Preparing for assessment is about taking accountability for what you need to do to successfully pass the set assessment criteria. Knowing how to approach different assignment types will help you plan your work effectively and relieve some of the stress of preparing and writing an assignment.
Successful time management skills are important, as poor planning or time management can result in you missing the deadline for submission, which has serious consequences. Group tasks also rely heavily on good time management, good leadership and careful planning and co-operation between members.
Assignment techniques and tips
Understand the assignment
Assignment writing is a key part of your degree study. For all summative assessment, you will be given instructions which outline what is expected from you and how your work will be assessed. Grading rubrics are used to evaluate work against specific criteria which will be communicated to you before you start each piece of work.
Preparation
- Read the assessment instructions and marking criteria - what is being assessed and how are the marks allocated? Read the intended learning outcomes for your module - this provides an insight into what you are being asked to do. If you are unsure about what you must do, ask your SAS Admin team. The type of assignment: essay, report, dissertation, will influence how you research and write.
- Understand the question - are you being asked to discuss, analyse or evaluate?
- Be sure to answer the question that is posed, not the one that you want to write about!
- Find out when, where and how you need to submit your work - do this right at the start so you are not panicking towards the deadline.
- Plan your schedule before you begin to ensure you have enough time to research and write.
- Break the writing tasks down into easy-to-manage sections and work on one at a time.
- Review your notes and group the ideas that emerge from your research until a pattern emerges (use a planning tool like a Mind Map or Bubble diagram).
- Start writing early - it is never too early to start writing something, remember this will take longer than you expect.
Writing the assignment
After reading the assignment instructions thoroughly, what exactly do you need to do? These steps take you through the whole writing process:
- Read, make notes, think critically, repeat. This is a crucial step!
- Make a general plan with the main points.
- Make a detailed plan, focusing on a clear structure.
- Check the plan. Is the task addressed fully? Are you being critical?
- Write the first draft. Read and think more as needed. Build your argument using an appropriate academic style and format.
- Keep track of the resources you use and keep a record of them all in one place; if appropriate, use a referencing tool like Mendeley (ask your Librarian if you are not sure).
- Edit and redraft as needed.
- Proofread carefully. Focus on referencing, spelling and grammar.
Watch your deadlines!
Aim to submit at least 12 hours before the deadline. That way if there are any unexpected problems - a broken printer, your laptop crashes, the internet fails etc - you have time to find a solution and submit without panicking.
Remember even missing an assignment online submission deadline time by one minute can result in you losing 50% of your marks!
