For years, I have coached many different levels of professionals, from new college graduates to experienced executives, and I continue to observe a trend among the best. High achievement is not solely defined by working longer hours; rather, it is often defined by working smarter and having a strategy in place to help achieve mastery in whatever is being studied, whether that be a course module or a professional certification. In this guide, I will explain my simple strategies on how to get distinctions for academic success.
I have discovered the underlying characteristics of the top performers that clearly separate those who do well from those who are exceptional. While much of the focus is on studying until late at night and then taking a final exam, this model is focused on a systematic and repeatable method to achieve a deep understanding of a subject area and flawless implementation.
Below is how top performers successfully achieve their desired level of academic achievement (a distinction).
Phase 1: Strategic Deconstruction (Pre-Study)
Many students study an assignment and begin writing immediately without any consideration of the assignment’s requirements or limitations. Top performers first break down the assignment to understand the specific requirements of the assignment before proceeding with the reading and writing process.
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Identify the Command Verbs:
Your assignment is written in terms of a series of commands. These commands are not interchangeable. Failure to recognize the correct verb may result in a significant loss of marks.
To “critically analyze” is not merely to describe something. It involves breaking down, evaluating the merits and demerits of, and engaging in a discussion regarding opposing views.
When an assignment instructs you to “Discuss,” you must consider an issue from multiple perspectives, not simply provide a singular viewpoint.
When asked to “evaluate,” you are expected to make a logical judgment regarding a particular subject matter based upon the specified evaluation criteria.
Therefore, your first task is to determine that you are addressing the correct problem.
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Reverse-Engineer the Marking Rubric:
If a marking rubric is included in the assignment guidelines, do not treat it as optional. Treat it as your grading rubric. Print out the rubric and utilize it as a checklist for yourself during the duration of your project. Prior to submission, review your final product against the rubric and give yourself a final mark.
Be honest with yourself. Did you meet all of the “Excellent” or “Distinction” criteria identified in the rubric?
Phase 2: The Research Advantage (Quality Over Quantity)
High-quality academic assignments are supported by high-quality research.
The 80/20 Research Rule:
Initial Research:
Begin your research with scholarly review articles. These review articles provide a synthesis of the current body of knowledge related to your topic and save you a great deal of time while also helping you identify the most important and seminal references.
Citation Chain:
Once you have located a suitable source, examine the reference list (i.e., backward search) to locate the foundational literature referenced in that article. Next, conduct a forward search via Google Scholar to discover which researchers have referenced your selected source since it was published.
This methodology enables you to develop a large and efficient database of relevant, high-quality references for your assignment.
Curate Rather Than Collect:
Ten well-chosen, impactful sources are significantly more beneficial than fifty subpar ones. Your marker will assess both your ability to identify high-quality and relevant resources and your ability to differentiate between the two.
Phase 3: Coming Up With Your Argument (The Power of Organization)
An argument that is excellent but poorly organized is no better than an argument that is poor but organized. Therefore, organization is the key to making your arguments clear and convincing.
The Non-Negotiable Detailed Outline:
- Do not begin writing the introduction of your assignment before you have created a detailed outline.
Create a Core Thesis Statement:
- The core of your assignment is your thesis statement, a single sentence that summarizes your entire argument. Each section of your assignment must contribute to supporting your thesis.
Develop Each Paragraph:
For each major point in your argument, create a plan for the following elements:
The Topic Sentence:
- What is going to be the purpose of this paragraph? What proof will you provide to demonstrate this point?
Key Evidence:
- You can use a quote, statistic, or theoretical concept, which you will use to prove your point.
Analysis:
- Why does this evidence matter? In what ways does this evidence relate to your thesis? Critical thinking occurs here.
Transition:
- How will this paragraph relate to the next paragraph?
This outline is your road map to keep you from rambling and to ensure that your assignment flows logically and persuasively.
Phase 4: Writing That Impresses (The Distinction Difference)
The Introduction: The Strategic Opening
Your opening paragraph must accomplish three objectives:
Hook:
- Open your assignment with a compelling fact, question, or problem that establishes the significance of your assignment.
Context:
- Provide a very brief overview of the history surrounding your assignment to establish the context for your argument.
Thesis:
- Clearly articulate your central argument and provide a very brief overview of the journey your assignment will follow.
The Body Paragraphs:
- Where You Earn the Grades
- Do not simply describe a point and provide some evidence. The distinction in your assignment will come from your analysis.
PECAL Method (A Better Model):
Point:
- Your topic sentence.
- Give the Evidence:
- Where will you access your data or source materials?
Provide the Context:
- Brainstorm and then use your own words to describe what the evidence means.
Analysis:
- This is the critical element. So what? What are the implications? How does this contradict or support other theories? This indicates higher-level thinking.
Link:
- Connect this back to your thesis and transition to your next point.
Your Conclusion:
- Synthesize, Do Not Simply Summarize
- A weak conclusion restates what was previously stated. A solid and effective conclusion gives an answer to the “So what?” question.
- Rephrase your thesis in a new manner, incorporating how you have demonstrated your argument.
- Combine the key points of your assignment to illustrate how these points work together to provide a unified argument.
- Illustrate the broader impact of your findings. Why should anyone care? What are the real-world implications of your findings or upcoming research questions generated by your findings?
Phase 5: The Polish (Good to Excellent)
The initial draft is to capture your ideas. The final draft is to produce a piece of excellence.
Reverse Outline Edit:
- Once you have completed your draft, perform a reverse outline edit. Page through your written assignment and draft the main idea/heading of each paragraph in the margin. Now, read only those ideas.
- Does your argument flow logically and persuasively? This identifies structural issues that cannot be detected while reading the entire document.
Ensure Clarity Edit:
- Academic writing is not about using complicated language; it is about using clear and concise language. Academic writing is about precision and clarity.
- Read your work aloud. Your ear will detect awkward wording and/or run-on sentences that your eye will overlook.
- Remove unnecessary verbiage. Replace “due to the fact that” with “because.” Remove every word that does not add value to your writing.
- Nominalizations are “dead” nouns (e.g., “the undertaking of an investigation was carried out”). Nominalizations are replaced by the active voice (e.g., “we investigated”).
Final Technical Editing:
- Technical editing errors, such as sloppy formatting and misspellings, indicate a lack of attention to detail and professionalism.
- Utilize a citation manager (e.g., Zotero or Mendeley) to automate the citation and bibliography process for your assignment. This will assist in maintaining accuracy and saving you hours.
- Review your assignment for one type of error at a time. Review for spelling errors, then grammar errors, then formatting consistency errors.
- Obtain a secondary review. Obtain another person to review your assignment. Another person will identify errors that you have become oblivious to.
Acing a distinction is not a secret. It is the result of a systematic process that focuses on deep comprehension of a subject area and thorough execution, as opposed to superficial content coverage and hasty completion.
This is a competency that can apply to a variety of disciplines and forms the basis of strategic thought and excellence in any profession.
By implementing this framework, you are not simply learning how to obtain a passing grade; you are learning how to master difficult challenges.
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