Get A First Class Degree

Students are you in the right field is a post I found on a Canadian site (CareerRamblings.com) with career advice for students.

Although some of the advice is more relevant to Canadian students, a lot of it is generic, with some really useful pointers such as:

• Taking an aptitude / personality test to help you select a career

This is absolutely brilliant advice, many employers will profile you as part of the selection process, applying for jobs to which you have already been matched will not only be an advantage in the selection process, but increase the odds of finding a job you actually enjoy.

Another post worth reading is the Top 10 Resume Blunders as well as a post on what to take on an interview

Not all of the advice given will be appropriate for students to follow, but there are some good easy to follow pointers which are definitely worth bearing in mind.

There are lots of other posts on career advice, finance, and a funny clip of What Not To Do At Interviews!

While writing the post “Do Employers Value Experience or a Degree” I was reminded of a colleague who does not have a degree. He would always argue that he

“Had a degree from the University of Life“

He was of course referring to the fact that whilst he did not have a degree he had a lot of life / work experience, which he believed was worth more.

To a point I have to agree with him, a degree is after all only a bit of paper, it does not ‘prove’ you can do anything useful in the ‘real world’ (I hate that term, just how many worlds are there, besides the real one?).

And he is right in that there is no substitute for hands on experience, and so, a degree from the ‘University of Life’ is certainly of great value (this person was successful, having a good job etc).
What I think this person missed was the fact that it is even better to have both, i.e. a degree and good life/ work experience, and that studying for a degree is, in itself good experience as, in order to do well you need to be self motivated, disciplined etc.

Also there is the question of transferability of work experience. Although the person who made the statement regarding the University of Life was in a good job, his skills were not transferable outside the organisation he was working in. I think that in spite of his strong experience he would find it difficult to find a similar role elsewhere without the paperwork (a 2:1 or 1s class degree) employers (often wrongly in my opinion) insist upon.

I recently read an article “Experience, Not Degree Comes First for Employers” on the Guardian Website.

“The study of 500 employers found that, when hiring graduates, almost half were looking for relevant work experience, a good work ethic and a degree subject relevant to the job…

However, only one in four employers was interested in the class of degree, while even fewer were worried about a university’s reputation…

Anusha Everson, director for graduate employment at Hertfordshire, said: “It’s clear that gaining real-life work experience as part of your course, or on your own initiative, is an absolutely key requirement for students getting ready to go to university this September…

Those students yet to decide which university to go to, or who find themselves in clearing, would be well advised to look for courses which combine relevant subjects with opportunity to gain first-hand, practical experience.”

This is good advice, employers do look for experience. Many students find themselves in the catch 22 of needing experience to get a job, but without getting a job they are unable to get experience. To a point this can be overcome by taking courses which combine work experience, however, much of the work given to students on work placements are small menial projects, not necessarily the high value experience they really need. That said, any work experience is better than none.

The issue I have with this article is the statement that:

“only one in four employers is interested in the class of the degree”

Go and read some job advertisements (monster jobs is a good UK site) and you will see that a high proportion of employers stipulate a 2:1 or a 1st class degree as a minimum requirement, and I am sure almost all would consider degree results when choosing between closely matched candidates.

If you read the article in full, there is a list of things employers look for, however many of the items on the list would probably not be apparent on a students application form, for example ” Easygoing, cheerful attitude” or “Natural Leadership”. This implies these are interview / assessment criteria. I would argue that without a good degree you are far less likely to even get an interview. Students with a 2:2 or a third class degree will find it far harder to pass the paper sift. Again, this is why so many employers stipulate a 2:1 or a first class degree as minimum requirements, many do not even bother to interviewing students with poor results.

The bottom line is that most employers select candidates on a points based system. A certain number of points will be awarded for each attribute they are looking for. If a 2:1 or a first class degree is on their list then you will get points for it, but those points alone will not get you the job.
Another important point to remember is that in the process of getting a first class degree you are likely to learn more than a student who only achieves a 2:2. This additional knowledge and experience, gained on your degree course will (if your degree is relevant to the post you are applying for) allow you to talk authoritatively during job interviews, raise your confidence, and ultimately lead to better (interview) performance.

