Improving Your Coursework

Here's some tips for improving your coursework.

Firstly, check what it is you are being marked on (see below) are you covering the points you should be. If you've followed the essay plans given to your teacher then you should.

If the task is an analysis one, check that you are explaining and not just describing. The easy way to check this is to make sure you are using 'because'. To get the top grades you have to explain.

For production tasks get someone at home, who might not know what the task was, to look at what you've done. If your project makes sense to this audience then you must be doing something right.

Check your friends' work and get them to check yours. This is a good way of spotting if something is missing, and also a way of getting new ideas!

Ask your teacher. Get verbal feedback from them if there is something you don't understand.

Re-draft it. Don't be satisfied with the grade you got first time, re-work your essay until you are happy.

Use technical vocabulary. You have to show that you are comfortable using technical words (think camera angles and other key terms). It is not enough just to use them, you have to show that you know what they mean.

Hope this helps. Remember it is easy to get bogged down with coursework. It is VERY important but only worth half of your GCSE. To make sure you can concentrate fully on the exam work ahead, get the coursework done and dusted as soon as you can.