As we graduate from school to university, one of the changes that catch us off guard is the fact that we need to work twice as hard even to come close to obtaining the grades that we achieved while in high school. It takes a lot of effort, discipline and a love for the subjects you are studying, being able to score well. This all needs to be done while trying to maintain a decent social life, take part in activities, and staying on good terms with your professors.
Tips to score better
- Organize:
- If you intend on getting any homework done at all, then it is very essential that you learn how to organize. Use a planner, calendar, or even download an app on your phone to enter in different assignments and when they are due. Use it to organize other areas of your life as well like class schedules, activities and meetings with friends. This will give you a cursory view of everything you need to do, and when you can make time to do them all.
- You must create a productive and invite environment for yourself. Organize your bookshelves and study tables. If everything is in its designated space, then you are less likely to lose important notes, study material and equipment.
- Organization will also help you save time while you are studying. This, in turn, will allow you to do more in-depth research and submit your assignments on time so that you do not lose out on any marks.
- Create a study schedule. A lot a significant amount of time each day in order to do your homework or assignments or simply revise the day’s work. Take more time out of your schedule when you know you have important assignments to complete and a very short deadline; or if you think you may face some difficulty with your assignments along the way.
- Plan a method of executing your assignment. If you know where to start and how to proceed through the assignment, you will save a lot more time and energy. Having a structure will help you focus and include only important information.
- Study effectively:
- After all these years, you may have developed a method of studying that is unique. It is important to understand your own methods and styles and employ them.
- Read the textbook that you have been assigned. Most of the information and guidelines that you will need to help you with your assignments can be found in the textbook No matter how boring you may find it, you must go through the text at least once.
- Once you have an idea of what needs to be done, do a significant amount of research to ensure that you are not leaving anything important out of your assignment. Be brief, but include everything that seems necessary and relevant to your work.
- When your teacher is giving you the guidelines or important information for your assignment – take notes.
- Use highlighters to mark out important points and bits of information so that you do not forget to include them in your assignment.
- After you are done with your assignment, go through it thoroughly and ensure that you have corrected any mistakes, excluded and included wherever necessary. If you are satisfied with your work, then you may submit it.
- Confer with your friends to ensure that you have not missed out or misheard any of the information in class.
- Ask for help:
- If at any given point you feel like you cannot understand something, do not be afraid to ask your teachers and professors for help.
- By asking for help, you teacher understands that you are interested in the class and enthusiastic to learn more. This will help when he/she is going through your assignment and sees the effort you have put in.
- If you find any subject particularly difficult, hire a tutor. Tutors are a great way to catch up in class, and they help give you a clearer understanding of the subject. This way you can do your assignments with a good understanding of the topic.
- If you are unsure of the assignment you are doing, show it to your professor. They will guide you further so that you do not stray from the topic assigned.
- Do not waste time:
- Procrastination will never help if you want to submit good quality and well-researched assignments. Start organizing and working on your assignment as soon as it is handed to you.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted while you are working on your project. Turn off all unnecessary gadgets, and inform your friends that you cannot be disturbed for the duration of however many hours you intend on studying or working on your assignment.
- Take regular breaks. This will keep your mind fresh and active, and you will not be easily drained or tired from working on your assignment. If you try to complete your assignments without any breaks you will end up making more mistakes; you will also tire easily and not be able to work for long.
- Try to submit your work a day or two before the allotted deadline. This will show your teacher that you have a genuine interest in the subject and his class, and he will remember this when he gives you grade. You will definitely be rewarded for punctuality. Tardiness is usually disapproved of in class.
- Presentation is key:
- Ensure that your assignment has a good structure. If your professor wants to skip to a portion in the middle of your assignment, they should be able to do so without much difficult.
- Also, write your assignments neatly, and in legible handwriting. This is highly appreciated by teachers who have to go through multiple rounds of the same assignments.
- There should always be a clear and concise start and end to your project.
- If allowed, make your assignment colourful and easy on the eyes. Highlight important sections so that they are not missed, draw a neat border around charts and graphs wherever necessary. For example, you can refer to these Top 5 Tips to make your Computer Science Assignment more interesting.
With these effective guidelines in mind, there is nothing that can stop you from scoring better on your university assignments. So put your best foot forward and get yourself those top scores!