Conversely, if you go into a job interview with a poor degree it is likely you will be in possession of less knowledge, and feeling less confident (knowing you are already at a disadvantage).

My advice, don’t be fooled by such articles into thinking it does not matter what grade you achieve at University, it matters greatly, and will remain on your C.V. for the rest of your career!

I recently read The Insiders Guide to Getting a First (or avoiding a third) so thought I would review it.

I was interested to read Getting a First, as, like this site it was written by a student, whereas most books on this subject seem to be written lecturers. The author of Getting a First was an MBA student who achieved a distinction (equivalent of a first class on an MBA) by applying a ’strategy’ to his degree.

Much of the advice found in this book is similar to that offered on this site. Both myself and the author of Getting a First:

• Treated our degree like a job
• Got the right equipment (PCs and broadband / cable Internet access)
• Established good relationships with lecturers and students
• Time managed effectively
• Prioritised work effectively
• Favoured ‘loose planning’ of degree work
• Worked smarter not harder (this may sound corny, but it works!)

Where the author of Getting a First differed in his approach was that he placed more importance on networking. He gave all his work away, distributing CD Rom’s of all his work to other students, in the hope of getting support from them in return.

I do not like this approach, for one it is a high risk strategy (acknowledged by the author of Getting a First) as you risk being penalised for plagiarism. Also, not everyone on any given course will get a first class degree, so to network with getting a first in mind, you inevitably have to ensure you benefit more from a relationship than other students you are working with. I have written a post on this issue: Avoiding CheaploadersCheaploaders on your Degree Course (an extension of my post on Avoiding Freeloaders On a Degree Course).

I have read a review of Getting a first on Amazon where a student complains of giving all his work away, without receiving anything of value in return. People who ’share’ work in this way are playing a game, not everyone will emerge from this game a winner!

Furthermore, in order to win prizes at University, which really set you apart when applying for jobs, you need to stand out from other students, this is made more difficult if you give away all your best ideas.

The author of Getting a First also viewed relationships with lecturers differently, to the extent that he used his relationship with a particular lecturer as one of the key criteria when choosing modules. Although I agree that establishing good relationships with lecturers is vital, I would not be put off taking a module because I did not get on with the lecturer. Even if you don’t like a lecturer on a personal level, in my experience, it is still possible to establish a professional working relationship with them.

Another massive advantage the author of Getting a First had over most other students was the fact that his twin brother was on the same course, allowing them to split work between them. Everything the author says about splitting work to increase efficiency is valid, but will not work unless there is someone you can really trust and rely on taking your course.

Something the author of Getting a First did which I never thought to do was attending seminars outside University, I thought this was a brilliant idea, both in terms of providing ideas for assignments, but also to widen your general level of knowledge, which can only ever be a good thing.

There are a few other nice tips in this book which I cannot believe I didn’t figure out for myself, but you’ll have to but the book if you want to know what they are

If I were to sum up this book in one word, that word would be BARGAIN! Getting a First or Avoiding a Third is a cheap book. It is small, maybe an hour’s read. For that small investment of time and money you can really start getting into the kind of mindset that will yield results on a degree course.

I would say it took me a good six months to figure out my own ’strategy’ or ‘approach’ as I prefer to call it. If you read this book before you start University, you will save a lot of time on trying to figure out all this stuff for yourself, and take advantage from all these tips and tricks from day 1.

In summary, I did not like or agree with a lot of the things written in Getting a First (or avoiding a third), but the majority of advice given is unquestionably correct and useful, just make your own mind up as to what you should implement or discard!

1. You’re not alone.
Every student can improve whatever his or her current academic performance. Visit the Study Skills Center at your university and ask what services they offer. Use the resources that are available to you.

2. A place to think.
Success at uniersity requires work. The right environment for study is important. You can study in a library, in specific study rooms or in an empty seminar/class room.

3. Break the task down into manageable chunks.
Attempting to remember large amounts of knowledge in one night is an ineffective method of achieving your full potential at university. Time spent studying each day is by far the most effective method. This enables your mind to fully absorb the knowledge you need to do your best.

4. Organize for success.
When we study at university we need to be able to fit pieces of information together to form an overall “bigger picture”. Organize your notes with headings and categories. Look for patterns and see where different concepts link together.

