Reference Writing

As an Advisor you will need to write references for your advisees. This can be time consuming and you should allow time for this in your schedule, remembering that some advisees can need a reference years after they have left Queen Mary.

A reference may contain the following information;

• Engagement with learning

“She regularly attends lectures and classes and actively participates in class discussion”

• Academic Performance

“She regularly progressed and improved through the years of study with an average performance of 70.7% in year 1 and 80.3% in year 2.”

For students entering the final year of their degree, the reference should include a prediction of their final degree classification which is consistent with the student’s academic performance to date.

• Extracurricular activities

“ …is a University Student Ambassador and the President of the School’s Social Media group.”

• Transferable skills

“In this role her creative communication and writing skills have been very effective in engaging both current and potential students.”