Undergrad Support group

WYBMADIITY_2

Help please, my brain's fried and just can't get my head around this one! I think it should be fairly straightforward, but can't work out what they're looking for.

Have an assignment for my compulsory IT & Research module on evaluation criteria. Basically given several articles, and a list of evaluation criteria out of which you choose 5 to apply to the article. OK, easy enough.

What's got me stumped is intro....they've asked for 1000 word, approx 200 for intro, and has to explain why you've chosen to apply the criteria you've selected. Surely that's answered in the main body? Get the feeling I'm missing something really obvious here. Has to be in Wed and I'm really panicking now. :eek: More I look at it the less sense it makes!!

Doesn't help I've been thrown in at deep end, am mature student and last thing I did was O levels, so struggling a little lol!! Won't say what course I'm on as may give it away to any lecturers looking in.....

ANY help would be appreciated!

Thanks

Wyb

lisa_75

WYBMADIITY wrote:

Help please, my brain's fried and just can't get my head around this one! I think it should be fairly straightforward, but can't work out what they're looking for.

Have an assignment for my compulsory IT & Research module on evaluation criteria. Basically given several articles, and a list of evaluation criteria out of which you choose 5 to apply to the article. OK, easy enough.

What's got me stumped is intro....they've asked for 1000 word, approx 200 for intro, and has to explain why you've chosen to apply the criteria you've selected. Surely that's answered in the main body? Get the feeling I'm missing something really obvious here. Has to be in Wed and I'm really panicking now. :eek: More I look at it the less sense it makes!!

Doesn't help I've been thrown in at deep end, am mature student and last thing I did was O levels, so struggling a little lol!! Won't say what course I'm on as may give it away to any lecturers looking in.....

ANY help would be appreciated!

Thanks

Wyb

From what you have written I would say that yes, you should briefly say why you have chosen the criteria in the introduction, but go into much more detail in the main body. With an essay in the introduction you should tell them what you are going to say, in the main body you should say it and then in the conclusion tell them what you have said.

studentphil

WYBMADIITY wrote:

Help please, my brain's fried and just can't get my head around this one! I think it should be fairly straightforward, but can't work out what they're looking for.

Have an assignment for my compulsory IT & Research module on evaluation criteria. Basically given several articles, and a list of evaluation criteria out of which you choose 5 to apply to the article. OK, easy enough.

What's got me stumped is intro....they've asked for 1000 word, approx 200 for intro, and has to explain why you've chosen to apply the criteria you've selected. Surely that's answered in the main body? Get the feeling I'm missing something really obvious here. Has to be in Wed and I'm really panicking now. :eek: More I look at it the less sense it makes!!

Doesn't help I've been thrown in at deep end, am mature student and last thing I did was O levels, so struggling a little lol!! Won't say what course I'm on as may give it away to any lecturers looking in.....

ANY help would be appreciated!

Thanks

Wyb

Intros are just for that, to introduce, define the key terms and say where you are going in the rest of the essay. So introducing which ones you are using and very generally and briefly why. Then where you are going in the rest of the piece and what your final judgement will be--- that should be fine.

WYBMADIITY_2

Thanks for that Lisa and Phil, appreciate it. I still can't help feeling I'm just repeating myself in some way tho

Unfotunately tutors haven't been a great deal of help, and don't get any feedback until after my first 7 assignments are in, by which point I could've screwed up big time without even knowing it!

Will see how I get on....large glass of wine seems to be helping at the mo!

Thanks again

Wyb

lisa_75

studentphil wrote:

Intros are just for that, to introduce, define the key terms and say where you are going in the rest of the essay. So introducing which ones you are using and very generally and briefly why. Then where you are going in the rest of the piece and what your final judgement will be--- that should be fine.

I personally would not define key terms in an introduction as the introduction should not contain anything that needs referencing. Defining key terms should be the first thing that is done after the intro.

lisa_75

WYBMADIITY wrote:

Thanks for that Lisa and Phil, appreciate it. I still can't help feeling I'm just repeating myself in some way tho

Unfotunately tutors haven't been a great deal of help, and don't get any feedback until after my first 7 assignments are in, by which point I could've screwed up big time without even knowing it!

Will see how I get on....large glass of wine seems to be helping at the mo!

Thanks again

Wyb

The first year can be very daunting, so don't worry. You only need to pass the first year, grades don't really matter at this stage and the reason in so that you can find your feet and learn how to produce good work.

Learning how to reference is vital to getting good grades too, so make sure you read your guide to referencing that you should have been given by your uni.

The Study Skills Handbook by Stella Cottrell is a really great guide on how to study and write essays. Your uni library may have a copy.

studentphil

WYBMADIITY wrote:

Thanks for that Lisa and Phil, appreciate it. I still can't help feeling I'm just repeating myself in some way tho

Unfotunately tutors haven't been a great deal of help, and don't get any feedback until after my first 7 assignments are in, by which point I could've screwed up big time without even knowing it!

Will see how I get on....large glass of wine seems to be helping at the mo!

Thanks again

Wyb

If you think you are going to repeat yourself, then just stick to stating where you are going in the essay, what your conclusion will be and which one you have picked.

studentphil

lisa_75 wrote:

I personally would not define key terms in an introduction as the introduction should not contain anything that needs referencing. Defining key terms should be the first thing that is done after the intro.

There is debate about essay structure. If the definations are long then maybe in the second paragraph is a good place for them, but if they are short then the intro will be fine.

studentphil

WYBMADIITY wrote:

Thanks for that Lisa and Phil, appreciate it. I still can't help feeling I'm just repeating myself in some way tho

Unfotunately tutors haven't been a great deal of help, and don't get any feedback until after my first 7 assignments are in, by which point I could've screwed up big time without even knowing it!

Will see how I get on....large glass of wine seems to be helping at the mo!

Thanks again

Wyb

It is probably very unlikely you will fail! It is sad that there is no feedback in the first term, but try you best and it will be okay I am sure.

Tallulah22

i would like to say that the book that Lisa_75 has stated is a really good book to help you, i am also a mature student and struggled producing work after a long time out of education and this helped clarify some points as well as help me structure my essays.