5. Plan ahead and write it down.
Be sure to have a planner or diary so you can plan time for reading, writing essays and revision.

6. Work, rest and play.
Being tired and stressed will impact on your academic performance. Eat properly, do exercise that you enjoy and get enough sleep.

7. Be present!
It may seem obvious but make sure you attend your classes. Taking your own lecture notes is infinitely more effective than reading the work of another student.

8. Lock key information in your mind.
It’s much easier to store and retrieve crucial knowledge by actively using creative and interesting learning strategies. Pinpoint keywords, describe specific examples, construct mnemonics, write brief and succinct notes, use a highlighter in your textbooks (not in library books though)! Make your learning an interesting and creative experience.

9. Practice makes perfect.
If you don’t practice recalling relevant knowledge it’s easy to simply forget what you’ve learnt. Practice retrieving information from your memory, without referring to texts or your notes. Practice doing this with mock exam questions.

10. Technique.
Exam technique can sometimes mean the difference between a pass and fail. Find out how the different elements that make up your course will be assessed well in advance. Will there be essay-based exams or multiple choice? When you are in the exam room read the instructions carefully, divide your time according to the weight each of your answers contributes to the overall exam mark. Answer the questions you find easiest first.

As you can see using the simple strategies above can make your time at university not only more successful but also less stressful.

Click for help and expert advice on achieving your full potential at university.

Finally, good luck and have fun!

I was beginning to lose interest in this site “How To Get A First” but have been really encouraged by a couple of mails I’ve received and some comments added to the site, like this from Suat:

“This site is awesome. I graduated in July 2006 with a first and its very interesting comparing your methodology in getting a first to mine. I would like to report that everything you suggest is similar to what I excercised so I can certainly verify your suggestions.”

(Suat left his comment here)

What interests me about Suat’s comment, and the book I reviewed Getting a First (Insiders Guide) is how the three of us independently came up with similar techniques, through which we all achieved first class degree’s.

I feel a lot happier with the advice I am offering on this site knowing that at least two other people have achieved first class degrees by applying the same principles.

If anyone else has any suggestions or comments to add I’d be really interested to hear from you!

Why do students want to study in the UK?

The UK has a long history of welcoming international students to study in its universities and colleges. In the UK there are 1.8 million full-time and part-time students in higher education, which include over 300,000 international students from 180 different countries.

There are people at each university and college who are ready to answer your questions, help you through the application process and support you while you are in the UK. Many universities and colleges organise a programme of events before you start your course to welcome you and to help you make new friends and get used to your new surroundings. Social and cultural activities are often run for international students throughout the year. Universities and colleges also provide a variety of clubs and societies.

There are higher education colleges and universities throughout the UK, ranging from large universities with 30,000 or more students, to small colleges of higher education with fewer than 1,000 students.

over 50,000 different programmes of study at 325 member institutions; these institutions include in excess of 170 Further Education Colleges who provide higher education study opportunities at Higher National Diploma/Certificate (HND/C) or first degree level alongside a wide range of other provision, either academic or vocational in nature, below this level of award.

This information was summarised from UCAS, which provides a lot more information on studying in the UK.

Further to my post on Study in the UK, here are some more links to help overseas students considering studying in the UK.

Students living outside the EU (European Union) will probably need a visa in order to study in the UK.

Information on UK visas can be found on this government website:

Information for students wanting to study in the UK

More detailed information on studying in the UK, and working while studying in the UK can be found on the same site, here:

Information for students wanting to study work in the UK

Can I work and study in the UK?

You can take part-time or holiday work, but you must not:

• Work for more than 20 hours a week during term time unless your placement is part of your studies, has been agreed with your educational institution and leads to a degree or qualification awarded by a nationally recognised examining body
• Do business, be self-employed or provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or
• Work full-time in a permanent job.

If you are coming to the UK as a student for six months or less, you must ask the Entry Clearance Officer (or the Immigration Officer if you do not need an entry clearance) for permission to work.

I get a lot of international visitors to this site looking for information on Studying in the UK.

Fortunately (for international students) the Internet makes life a lot easier when it comes to choosing a UK University, a UK Degree Course, or choosing somewhere to live in the UK.

