Mark McArdle, first-class degree holder from the University of Lancaster, tells how he did it

Read the article by the student who graduated from university with a first-class degree. Do the assignments that follow.

HOW I GOT MY FIRST-CLASS DEGREE

What does it take to graduate from university with a First?

University degree classifications in the UK

First class

Upper second (2:1)

Lower second (2:2)

Third class (3)

“Don’t spend too much time at the student lounge, do turn up for most lectures and tutorials and do submit all coursework - eventually.” That, I was told by a PhD student during freshers’ week, was all I needed to do to get a 2:2. For a 2:1, I’d require a better attendance record and have to work harder, but not at the expense of being cut off from civilisation. And for a First I would have to become some sort of social outcast, go to every lecture and tutorial (scribbling notes madly), spend every waking moment immersed in academic books, and be among the last to be thrown out of the university library at 10pm closing time.

Well, I did not give up my life for study. I didn’t attend every lecture and tutorial. I didn’t write down every word spoken in lectures. I didn’t get 80% or more in every essay, project, test or exam. I was usually behind with my reading and occasionally mystified by the syllabus. Sometimes I couldn’t be bothered to go to university and stayed at home instead. But I always knew where I was, what I had to do, and what not to bother with. And I always worked hard on the things that counted: assignments and exams.

Getting a degree is about learning, but it isn’t just about learning biology, history, English or whatever. It’s about understanding what you need to succeed - what, in fact, the university wants from you and what you will get in return. You have to have a feel for the education market and really sell your inspirations. What does the lecturer want? What is the essay marker searching for? Some students try to offer something not wanted. Others want to give very little - they steal the thoughts of others and submit them as their own. But they all want to be rewarded. Exchange, but don’t steal, and you’ll get a degree.

I saw lecturers as customers who fell into two broad categories. There were those for whom lecturing was an unwelcome interruption to their research work. After all, we were students and what did we know? I would deliberately pitch my essays to this kind of academic so that my opinions appeared more as evidence that I had read and understood the key contributions to the debate, rather than as an attempt to pull down monuments. The other type of academic were those who enjoyed teaching and discussing new ideas. They wanted more. They wanted something different, inspirational, iconoclastic. I would present my arguments to show that I had done my reading and understood the key concepts, but 1 would also try to add something more to the issue rather than rake over familiar ground. Essentially, it was a case of working out what was wanted and then delivering it. I can’t state exactly how successful this tactic was, except to say that I sold more essays than I had returned as faulty.

I could guarantee every book on my reading list was out on long loan from the university library within five seconds of the list being issued. This was worrying at first, but I quickly learned that it was impossible to read all of the books on an average reading list anyway. I sought shortcuts. Collections of selected readings or journal articles were excellent sources that often saved me the bother of reading the original texts. References in books dragged me all over the place but, with all the courses I had to do, there wasn’t enough time to be dragged too far. I would flick through the book, read the introduction, note any summaries, look at diagrams, skim the index, and read any conclusions. I plucked out what was needed and made my escape.

I revised by discarding subject areas 1 could not face revising; reading: compiling notes: and then condensing them onto one or two sheets of A4 for each subject area. Leading up to the exam, I would concentrate on just the condensed notes and rely on my memory to drag out the detail behind them when the time came. I didn’t practise writing exam questions, although it was recommended. I prefer to be spontaneous and open-minded. I don’t want pre-formed conclusions filling my mind.

And nor should you; there is no secret to getting a First - this is just an account of how I got my First. Be a happy student by striking the right balance between working and enjoying yourself. Take what you do seriously and do your best. And, no matter what you do, don’t forget to appreciate every day of your university studies: it is one of the greatest periods of your life.

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