Getting admission to a top-notch university sounds like a daunting challenge to students. But wait until you are there because real challenges come down the line. From adjusting to a new life as an international student to aligning with the routine, every aspect seems like a tough nut to crack. Writing assignments is perhaps the hardest of them all, as they require extensive research, critical thinking, and fluent communication. But you can follow some tips to make the road easier to navigate. Here are some tried and tested ones.
PLAN BEFORE STARTING
A university assignment takes effort, and everything starts with good planning. Having a blueprint makes things easier and ensures you complete it on time. Moreover, you are likely to produce higher-quality texts and get better grades. Decide the number of sections in the paper, to begin with. List their organisation and the source s and information you will include in each section.
Consider using tools and programmes like OneNote to organise information in tabs and create a good layout. Once you have bits of information, you can rearrange it easily for drafting later. Moreover, having tabs lets you save time and effort on scrolling through a long Word file every time you need to access specific sections.
PICK RELIABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION
When writing exceptional assignments, everything boils down to gathering facts that offer value and authenticity. Start by exploring the most reliable sources of information on the subject matter. Go through books, lecture recordings, reading lists, websites, sample assignments, and discussion boards to gather facts and statistics that enhance your piece of work.
Further, access resources that can help you get better scores. The good thing is that your lecturers make available a wealth of resources, but the bad thing is that students often overlook these. For example, the rubric chart enables you to understand how the lecturer will grade your assignment. You can seek a lecturer’s help during their consultation hours for additional questions.
KNOW YOUR REFERENCING STYLES
The worst mistake university students make while writing assignments is plagiarising content. Picking somebody else’s words without attribution is a form of cheating, and universities see it as a grave offence. Even worse, you may do it unintentionally. Ensure that you reference every piece of information to its original sources, and you will not have to worry about plagiarism.
APA, Harvard, Vancouver, and Chicago are the most widely used referencing styles in international universities. You can learn more about them online, seek help from seniors, or participate in a workshop to gain referencing skills. Luckily, referencing management software like EndNote or Mendeley can help you manage it in a few clicks. You can save time in formatting references and speed up your task.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY
While steering clear of plagiarism is crucial, you cannot go slack with the choice of words in your university assignment. Essentially, you must pick a formal and technical language and vocabulary instead of the slang you use while chatting with your friends.
Academic words have a more precise meaning, and they sound refined and sophisticated. Being well-read gives you a head start with your linguistic skills. Once again, you can use a tool to find synonym recommendations for frequently used terms and fit them where possible.
PROOFREAD AND EDIT
You may be confident about the quality and accuracy of the content in your assignment, but it is easy to overlook small flaws and errors. The last thing you want to encounter is missing out on proofreading and editing. Ideally, you should include these steps within your initial plan.
Using Grammarly to detect spelling and grammatical errors is a good option. The tool makes the entire process effortless and even offers alternative suggestions to correct the errors. Besides using a proofreader tool, you must enhance your grammar knowledge.
University assignments test more than your knowledge and understanding of subjects. They also assess your written communication skills, analytical abilities, and dedication to give the best. Exploring university support services is a good option as most HEIs provide face-to-face workshops and individual consultations to help students get better with assignments. You can also pick an online course to enhance your skills. Leverage free and paid tools to cover you for various aspects of assignment preparation.
If you are considering studying abroad why don’t you discuss your prospects and opportunities with experts at Lurnable’s dedicated study abroad counselling division LurnPathways?
