 

  • Present well organised arguments, supported well with academic evidence 

  • Apply evidence and theory competently to solve problems  

  • Present qualitative and quantitative data effectively  

This means your work should include description, demonstration and understanding, and application (as for Level 4), analysis and critical points (as for Level 5) plus:  

  • Evaluate. Make judgments about the topic and evidence as you write. If you have compared two things, which can be applied to the topic best? Which evidence is best? Which is the best course of action? You will need evidence to support your evaluations. 

  • Synthesise evidence. This is another way to demonstrate critical thinking. Present evidence from a range of sources to support one point. Showing that you didn’t just accept the first thing you read by citing more than one source. Look at Cite Them Right Online (via the RefZone) to find out how you can present multiple citations using the style relevant to your subject. 

Recommended actions / resources:  

  • Journal Review sheet (available to download from the Literature Review guide). This can help you to identify limitations and recommendations of research, which can inform critical points. 

At Level 7 (Postgraduate taught), there is a focus on demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of a subject through description, application, analysis and evaluation, with strong evidence synthesis. 

To achieve a good mark, you will be expected to: 

  • Demonstrate very good management of own learning, using initiative to develop qualities and skills necessary for study 

  • Demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of the issues, methodologies, concepts and theories related to the topic, and the interrelationships between these 

  • Demonstrate clear awareness of the limits of knowledge 

  • Demonstrate excellent analysis and independent thought 

  • Present well organised arguments, supported well with academic evidence 

  • Apply evidence and theory competently to solve problems  

  • Present qualitative and quantitative data effectively  

This means level 7 work should include: 

  • Description. Provide the facts and information that your reader needs to understand the topic.  

  • Demonstration of understanding. Your reader, who will be marking your work, needs to see evidence that you understand the topic well. Ensure that there is enough detail and information for them to be able to do this. 

  • Application. This means that you should apply your knowledge of the subject and related theory to the points you are making. Consider how the information you have provided be used in a real situation within your field of study, and explain this. 

  • Analysis. This is your opportunity to explain the points you make in more detail. You should explain: why points are important; how something works, explore what impact an intervention would have, for example. 

  • Critical points. Demonstrate your critical thinking skills by commenting on the quality of the evidence you use. For example, identify limitations of research; comment on how recently a source was published; compare the methodology of two research papers.  

  • Evaluation. Make judgments about the topic and evidence as you write. If you have compared two things, which can be applied to the topic best? Which evidence is best? Which is the best course of action? You will need evidence to support your evaluations. 

  • Synthesis of evidence. This is another way to demonstrate critical thinking. Present evidence from a range of sources to support one point. Showing that you didn’t just accept the first thing you read by citing more than one source. 

Recommended actions / resources:  

  • Journal Review sheet (available to download from the Literature Review guide). This can help you to identify limitations and recommendations of research, which can inform critical points. 

Need to know more...

Save The Student (2017) 12 tips on getting a first class degree.  (Accessed: 2 September 2019).

There are lots of books in the library about this subject. Look around shelfmark 378.