How to improve your grade:
Advice from your TA, Jessie Lamontagne
1) Pick a topic you are actually curious to know more about; curiosity is what drives research.
2) Within the general topic, identify a clear research question.
3) Answer the question: that is your thesis. If the question cannot be answered in one sentence, go back to point 2) and narrow your focus.
4) Your introduction should clearly identify your research question and your thesis. I (the marker) should find these two elements within the first page of your essay.
5) Be more analytical. Economic analysis requires you to identify the economic agents, their incentives and to use some [relevant] basic theory to study the behaviour of the economic agents. Historical analysis requires that you establish a clear timeline, identify the historical events that shape your topic, as well as demonstrate how the different events (in space AND time) are connected.
6) Be coherent. Make sure the analysis and exposition actually supports your topic.
7) Read journal articles, and essays in books, not just monographs (books). A good essay should resemble a journal article or an essay within a book. It should not resemble a book-length monograph (even in condensed form). Such articles and essays focus on one thesis only.
8) If you received a grade below 70% in your first essay, you should ask Professor Munro or myself to review your outline.
9) Do not hand in your first draft. Rewrite it at least once.
10) If possible, have someone (your friend, your mom, a peer tutor at the writing centre) read your essay. If they don’t get your point, you probably did not make it clear enough.
START EARLY!!!