Have you tried approaching your assignments in a more strategic style? Use this checklist to help you plan and complete your assignments.

Place your assignment in the context of your module 

Have you considered how the assignment is relevant to your module? 

• Think about what your lecturer has already taught you and how you can incorporate the module material into your assignment. 

Have you attended a lecture/seminar that explains your assignment?

• Attending this session will help you understand what you should be addressing within your assignment. You can also ask your lecturer questions! 

Do you know how to use your learning outcomes as a foundation for your work? 

• Your learning outcomes outline the skills and knowledge that you should have by the end of the module. Before you start your assignment, identify which learning outcomes are relevant and consider how you could demonstrate your understanding of them within your assignment.  

Spend some time with your guidelines 

Do you know where to find your assignment guidelines? 

• These will be on BlackBoard, usually within your module study guide. Ask your lecturer if you are not sure.  

Do you understand your guidelines? 

• Understanding what you have been tasked to do is important to get off to a good start. Read through your assignment guidelines and write down any questions you may have about the assignment.  

Do you have a suggested structure?  

• If yes, this will make your life a lot easier as you will no longer have to think about how you should structure your work. Instead, you can concentrate on what you need to include in that structure. 

Break down the task as much as possible 

Have you identified the key words? 

• You can use these key words when you are searching for your sources. 

Have you attempted to break down your word count? 

• Consider all the key points that you will be raising in your work and divide your word count between them. A good example of this can be found on our planning your assignment study guide. 

Have you planned the time that it will take to complete your assignment? 

• As soon as you know when your deadline will fall, plan the time leading up to it. Think about how long it takes you to typically complete an assignment and organise your time accordingly. For example, if you have 4 weeks leading up to an assignment, you can spend week 1 doing your background reading, week 2 developing a plan, week 3 writing up your assignment and week 4 editing and proofreading.  
   

Have you attended a workshop aimed at your assignment?

• If you are not sure how to approach a particular assignment, sign up to one of our study skills workshops where we breakdown how to approach different types of assignments.  

Do your research before you begin to write 

Have you looked at your reading list? 

• Look at some of the recommended readings to see if there is anything that can help you understand the topic of your assignment before you go and do your own research for literature. 

Do you know where to find additional literature? 

• If you are struggling to find additional literature that can help you with your assignment, speak to your subject librarian for guidance. 

Do you know how you will use your readings in your work? 

• Ultimately, you want to find literature that will help you support and develop your arguments. Make sure you are not just reading for the sake of reading - be active in your reading by taking notes and asking questions of the literature you have chosen to engage with.  

Do you understand what you have read? 

• Make sure you understand what you have read before attempting to include it in your work. If the literature is not making sense to you, find another source that may explain some of the concepts discussed.  

If you would like to discuss some of the topics discussed in this checklist, then feel free to book an appointment with the support team.