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How to ace that coursework.

Ever had that one piece of coursework that you want to ace? Perhaps its the difference between a 2:1 and a first in your module? Studying English, it seems like my whole degree is coursework; I have handed one piece in and another is suddenly due. With deadline and exam season upon us, I am going to share with you my best tips for putting yourself in the best position to succeed.

Preparation is key.

The saying goes, ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’. So, with that in mind, my first piece of advice is prepare as much as possible and as early as possible. To be able to do this you have to be aware of the time you have to complete the tasks and think about how much preparation you have to do. Make sure you assess what preparation is needed, such as set readings and essay plans, and complete all tasks to the best of your ability. Trust me, you’ll thank me in the long run. This will make the actual writing of the coursework so much easier. You know exactly what to right and where it all fits in.

Be realistic.

Being realistic with your time is another piece of advice closely linked to this. Don’t plan five days of uni work for something that is obviously going to take two weeks to do. This will leave you stressing out big time towards your deadline and isn’t healthy practically or mentally. I tend to make a long list of the things I need to do for a piece of coursework and an estimated time for the completion of each task. I then plan each day around the most important tasks and the tasks that can wait a while. This helps me to be realistic with all the hours in the day and work effectively.

Take regular breaks.

I think that this piece of advice is relevant for all degree types, not just essay based ones like English. Make sure you take a break and don’t tire yourself out or, even worse, burn out. The last thing you want is a complete meltdown the night before your deadline because you are super stressed. Take a break to get a bit of perspective and calm things down. My favourite things to do are take the dog for a quick walk or watch an episode of something on Netflix – don’t get too carried away though!

I would also say, don’t spend too long on one piece of coursework/task at any given time. You won’t be able to see the wood for the trees if you do this. Make sure to mix up your day a little by perhaps doing revision based on another module to keep your mind fresh and uncluttered. Nobody wants to be focusing on the same essay everyday for two weeks – coursework is boring enough as it is!

I just wanted to say one more thing: if you have upcoming deadlines/exams, best of luck!