Firstly you must find a suitable University in the UK, to assist with this I suggest you visit the Times Online Good University Guide. This will help you determine which UK University is the best to study at, in terms of student satisfaction, results, future prospects, University Spending etc.

Before reading the Top UK Universities League Table you should read the information on what the statistics for UK Universities mean.

You will find that every UK University has a website so information should be easy to find. Also, UK Universities earn more money from foreign students than they do from UK Students, so they should be pleased to hear from you! I don’t know why they earn more from foreign students studying in the UK, but it is widely reported to be true.

Once you have a shortlist of UK Universities you are interested in you should consider the following:

• Study in the UK is expensive (in terms of course fees)
• Studying in the UK is expensive as Sterling is a strong currency, depending what country you are from you will probably find accommodation, food, clothes expensive
• Crime (street crime in particular) is a problem in many UK cities

To help choose a UK Degree Course you may find www.upmystreet.com very useful. This website allows you to check an area and find out information on crime, house prices (which will affect rental prices for students in the UK), how good transport links are, the age of the population and a lot more. This is a good site, used by many people in the UK who are about to move to a new area.

The UCAS site also has information on all UK Universities, you can easily use this guide of UK Universities in conjunction with information from upmystreet.com.

As I mentioned, study in the UK is expensive, however, it is possible for international students studying in the UK to work (depending on their age). Information on immigration, visas and students wishing to work in the UK can be found on the government website:

Visas required to study and work in the UK

I would strongly advice people wanting to study in the UK to use only this site regarding immigration, work permits and visas as this is the official government site. There are other unofficial sites that may give false information in order to try and take your money off you!!

I have now added another post including information on studying and working in the UK, this post has better links and some general information on study and work in the UK / UK Visas.

Study and work in the UK

Taking good notes for your degree is essential if you are to get the best possible marks on your degree helping you:

• Listen properly to what is being said
• Help remember what has been taught (writing notes in itself helps you remember, even if you don’t read them later on!)
• Provide a quick reference to a topic
• Identify key points within a topic

When taking notes you need to try and:

• Avoid Duplication in note taking
• Capture all crucial points in your notes
• Keep notes brief
• Try and come away with notes that provide a good overview of the topic, i.e. how things fit together, as opposed to concentrating on a collection of individual facts

There is a recognised technique for note taking, the Cornell Note Taking System. The Cornell Note Taking System usually involves dividing up your page with a footer at the bottom, into which you put a summary / overview of what has been learned. Above this the rest of the page is divided into two columns, the smaller left hand column is used to write brief summaries, keywords, memory joggers / cues. The larger right hand column is used to add more detail. Thus, you have notes that are easy to scan (the left column), contain more detail / cross references etc (in the right column) and an overview / summary (in the footer section).

The Cornell Note Taking System relies on five principles:

• Record (detail in the right column)
• Reduce (Summarised from the detail recorded and put in the left column)
• Recite (use cue’s in the left column to recall / revise key points. Do this shortly after the lecture, it will help you remember the lecture)
• Reflect (Try to understand what the lecture and your notes mean, try and put information in context, you can add this information in the summary at the bottom of the page)
• Review (Quickly review your notes every week so that topics stay fresh in your mind)

More information and templates for the Cornell Note Taking System can easily be found on Google:
Avoiding duplication in your degree notes is very important, as duplicated notes will slow you down when you come to use them.

Remember when you are taking notes for a degree course that they are a resource to be used over and over again. When taking notes keep future usefulness in mind.

To this end, do not duplicate notes you have already taken, or information from texts – handouts. Instead cross reference your degree notes with these sources.

Before you can take effective notes that capture all key points, you must be able to identify what the key points are:

• Listen carefully to what is being said (sitting at the front of lectures helps)
• Think about what is being said and try to understand why that may be important in different contexts
• Listen for emphasis being placed on certain words / phrases
• Look for repetition of certain words / phrases
• Look out for the rewording and repetition of the same theme

When taking notes in lectures try to avoid:

• Jumping to conclusions, which may lead you to miss key information
• Treating lectures like a chore, instead treat them as an opportunity, go into them with the clear objective of gaining knowledge and quality notes. Developing this mindset helps cope with lectures that you may find less interesting.