Whether it’s for GCSEs, A-Levels or University, there will always be assignments that get left until the last-minute.
For me, tackling these assignments often took me to the internet, googling weirdly-named study methods and ‘hacks’ that made things more complicated than they needed to be.
I’ve put together some easy methods that worked for me and my short attention span, that don’t necessarily involve military-style self-discipline.
Step back
Have a look at your assignment, familiarise yourself with the material, then go for a walk. While you walk, think about your question, or don’t. By having the information in your subconscious, it starts the ball rolling, making it easier to start when you sit back down.
Acknowledge that the ol’ “I’ll do it later” is actually now
Okay, I know I said no military-style self-discipline, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have any at all. The phrase “I’ll do it later” has always been my downfall, and if you are the same, acknowledge it. Every time you think of leaving something until later, stop yourself and get it out of the way now. Whatever it is will probably only take you a few minutes anyway.
Plan your assignment!!
In my opinion, the most valuable yet time-consuming part of assignments. My plans would often take three times longer to write than the essay itself, but once the preparation is done, writing the essay should just be a case of adding a few sentence starters.
Write your first sentence
I found that I would stare at a blank page for hours before actually writing anything. At some stage during your planning process, even at the very start, write a first sentence. It might not be very good, but it gives you a structure and introduces your argument – you can always go back and redo it later.
Work in ten-minute chunks with short breaks between
Maximise the time that you have rather than worrying about the time that you’ve lost. I would prop my phone up against my laptop screen (on ‘do not disturb’!), so I could watch as the seconds disappeared. If I could see the timer, I would work that much faster, just to finish off that sentence/paragraph/section before the timer was up. Eventually, I would stop wanting the breaks and just restart the timer.
Picture the moment when your assignment is done
Easily the most effective one for me. Picturing pressing that submit button on your assignment. If I felt like I could make that dreamy feeling happen any sooner, it would motivate me to work harder.
Still feeling stressed out? Check out some more tips for managing your time here!