2.  Assignment Brief
 Research
 Time Management
 Take Notes
 Assignment Plan
 Writing Assignment
 Proofreading

3.  Read the assignment brief several times and highlight
the keywords
 Do I understand the assessment criteria?
 What do I need to do to achieve the criteria?
 Analyse- What are the main points and why?
 Compare- What are the similarities and differences and
why?
 Contrast- What is the difference between the two
items?
 Define- What is the meaning?
 Discuss - What are the most important points?
 Summarise- What are the main points?

4.  Before starting your research think about:
 What information do I need to find?
 What do I know already?
 Has my tutor recommended any books or websites?
 How long is the assignment?
 You should use a range of information sources e.g.
books, journal articles and e-books
 Use the library catalogue to find out what books are
available from the Study Centres
 Read the assignment brief regularly to check you are
finding relevant information

5.  Students often feel overwhelmed about their
workload
 Make a list of assignments and when due
 Break each assignment into smaller tasks and
estimate how long will take
 Plan when and where you are going to study
 Take regular breaks

6.  Use bullet points or create a mind map
 Write down the main points using keywords and short
sentences
 Highlight keywords using different colours
 Do not copy large amounts – plagiarism
 Keep a list of the books and internet sites that you use

7.  Help if you are struggling to start an assignment
 Introduction- explain the points you are going to make,
how you answered the question
 Main body-list main points for each question, support
your ideas with evidence from your research
 Conclusion-summary of main ideas and points, should
not contain any new information
 Bibliography – list of books and websites used

8.  Check that the punctuation, spelling and grammar
is correct
 Do not rely on the computers spellchecker
 Does the assignment answer the brief?
 Do I need to include any additional information?
 Have I used examples to support the points I have
made?
 Is it referenced correctly?

9.  Study Skills for Higher Education moodle site
 Books on study skills available from Study Centres
 S Cottrell, (2008) The study skills handbook.
 Study Centre staff – help you find relevant resources
and plan and proofread your assignment