Written by Luke Gibson
“That’ll do.” How many times have we muttered those two words throughout our lives?
Whether it’s trying to fit the final piece into a Fantastic Furniture flat-pack that doesn’t quite fit (but leaving it off won’t impact its overall structural integrity) or getting exactly $20 worth of shaved champagne ham at the supermarket deli, does it really matter?
Or what about when you’re camping and you just can’t get the last couple of pegs in where they should be because you’ve inexplicably failed to realise there’s loosely covered sandstone underneath? Those couple of missing pegs won’t see the tent blowing away, surely? Or that car park space where you probably are a little too close to the white line in front but only realise when you’re out of the car?
“That’ll do.”
Yet university is a different beast. You employ the outlook of “that’ll do” at your own peril. Forgetting to italicise something as required by the APA reference guidelines? You’ll be marked down. Committing the sin of submitting an assessment without a hanging indent in the reference list? Watch those marks fall further.
But university is a deeply personal experience. You don’t get into university simply for being a good person. Or for rescuing a cat from a tree. Or raising funds for your favourite charity. There are minimum standards to adhere to, and once you’re in, those expectations continue.
At Charles Sturt, each subject in every course has its own marking criteria. They are explicitly laid out. If you just want to pass a subject, the marking rubric will tell you what you need to do. If you’re aiming for a High Distinction, the level of detail you need to provide is all there in the subject outline.
There is no right or wrong way to approach the question of pass or perfection. University is an individual experience. Some students may do the minimum required, stating frankly, “I just want to pass.” Others may aim for perfection.
Do we ever reach that lofty point? Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. What one student maintains is the perfect assessment submission may not be reflected in their final mark.
Undoubtedly, most of us are somewhere in between. Five subjects into my Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), with just eleven remaining due to RPL, I’ve recently come to the realisation that what I prepare for and ultimately submit for each assessment simply reflects that I’ve worked really hard and given myself every chance to get the best possible result.
Pass or perfection is an individual choice and one we as students face on a daily basis. But depending on your area of study, getting closer to perfection is a necessary evil. When I eventually begin my second year of full-time equivalent subjects, my GPA will count and will ultimately determine if I get into the Honours program.
But the great news is that Charles Sturt provides you with the tools and knowledge to give yourself the best possible chance of success. Even better, if something is overly challenging or difficult to comprehend, there are always resources available to help you seek clarification. These include consulting your lecturer, booking an appointment with a Charles Sturt Counsellor, or reaching out to the Library or Academic Skills team.
At Uni, are you a pass person? Or a perfectionist?
My aim, when I eventually put this Fantastic Furniture bookcase together, is for perfection. In the meantime, I’m practising procrastination. Uni is way more of a priority right now!
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