GCSE Student Types

Your GCSE Media Studies Grade

What sort of Media Studies Student are you? Which of the following describes you, your work habits and the results that you might get?

Grade	In class I...	Out of class I	My assignments...
A/A*	Participate fully in discussion and am not afraid to voice my own ideas and opinions Make lots of notes and keep them in an organised file Ask questions when I don't understand Write down all new words in my glossary Fulfil my role and encourage others when working in a small group Complete all tasks set and keep a good focus throughout the lesson Have plenty of ideas about the stimulus texts that we look at Am able to explain things to other students	Read lots of magazines like "Empire" and "Entertainment Weekly" Think carefully about everything I watch on TV and at the cinema Re-read class notes and check my understanding with textbooks and the website Look up new words and practise using them effectively Regularly read newspapers Consider what the target audience might be for advertising that I see Plan effectively so that I have plenty of time to complete media projects, especially coursework Allow plenty of time for revision	Are creative and original Always contain accurate descriptions that use plenty of specific media terminology Are all handed in on time Demonstrate that I fully understand what I have been taught in class Are written fluently, using good English, and thoroughly checked for typos and minor errors Are never too short and fully answer all questions Show evidence of thorough extra reading and research Are well presented, in the correct format Show that I have extremely high standards and will push myself to reach them
B	Participate regularly in discussion, and can express my opinion Make notes on most things, and manage to keep most of them together Ask questions if I think other people don't understand either Write down most new words in my glossary Do my job in a small group Do justabout everything in the lesson, but sometimes let my attention wander Usually have something to say about stimulus texts	Read magazines and newspapers a couple of times a week Quite often get reminded of something we have done in class when I watch TV or go to the cinema Review my notes when we are having a test, and check things with the website after lessons Check my glossary definitions of new words Sometimes think about target audience when I see advertising Start media work a few days before the deadline and get it done - it's a bit rushed but at least it's done	Are lively & interesting to read Contain lots of media words, mostly used accurately Are usually handed in on time Use the work that we have done in class Are well-written, with only occasional and minor spelling mistakes Are of a reasonable length, and answer all questions Show evidence of some extra reading and research Are well presented, in the correct format Show that I try hard most of the time to reach standards set
C	Don't say very much - I leave it to other people Make notes when the teacher reminds me, but lose some of them due to disorganised filing Only ask questions when I am really really totally stuck Write down new words when the teacher tells me to Leave most of the work up to others when working in a small group Can't focus for very long, and don't finish all the tasks the teacher sets Sometimes have things to say about stimulus texts, but prefer to listen to other people's ideas	Read magazines and newspapers when the teacher tells me to Occasionally remember something we have done in class when I am watching TV or at the cinema Glance over my notes before a test, and look at the website Don't really look at my glossary very often Start media work the night before the deadline and just get it done - but to a disappointing standard	Are straightforward and contain the right facts Contain some media words, that are sometimes used correctly Are sometimes late Contain a couple of things that we have done in class Are generally easy to follow, but contain some careless errors and have not been spellchecked Are sometimes a bit short, and sometimes miss parts of questions Show a little evidence of extra reading and research Are sometimes untidy, and not always exactly what the teacher asked for Show that I have worked to achieve a sound understanding of the media
D	Never contribute to discussion unless asked by the teacher Don't really make notes -I lose them after I make them so it's not worth the effort Never ask questions Started a glossary, but have forgotten to add much to it Don't do anything in group work - someone else will Get very distracted, and hardly do any work Very rarely have anything original to say about stimulus texts and just copy down other people's ideas	Read newspapers and magazines once in a blue moon Remember something we have done in media lessons when watching TV or at the cinema if someone else points it out to me Forget to look at my notes before tests Only look at the website or read my textbook if I am specifically told to Miss media deadlines, and make the teacher really angry with me, and then try to do the work but mess it up because I haven't got time to do it, nor access to the right equipment	Are sometimes confusing to read Contain very few media words, and these are wrongly used Are usually handed in anything up to a week after the deadline Contain some very odd sentences and some very careless mistakes - it's clear I haven't proofread them before handing them in Are too short, and miss out questions Show very occasional signs that I might have done some extra reading Are poorly presented, and not in the right format
E	Hide under the table during discussion Can't seem to write anything down in lessons Lost my glossary Am away from school when we have to do group work Don't do the tasks I have been asked to Don't have ideas and don't listen to other people's	Never read newspapers and magazines Don't have any notes - I've lost them Never go to the website and am not sure where my textbook is Don't really know how to do media work, so I try to avoid it where possible	Are largely incomprehensible Don't contain any media words Are not handed in unless the teacher calls my parents Are full of mistakes and don't make any sense in places Consist of just a few sentences Show no evidence of extra reading and research Are badly presented and do not demonstrate that I am keen to succeed in this subject in any way.

Remember, this is not a set of absolute criteria - you may be better at some things than others, and will get a grade somewhere in between your extremes. Think carefully about the grade you should be aiming for, and the work habits you need to have throughout the course in order to achieve that grade.

For more information on standards, and what good media studies students should be doing in their work, have a look at the guidelines set out by the exam board.