Reflecting on ‘assessment’

2. The variety of approaches to assessment

Completing assignments successfully

• Read the assignment thoroughly and ensure that you fully understand what is required.
• If you have any questions ask them early, even if you don’t plan to start the assignment immediately.  Matching what you do in the assignment to what is required will help ensure success.
• If possible try to identify logical tasks into which you can break the assignment. You could use a mind map as a tool for structuring your assignment at this stage.  (Mind mapping was discussed as a possible strategy in the unit, ‘Active listening: note-taking in lectures’).  Ask your lecturers if the tasks look appropriate.
• Try to schedule all assignments into your study timetable and give them some attention each week. This will help you to avoid the stress and panic which is inevitable when you only start to work on an assignment close to its deadline. See units, ‘Planning: setting goals and prioritising’ and ‘Organising and managing your time’.
• For written assignments refer to the units under the heading, ‘Struggling with writing?’
• Establish whether it is ok with your lecturers to submit a draft or outline of the assignment at an early stage to get feedback on whether or not you are on the right track.
• Avoid doing ‘last minute’ things such as working through the night or skipping classes to get an assignment finished. If you have been working consistently then usually you will have maximised the marks you are going to get before that last minute stage. Also it is quite common for people to delete, disimprove or otherwise undo good work through mistakes made under pressure!