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TRANSCRIPT: There isn’t always a chance to discuss your feedback with the person who gave it to you. But when this opportunity, such as a meeting, a tutorial, or an informal chat, is available, it can be invaluable. So, how can you prepare to get the most out of that opportunity?
Start by knowing what you want from the conversation. What do you need help understanding? Were there particular feedback comments you found vague or difficult to apply? Are there things you aren’t sure how to act on? The more clearly you can define your goals, the more useful the conversation is likely to be.
It helps to plan for your conversation by writing down specific questions in advance. For example, instead of just saying “I didn’t follow this part,” you could ask: “Could you give me any advice about what this might look like in practice?” or “Is there a resource you’d recommend to help me with this?” Asking for suggestions, examples, or techniques can turn difficult feedback into something you can work with more concretely. But to know which questions you need answering, you’ll first need to be really familiar with the feedback you received, and to remind yourself of the work you completed in the first place.
Timing also matters. Will you only be able to have a five-minute chat about your feedback, or a lengthier, in-depth meeting? The answer will shape how much ground you can realistically cover. So be ready to prioritise—focus on one or two key questions about your feedback that you think could make the biggest difference to your progress.
Be mindful, too, of what’s appropriate to ask for. For example, often tutors will not be able to review further drafts of your work, nor to offer you extra feedback on your new ideas—but they might still provide useful advice or strategies based on the feedback they’ve already given you, or they might even be able to point you to examples of strong performance.
Just before the meeting, revisit your work and feedback again, then remind yourself what you want to ask. That way, you can go into the discussion with real clarity about what you’re hoping to achieve from it, ensuring you make the best use of the time available.
With the right preparation and the right attitude, these discussion opportunities can really help you build on the feedback you’ve received.
Practice Activity
