Don't Let AI Write Your A Level Geography NEA: A Parent's Guide

You’ve been staring at your A Level Geography NEA for hours. The word count looms over you like a grey cumulonimbus cloud. Your coffee’s gone cold. The deadline is closing in faster than sea-level rise in the Maldives.

And then, like a beacon of false hope, it hits you:

💡 “I’ll just get AI to write it!”

Here’s the thing: AI is tempting. It’s fast. It never gets tired. It doesn’t panic-scroll TikTok instead of working. But there’s one tiny, inconvenient truth…

If you use AI to write your NEA and hand it in as is, you are going to get caught. 100%. No maybe. No “but I’ll change a few words.” You will walk into the examiner’s office wearing a metaphorical neon sign saying “I didn’t write this”.

Why You Should Avoid AI for Your NEA

In this digital age, it’s easy to think that technology can solve all our problems. But when it comes to your child’s education, shortcuts can lead to disaster.

The Risks of Using AI

So, in the spirit of public service (and a bit of mischief), here are 5 sure-fire ways to get busted using AI for your A Level Geography NEA... so you know exactly what NOT to do.

1. Write Like a Silicon Valley Robot, Not a Sixth Former

AI loves big words. It loves sentences so long they could be measured in kilometres.

Ask it to write about “urban regeneration in Birmingham” and you’ll get something like:

“The multi-faceted paradigm of socio-economic revitalisation initiatives underscores the holistic trajectory of infrastructural augmentation.”

Sounds smart, right? Wrong. Your child has never spoken like that in their life. Their teacher knows them as the person who said “Miss, can we do volcanoes today because cities are boring?”

AI writing is smooth, sterile, and unnatural - the opposite of how a real student writes. That contrast is your child’s first big red flag.

2. Forget to Remove the “As an AI language model…” Bit

This one’s an instant classic. You ask AI to write a paragraph. It starts with:

“As an AI language model, I cannot express opinions, but…”

And you just… copy and paste it into your NEA.

If your child does this, their teacher won’t just suspect AI use... they’ll know. And they’ll probably print it out for the staffroom’s “Funny Student Fails” wall.

3. Include “Facts” That Exist in a Parallel Universe

AI is great at sounding confident. Unfortunately, it’s also great at confidently making stuff up.

Say your child’s NEA is about river flooding in York. AI might tell them:

• York flooded in 1856 due to a tsunami (nope)

• The River Ouse is 500km long (it’s not)

• The Environment Agency banned boats in 2019 because of piranhas (…what?)

  
  

The second their teacher fact-checks them, it’s game over.

4. Use the Same Phrasing as 10,000 Other Students

Here’s the dirty secret: everyone who asks AI to write “A Level Geography NEA on coastal erosion in Holderness” gets the same template.

That means plagiarism detection software like Turnitin lights up like Blackpool Illuminations.

AI doesn’t do originality. It does “probability,” meaning it gives you the most average, generic answer possible.

If your child’s “unique” NEA reads exactly like hundreds of others… congratulations, they’re not just on the radar; they are the radar.

5. Forget the Fieldwork (aka The Thing That Proves You Did the Work)

Your child’s NEA isn’t just about research. It’s about real-world fieldwork; muddy shoes, wind-blown maps, data that doesn’t quite behave.

AI can fake fieldwork. It’ll make up numbers, create perfect charts, and write dreamy descriptions of a place it’s never seen.

But here’s the giveaway: real fieldwork is messy. There are interruptions. There’s bad weather. There’s “we couldn’t measure this because the tide was in.” AI fieldwork reads like a travel brochure.

The Truth About AI and Your NEA

AI can be useful, but only as a support tool. Think of it like a calculator: good for quick help, terrible if you use it to fake your workings.

You can use AI to:

• Brainstorm A Level Geography NEA topics

• Summarise sources

• Reword writing for clarity

• Check spelling and grammar

  
  

But if you let it write the whole thing? You’re playing academic Russian roulette.

Why This Matters (And How I Can Help You Do It Right)

Your child’s NEA is worth 20% of their A Level Geography grade. That’s huge. It can be the difference between their first-choice university and a gap year they didn’t plan.

As an experienced online geography tutor, I help students:

• Pick exciting, original NEA topics

• Plan fieldwork that actually works

• Write in a way that sounds like them, not AI

• Analyse and evaluate for maximum marks

• Avoid every single AI trap we just laughed about

  
  

Key Dates to Remember

As the academic year progresses, it’s essential to keep track of important dates. Here are some key events that you should be aware of:

Half Terms

These breaks are crucial for students to recharge. Make sure your child uses this time wisely to catch up on their NEA or prepare for upcoming exams.

Parents Evening

This is an excellent opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with their teachers. Use this time to ask about their NEA and any areas where they might need extra support.

Mock Exams

Mock exams are a vital part of the preparation process. They help students gauge their understanding and readiness for the real thing. Encourage your child to take these seriously.

Here’s Your Next Step

Don’t risk your child’s NEA (and their grade) on a chatbot that doesn’t know an oxbow lake from a latte.

📅 Book your free NEA success call now with Geography Tutors. We won't write it for you, but we’ll help you to map out your NEA, find your focus, and get you on track to smash that 20%. No AI shortcuts, no panic, just results.

Click to book a free strategy call

Helping A Level Geography students ace their NEAs, without sounding like robots.