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For assignments make sure you read the assignment guidance and look at the marking grid before you do any other work. Do this in September when you get the assignment information, you get this early to enable you to plan your year and seek help with your work earlier rather than later.
1) Word limits
For example, for a 3000-word assignment you can break it up like this:
Keep 10% for the introduction (300 words)
Keep 10% for the conclusion (300 words)
This then leaves you with 2400 words, divide by 4 which leaves you with 600 words per section. This layout can work as a start point for any piece of work and makes it seem more doable!
2) Planning
Do a plan and work out what is going to be included in each part of the work. Use the module guidance for the outcomes/ marking criteria to make sure you are covering the right information.
3) Literature searching 1:
Now do a literature search / general reading / get your key words / subjects and make sure your plan looks to be right; add info / detail and tweak the plan so that it is right before you do any more work
Each time you do any work on your assignment make sure you save as you are going along and when you finish each session you need to email the document to your university account (protect against IT failures at home / losing your memory stick / theft etc. This has happened and students will not be granted an extension for this reason) your assignments are now protected.
4) Detailed Literature Searching 2:
The literature searching and reading of same will take a lot of time; allow for this. Make notes and keep a record of all of the literature that you are reading. I would make a reference document with all of the reference details (as you would have in the assignment) so that you don't have to go searching for them later.
5) Start to write the assignment:
Start writing one of the sections - make sure you reference as you go along - add each reference (alphabetically) into your reference page (separate document at this stage) (no bibliography required), so you are not hunting for this information later. If you realise you need a reference, find it now - do not leave referencing until later.
Once you have this section done - do all of the spelling checks / print off a copy and read it out loud - you will spot poor English / grammar / punctuation etc. by doing this.
Make sure you are within the word limit you set for this section and if not you need to sort this out - prune and sort before you move on. This will mean that the balance of your work is correct at the end.
6) Finalise this first section:
Sort out any issues identified from this tutorial - you can send the work through to the lecturer to see that you have grasped what they said if you are not confident.
7) Now write the next 3 sections (or however many you have):
Any specific questions, ask them now! Have another tutorial if you are stuck! The conversation you will have about a specific aspect of your work will stop you having sleepless nights and enable you to move on with writing the assignment.
Each time sort out the number of words / grammar / punctuation etc.….
You will need to ensure that your professional development is evident i.e. your development in light of what you have experienced in clinical practice and also by the increase in knowledge by undertaking this piece of work.
8) Write the Introduction and Conclusion in Full:
You might have written a brief introduction but when all sections are written you can complete your introduction (as you now know what you are introducing!) and then your conclusion - which needs to identify your future practice / professional development where relevant
10% extra word limit:
You have 10%-word limit to play with now to bring links between your sections and to tidy up the work overall.
9) Read it out loud:
Finally - print it off and have a final read out loud. You will pick up on all the bits that aren't quite right, spot where you need to adjust the punctuation and alter grammar. If you have someone else that can read your work, bribe them to have a read and see if it makes sense! Do they understand what you are saying - if they ask about a professional term that's fine - but if they have no idea what you are talking about….
10) Final Notes:
Font – Arial or Verdana is the preferred font for dyslexia - good practice to use this for anything that you produce and for handouts make font size 14+ for your assignments make it minimum of 12 (this document is Verdana size 10) as it is a long document
Double line space the document
Make sure you have it in a format that the lecturers can open! .docx is the ideal
Do not use Edge as a browser as Blackboard and Turnitin don't like it
Many of you will have worked with the lastminute.com mode on your previous courses / studies. That mode will not work on this course. You are juggling academic work with placement and doing the laundry! Therefore: Do not leave work until the last minute.
If you keep doing little and often and have more than one piece of work on the go it will mean that any mini emergencies, minor illness etc. can be managed. Additionally, you will not get bored with one piece of work! We all recommend doing some assessment related work every week.
Aim to have work finished a week before the deadline. You can then re-read it and check through the day before submission and submit with much greater confidence. If you have a last-minute problem with a computer etc. then you have time to sort this, access another computer and get your work in on time.
Look for ways to keep on top of your work - we are happy to help you with this!
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