How to Get a First: The Essential Guide to Academic Success

Do you have to be a genius to get a first at university? In How to Get a First Thomas Dixon argues that you do not, and sets out to demystify first-class degrees in the arts, humanities and social sciences, clearly articulating the difference between the excellent and the merely competent in undergraduate work. This concise, no-nonsense guidebook will give prospective and current students advice on teaching and learning styles that prevail in university, managing your time and managing your lecturers. In an accessible, and entertaining style, the author looks at subjects such as: making the transition from school to university; developing transferable skills; making use of lectures and seminars; using libraries and the internet; note-taking, essays, seminars and presentations; common mistakes to avoid; writing with clarity and style; revision and examinations. Illustrated with many examples from a range of academic disciplines, How to Get a First is an all-purpose guide to success in academic life.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction  2. Taking Aim: The Task and the Resources  3. Lectures, Classes and Seminars  4. Libraries and Reading Lists  5. Reading and Taking Notes from Books and Articles  6. Using the Internet  7. Planning Essays, Presentations and Dissertations  8. Giving a Presentation  9. Writing Essays and Dissertation I: The Basics  10. Writing Essays and Dissertations II: Arguing with Style  11. Revision and Exams  12. How to Get a First

About the Author :
Thomas Dixon has taught at the Universities of Cambridge and London, and is now a Lecturer in History at Lancaster University.

Review :

'[How to Get a First] is the title of an excellent guide by Thomas Dixon ... it is a compilation of what he wishes he had known before he went to university.' - John Clare, The Daily Telegraph

'Do you want to know how to write an essay, make the most of your lectures, take useful notes, use the library, manage your time?

Indeed, would you like to know "how to get a first"? That is the title of an excellent guide by Thomas Dixon, who has supervised undergraduates at Cambridge and now teaches history at Lancaster. It is a compilation of what he wishes he had known before he went to university.

The point of lectures, he says, is not to give students the answers but to alert them to the important questions. Essays should be well-informed, argumentative, written in plain English and backed up with evidence. Writing a good one, he says, is "the most underrated and underdeveloped, and yet the most important of academic skills.' - John Clare, The Daily Telegraph

'[How to Get a First] is the title of an excellent guide by Thomas Dixon ... it is a compilation of what he wishes he had known before he went to university.' - The Daily Telegraph

'This is not some sort of get rich (top grades) quick scheme but a collection of good advice.' - Physical Sciences Educational Reviews