How to Get the Grades Without Cheating
As a student at university, you can feel under pressure. Especially when it comes to creating high standard coursework, which often accounts for a high percentage of your degree. Getting good grades can give you the competitive edge when applying for graduate jobs. I studied Law, and I was far from the model student. I would leave my essays to the last minute, something I’m sure loads of students are all too familiar with.
Those Red Bull fuelled all-nighters is something you’ll strangely miss once you leave Uni, but let’s make sure those sessions are as productive as possible: here are HYBR’s fool proof tips on how to get the grades without cheating.
Disclaimer: these are practical steps to help you with your coursework. We would never condone cheating, of course!
Hack 1: Get the most out of your textbooks
Your tutors want you to show an engagement with literature, with academic commentary, reports and reliable websites/news sources.
So, start with your textbook. At the end of each chapter, you will see there should be referenced work. That will save you time during your research and pinpoint you to the right sources to check out – and then those sources should have references. This saves a lot of time during the planning, gathering of the research and finding relevant primary and secondary sources.
Top tip: try not to rely too heavily on referencing textbooks in your essays (especially not the one required as essential reading on your course!), as it shows a lack of research from your part.
Hack 2: Don’t Google it, GoogleScholar it
This is a hack most students don’t know and is a research lifesaver. Instead of Googling your questions and keywords, use Google Scholar.
It is a platform (by Google) and it filters relevant articles, literature and academic commentary according to your research.
Think of it as like a library, and you need a history book so it takes you that department instead of recommending geography and science.
Hack 3: Wikipedia
Hear me out; I don’t mean Wikipedia itself. But it is a good foundation to start your research initially to remind you of the key points. At the bottom of the Wikipedia page, again, there should be a reference section that has cited the article and this could be good pointers for your research.
As Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, it will be your responsibility to double check the source and make sure it’s reliable.
Writing coursework is an inescapable part of university life but when you are doing the work it is worth utilising your time and making it as productive and fruitful as possible. The last thing you’d want is for TurnitIn to accuse you of plagiarism and a lower grade than your full potential. It’s exam season, so make sure to read our previous articles on managing your mental health here.
We’re sure you’ll do brilliantly. Good luck from everyone at HYBR!
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