Writing first class essays Producing first class work isn't easy. Even if you scored highly in college, bear in mind that anything that scores over 70% at undergraduate level is considered first class work -- wherever possible, aim for this. Follow these five tips to achieve the top grade. Understand What's Required All first class work features the following: special signs of excellence such as unusual clarity, excellence of presentation, originality of argument comprehensive knowledge of the subject excellent understanding of issues and debates confidence in the selection and interpretation of materials/authority logical and convincing development of an argument written style appropriate to the level of the work fluent and articulate expression correct use of academic referencing evidence of independent thought and judgment in answering the question Plan Ahead Advice which continues to pop up throughout this series, planning ahead is a large part of your academic career and an essential part of producing first class work. If, for example, you want to demonstrate an excellent understanding of the issues and debates, this requires extensive research and, in short, lots of time. Similarly, constructing a logical and well developed argument relies on drawing ideas from several sources, including journal articles, which are frequently overlooked. Write Your Own Question Many students don't realise that their lecturers are happy for them to decide on what they want to write about. The key to this is leaving enough time and approaching your lecturer with your request -- ideally in person during their office