DICTAadvice
to the other person by being nice and sugar-coating your fort into the areas which they said require improvement.
opinion. It is often at this stage where essays transform
Secondly, tutors often reveal their preferences durfrom mediocrity into excellence. In fact, I encourage my ing tutorials or seminars. Pay attention to anything your
trusted friends even to tell me what grade they think my tutor says that discloses their preferences. For example,
first draft is. For example, my trusted
in seminars leading up to my constitu“Coursework will
friend once told me that my first draft
tional law summative essay, my tutor
was only a 2.1 essay and that it would
be the most valuable consistently emphasized the impornever break the seventy-two percent
tance of the concept of the ‘test of
opportunity to develop proportionality’. It was obvious my
boundary in its present form, while
pinpointing reasons for their opinion.
your legal skills and tutor wanted to see some discussion
Yes it felt horrible to hear that at first,
area
understanding of the on this emergingway, Iof law in my esbut I decided to accept the critique
say. Put another
would definitelaw.”
constructively. Afterwards, I went
ly lose marks in the eyes of the tutor
back to my draft and improved it acif I failed to offer some analysis on
cording to my friend’s recommendations. In the end, by ‘proportionality’.
God’s grace my essay broke past the seventy-two percent
By paying close attention, you will discover that your
barrier.
tutor has revealed much about how they like essays to be
This process of mutual critique and feedback has done. So give tutors what they want to see and they will
personally been the most valuable aspect of reading Law want to award you a high grade.
at Bristol University. So, find a trusted friend to work
with and I am confident that the quality of your course4. Rest.
work will be far better than anything you could produce
from working alone.
Lastly, get quality sleep and rest your eyes. This is
indispensable. Resting does not mean watching YouTube
3. ‘Bespoke’ Essays.
videos or scrolling through Facebook. You can learn
seminar material when tired, but you certainly cannot
Despite the standardised grading rubric Bristol law think critically if your eyes are tired. For example, on
school provides, every tutor has their own unique prefer- days when I am writing essays, I make sure to get at least
ences and requirements. Therefore, tailor each essay to eight hours of sleep and take a short half hour afternoon
the preferences of the tutor who will be marking it. But nap. Otherwise, my brain is tired and I know from expehow do you discover your tutor’s unique taste?
rience that a fatigued brain cannot produce its best work.
First, make the most of every formative coursework.
Obviously, stepping beyond the seventy-two percent
People often underestimate the importance of formative boundary is much easier said than done, but let’s be clear
coursework because they do not count towards the final - it is possible. For those of us chasing the elusive sevengrade. Don’t make the same mistake: put your full effort ty-two percent, that is all we need to know.
into it. The tutor’s feedback and the mark awarded are
the gold nuggets of formative coursework; they reveal Clement is a first-year MA Law student who took part in this
exactly what your tutor is looking for. Only when you year’s Herbert Smith Freehills mooting He attends the Lawhave done your best will the feedback be of any use. yers Christian Fellowship, and aims to join the bar in Hong
When you write your subsequent summative essay, repeat Kong.
all the aspects your tutor commended, and put extra ef-
DICTA
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