By Taylor Reid
Hello everyone!
With coursework season fast approaching, we thought that we would share our top tips to ensure that you produce an amazing piece of coursework!
1. Make sure you understand the question before writing
This may seem apparent; however, you would be surprised by the number of students that start working on their coursework without properly understanding the question. What is the assessment asking you to do? What topics does it cover? Make sure that you have a clear understanding before you do anything and if you are unsure then make sure to contact your lecturer for guidance.
2. Research
Once you have a clear understanding of what the assessment is asking you to do, make sure that you do not dive straight in with the very first thoughts that spring to your mind! Consider carefully what ideas you are going to use and do your research. There are a variety of resources you can use for your research; go to the library (following social distancing measures), use the internet, and interview people where necessary. Ensure that all the sources that you use in your research are reputable and keep a note of any information that you use for your bibliography.
3. Plan your coursework carefully
It is a good idea to write out a plan for how you are going to structure your coursework before you actually write anything. Be careful not to go off-topic. Also, make sure to keep your work short and relevant, this will help make it easier to read for whoever is marking your coursework.
4. Manage your time
Try not to leave starting your coursework until the last minute as this only increases stress and can potentially result in you not submitting your best piece of work! Make sure that you do not spend all your time researching just one part of your coursework. Producing excellent coursework takes careful time management. This can be hard if you find yourself very interested in one area and find yourself reading more than you actually have to! You can read as much as you like about the topic in your spare time.
5. DO NOT PLAGIARISE
When writing your coursework make sure to never copy any of your work. It is important that you keep track of any information that you are reading and what is being included in your work in order to avoid any plagiarism, regardless of whether it was on purpose or not. If you are ever in doubt about something being plagiarised, make sure you credit something in your references to be safe.
6. Always review and edit your work before submission
Once you have finished actually writing your coursework, it is extremely important that you read through your work to check for obvious typos and mistakes. Read it again to make sure that all your references and quotations are accurate. Then, you guessed it, read through it for a third time to make any writing style changes. Could you have phrased that argument any better? Is the point you are trying to convey clear enough? It may be beneficial to have someone read through your work and offer constructive criticism.
7. Make sure that you have met all the assessment requirements
Ensure that you have followed all the guidance that you have been given for your coursework. This goes for any referencing, font, word count, line spacing, or paragraph guidelines that you have been given. This may sound like a small thing, but how you present your work is very important as it shows that you have followed all the instructions carefully.
We wish you the best of luck with your coursework, and please do not be afraid to ask your lecturer for help if you find yourself stuck at any point! Good luck, and try not to stress too much.