How many references do you use?

studentphil

nickyhutch wrote: »

Not lucky, just bright enough to ask for help if I need it. Are all the students on your course struggling to find sources for further reading? \does your uni not have a library - that's the starting point for your further reading, and the reading list for the course.

Yes, but no one says what to do with your extra reading and how to use it for a better mark. In a lot of cases you just do not know what to look for in further reading and what is relevant or not.

nickyhutch

That's what picks sorts out people who get really good marks from those who don't, I imagine.

studentphil

nickyhutch wrote: »

That's what picks sorts out people who get really good marks from those who don't, I imagine.

Research skills matter on a research Masters/PhD but at UG or taught masters then researching is less of a vital skill

Tam_Lin

studentphil wrote: »

You are lucky, we were never told anything on my course. You were just meant to know how to do it on my course or that is it. No lecturer ever says about wider reading, how you are meant to find it or use it or anything,

You don't have the gumption to ask? What do you expect - spoonfeeding? Aren't you supposed to be taking Finals soon? Surely you've sorted it out after, what, 3 years.

studentphil

Tam_Lin wrote: »

You don't have the gumption to ask? What do you expect - spoonfeeding? Aren't you supposed to be taking Finals soon? Surely you've sorted it out after, what, 3 years.

I expect to be taught how to do these things. How you are just meant know when no one teaches you how seems crazy.

Tam_Lin

studentphil wrote: »

I expect to be taught how to do these things. How you are just meant know when no one teaches you how seems crazy.

You expect your tutors and lecturers to be psychic? Why didn't you simply tell them you expected to learn that? When I did my dissertation mumble years ago, I met with my tutor, talked it through, asked a lot of questions and got pointers in the right direction; I didn't expect him to hold my hand through the 'birthing process.' He was a resource for me, not a nanny.

nickyhutch

studentphil wrote: »

Research skills matter on a research Masters/PhD but at UG or taught masters then researching is less of a vital skill

You were talking about further reading and the fact that you didn't know where to go to do it, or look for it, or what to do with what you found. Further reading (or research, as I call it) is necessary whatever level of education you're undertaking. Phil, you can't do a degree and expect to be spoon fed. If you're not up to reading and using that reading, then you're not up to a degree, IMO.

:doh: :wall:

studentphil

Tam_Lin wrote: »

You expect your tutors and lecturers to be psychic? Why didn't you simply tell them you expected to learn that? When I did my dissertation mumble years ago, I met with my tutor, talked it through, asked a lot of questions and got pointers in the right direction; I didn't expect him to hold my hand through the 'birthing process.' He was a resource for me, not a nanny.

Probably through this same psychic way lecturers expect you to come to university as a per formed mini -academic. However, considering my lecturer said to me work through this article (that interests me) and write a rejection of it which is what I have been doing.

Tam_Lin

I couldn't agree more, nicky. Research is vital, otherwise the best you can hope for is to regurgitate warmed-over ideas you've cribbed 1-2-3 from someone else; you need to research, understand, critique and put together a cogent argument at degree level. You need to be able to argue within context, and for that you need a wide reading base.

studentphil

nickyhutch wrote: »

You were talking about further reading and the fact that you didn't know where to go to do it, or look for it, or what to do with what you found. Further reading (or research, as I call it) is necessary whatever level of education you're undertaking. Phil, you can't do a degree and expect to be spoon fed. If you're not up to reading and using that reading, then you're not up to a degree, IMO.

:doh: :wall:

I am on a taught course and teaching is what you should get. That is not spoon feeding that is being taught and that still leaves room for independant thinking.