Paralyzing fear of failure about Masters essay, pls kick me up the arse

[NervousNellie19]

My marks have been ok (average is 64% for several other assignments) so far but have not handed in an essay yet! I am terrified it's going to be shit. I've written a few words but feel blank. Time is running away and I really need to start writing properly and feel like I know where it's going!

How do I put the fear aside and accept that if I get a shit mark well it's not the end of the world?

Am driving myself nuts.

Also, if I manage to come out of the Masters with an overall grade of about 65%, is that considered acceptable? I'm just worrying about all my results. I sort of feel like when it's a Masters degree you should get very high marks because you're so passionate about it? I do love my course though not getting high marks!

Oh God well I'm typing something! Have written almost 400 words thanks to this thread, inspired me to just go for it!

There's a problem in that I sound like a third rate hack writing a story for a tabloid

Finding it really really hard to leave my emotions out of it. I'm writing about access to safe abortion for women.

It doesn't matter, write it down. Do it as fast as possible and then edit and refine once the pressure's off.

Yay. No blank page. Do you want to come and do mine for me?

If you google "academic phrasebank" and follow the Manchester uni link, there are lots of sentence starters, and general phrases that can help you.

Another one saying 64% is brilliant - honestly! Well done. The mantra for my class was "We just want a pass!"

Now fancy popping over and rearranging my 5000 words so they make sense?

Thought the first one didn't post...offer still stands though

Another vote for the Academic Phrasebank, also Palgrave Writing for Science students.

Does your uni have any help available to help you with writing and structuring essays? Eg Glasgow Uni has www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/leads/students/writingstudyadvice/scienceengineering/

You seem to have been doing pretty well so far. As PPs have said just write, you can make it sound all academic later (eg changing it to third person etc)

Sounds to me as if you're doing really well. Where I am 64% is the top off the non-merit (65%+) so you're likely to end up with one as you improve as the year progresses.

We have a session that teaches you to write in short bursts (can't remember what it is called) but you basically set a timer and sit and write solidly for 25 minutes and then take a short break and then do another 25 minutes - might help (although sometimes I find it irritating as once I get going I don't want to stop....)

BTW you're doing better than me as I have an essay to do in the next couple of weeks and I've barely started the reading so have absolutely nothing to say at present........

Ok feeling panicked again! I've written more so almost halfway there with it but it's just like I'm rambling

In order to un freeze and be able to write any words at all, I have to try and write my opinions and arguments. But that's not academic is it it's just me rabbiting on?!

It needs to be done by Thursday and so scared it will fail

Manchester phrase bank website is very good for academic essays.
Palgrave books very good too.

Write your references correctly as you go, use Cite it Right book as references can be tricky blighters. Don't leave until the end as it will take you much longer than anticipated.

Write your end paragraph to link to your starting paragraph. I used to write an end sentence to keep me focussed.

As for your initial reaction, that's perfectly normal. Once I accepted I would have a mini panic attack at the start of each essay I planned it in.

Also when do you write best? I have stealth dyslexia and discovered if I started at 9pm after I'd put the DCs to bed I could work without distraction until 2-4am. I'd sleep a little, take kids to school, then sleep some more. When's best time for you?

65% is a commendation at Masters level, 70% is distinction so you're doing really well. The times I got distinction in essays is when put original ideas in my essay. Best of luck.

Thank you. Yeah I'm at my best late evening and early morning with a few hours sleep thrown in. Afternoons are hardest, my brain goes slow!

There should be lots of guidance online for your course in terms of format etc for you to follow.

Have the learning outcomes for this piece of work in front of you and ask yourself how you are going to meet them - for each one, think of what evidence you have so far which will demonstrate your competence for that area. Chances are, the learning outcomes will also give you a lot of guidance in terms of content.

For example, a learning outcome which states "Make theoretically informed connections between your personal and professional biographies and wider social, political, and economic contexts and developments" indicates that you will need to include both theory and references to social, political and economic policy and developments e.g. policy, legislation etc. Thus you would need to make sure that your argument is supported by specific references to theorists and policy, which will appear as your sources both in-text and in the bibiliography (assuming Harvard referencing.)

Level 7 work requires you to have a critical standpoint, but having an opinion is not enough. You will need to refer to any relevant legislation and policy (professional guidelines, consultation papers, commissions, reports, etc.) and academic and professional commentary, preferably from peer-reviewed journals. Your argument should build on these sources through synthesis and evaluation, and lead logically to your position on the issue.

Doing an annotated bibilography before you start writing the essay can help you clarify why a source is relevant and how you might use it - my first draft of any piece of writing is often created around those annotations (and it helps to ensure that the whole piece is rooted in the evidence.)

What works for me is

• I find that if I write headings it helps structure my thoughts and then I just add few bullets about the points I want to make
• in my MsC there is a lot of emphasis on critical discussion - find opposing views and argue the point
• write your introduction last - be specific about what you are going to discuss I.e. this essay aims to discuss x. It will first do y, it will then cover z and then there will be conclusions / recommendations
• I like to do all my reading first before I write but I know everyone is different
• I always open a page like this www.eliteediting.com.au/50-linking-words-to-use-in-academic-writing/ so I can steal phrases to make it sound more academic

Good luck op am sure you will be fab!

Feel totally out of my depth. I don't know if I have what it takes, I can't even think straight.

I've just sent you a message. Have a look. Xx

Yes you can do it - if you've got half down and are feeling "the block" go over what you've done and edit - can you start to feel an argument evolving?

I'm just under half way through an assignment and have got the rest of today and tomorrow to finish. I'm feeling like you and wonder if I'll ever get there but I always do by the skin of my teeth!

Keep plugging away.

that's not academic is it it's just me rabbiting on

So go find someone in print who agrees with you! And ideally someone who disagrees too.

Did you watch 'Call the Midwife' on Sunday ?
If not try to as it dealt with abortion in the '60s and might get you fired up