We asked Notts students for their harshest essay feedback and it was worse than we thought

If your experience of receiving essay feedback at university has been anything like mine then you’re never quite sure what’s in store for you. You can spend hours upon hours on a piece of work and really feel like you’ve done yourself proud, only to receive a 2:2 and some seemingly unfair feedback. On the other hand, you can start an essay the night before it’s due in and get one of the highest grades you’ve ever received over your university career. There really is no formula for it.

What all university students are united in is flunking some pieces of work and exams. And whilst harsh feedback can be unfair, at times it can definitely be warranted. So to make you feel not so alone in the harsh, but possibly true, essay feedback we have undoubtedly all received, we asked Notts students to share the harshest feedback they’ve ever received on an essay or exam so we can all grow thicker skin together.

‘If I were you I’d be ashamed to present’

Presenting to your peers is possibly one of the worst university assignments as it is so being told this on top of the nerves you’re already feeling is a kick in the gut.

‘I’m struggling to find many positives’

Honestly, me too.

‘If I had to describe it in one word, it would be incompetent’

Wow, this is a massive oof.

‘Being told I should have included X when I had actually written a whole paragraph on it’

Do lecturers even read our essays ??

‘Got told I was boring in a presentation to the head of the module’

It’s one thing to give feedback on your work but to give feedback on your personality as well? Ouch.

‘I don’t like your argument’

No beating around the bush with this one.

‘I’m not sure I can possibly give you a pass here as you clearly haven’t understood the question’

The worst thing is when you actually don’t understand the question but you’ve left it until two days before the deadline to start the essay so it’s too late to ask.

‘This sentence has no verb’

Okay but if your sentence didn’t actually have a verb then this isn’t harsh, it’s just true.

‘I got told I should seek support writing in the English language when English is my first language’

Okay this wins, it can’t get any harsher than that.

‘My teacher came up to me and said ‘If I’m going to be honest, this essay was shit’ and I cried’

I don’t blame you, I would have also cried.

‘I just got a singular question mark as my feedback’

Hate to admit that I have also received this one.

‘I did over 10 hours of reading only to be told I hadn’t engaged enough with the readings’

You can’t win when it comes reading.

‘This is the weakest formative essay I’ve seen in many years of this module’

I’m just glad this wasn’t me.

‘I provide this feedback in the hope that someone might take notice. But as I type, I wonder if there is any point’

Yeah if I’m honest, I don’t think there is.

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