Student Award 2006: How does your experience of your course compare with any expectations you may have had?

Are you a student studying for a degree in Languages, Linguistics or Area Studies?

Would you like
to win £250 for
a 1,000-word essay?

Well now's
your chance!

Would you like the opportunity to express your views on How does your experience of your course compare with any expectations you may have had?

The Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies is giving you the chance to offer your opinions and experiences in a 1000-word essay. This opportunity is open to anyone studying Languages, Linguistics or Area Studies as part of their HE course.

Although we welcome a well-written account, don't be put off if you feel your English writing skills are not perfect. We are more interested in your ability to capture and express your views and relate them to your current course and student expectations.

The winning essay will be put on the Subject Centre website, will be featured in our newsletter and will give you the opportunity of going to the HE Academy Conference, all expenses paid. There, you have a chance to become the overall winner attracting a top prize of a Toshiba laptop.

So, get writing - and share your thoughts in the field of Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies!

NB: We reserve editorial rights for any essays we choose to publish.

Extended deadline for submission: 14th March 2006.

Submit your essay

Please email your essay to Paula Davis (pd2@soton.ac.uk). Please ensure you include your:

• Name
• University
• Department
• Course title
• Year of Study
• Term address/ Home address (please state which one you use as main)
• Contact telephone number
• Contact email address

Click here to download a cover sheet to submit with your essay.

For examples of what makes an award-winning essay, read last year's winning essay; it may help you get started. Good luck!

Further details

Criteria

Submitted essays will be assessed against the following criteria and should:

• Answer the question by describing any expectations and what the course is like for you.
• Give the reader an overview of the factors that probably led to your expectations.
• Define and differentiate between your expectations and your experience to date.
• Include examples of good and/or innovative teaching, learning and assessment methods you're experiencing in your course.
• Be sensitive to cultural, contextual and institutional differences (i.e. it should not expose particular individuals or openly criticise an individual department. Ideally you should anonomise the essay or, if used, we will.)
• Provide an individual and honest account .
• As far as you can, see things from others' viewpoints and provide potentialy perceptive observations and helpful ideas for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies teaching staff.
• Be entertaining and interesting to read.
• Be reasonably written in terms of structure, grammar and spelling.
• Not to exceed 1,000 word limit by more than 10% either way.
• Be submitted on the application form in electronic format.

NB A glowing report may be pleasant to read but we anticipate that a thorough, fair exposition of what you found, if critical, fully argued and explained is the most likely to win high marks from the judges.