A student dealing with his course work

Dealing with course work

Managing your course work

I like to try to pick a similar topic for presentations as for written assignments so that I can use some of the reading I have done for both. - Ghada

One of the biggest challenges that international students face involves the production of their course assignments. Writing a long academic assignment is quite a complex task and it is often easier if you break such writing tasks down into smaller manageable stages. It is also important to consider how much time you need to allocate for each stage so that you do not have too much to do at the last minute.

In this activity you will consider how best to manage the task of producing a 2000-word assignment that an international student has been set to write for her course.

ActivityHow to write an essay in a week

Imelda is an international student who has been set a 2000-word written assignment to do for her course. She has exactly one week in which to do all the preparation and writing involved in producing the assignment. Can you solve the puzzle and organise her week for her so that she can finish the assignment by the deadline set by the course tutor?

Imelda, an international student
Imelda

Instruction icon

Instruction

Look at the different stages that are needed for Imelda to produce her 2000-word assignment and decide on the order in which they should be done. Write 1 in the box next to the first stage and continue until all the stages are numbered. Three stages have already been done as an example for you. When you have finished, read the feedback.

Received assignment to do from my tutor - a 2000 word essay by next week!
Shopping, and domestic chores at home.
My day off from study - rest and relaxation!
Time to edit the first full draft - and improve it!
Sit down and analyse the question first of all to make sure I've really understood it.
Print out final version of the essay and hand it in to the office before the 11 o'clock deadline!
Read and make notes in the library, then read some more and amend my initial plan.
Spend the morning in the library again, to find the missing information that the essay needs.
Finish writing the first draft with additions - 2000 words are now on paper!
Brainstorm for initial ideas and make a rough plan of the structure.
More revision and second drafting of essay to make sure I'm answering the essay question.
First visit to the library in search of relevant reading material.
Look again at essay - proof read for language and typing errors; print to check presentation.
Time to put pen to paper! Start writing first essay draft, and review what more is needed.

Would you like to review the main points?