Getting feedback on an assessment is an important part of the learning experience at university, but sometimes it can be hard to know how to interpret it. Feedback isn’t personal criticism – it’s an opportunity for you to improve your writing and get the best marks you can.
In fact, feedback is the ticket to academic success. Here are four ways to constructively take on feedback.
- Interpret the feedback. Try to determine exactly what the marker is commenting on. If you’re unsure, contact your unit chair, lecturer or tutor via email or on your unit site discussion board.
- Analyse and apply what you’ve learnt. Identify the specific areas you need to address for your next assessment – it may be grammatical, you might need to add more evidence, or work on your structure – and determine how to improve your skills.
- Talk it out. It might help to discuss your work with a friend, a classmate or someone from the Study Support team, like a Writing Mentor or a Language and Learning Adviser.
- Utilise our resources. Better planning for your next assessment will help provide a better result. There’s an Academic Skills guide for almost every aspect of your university assessments , from integrating sources to proofreading to note taking.
We also have a responding to feedback webpage that has more information, including further advice from lecturers and students.