Getting ahead of assignments before the Christmas break

Although the end of Semester A and all of its exams and assignments may seem far away now, they quickly come around, especially with some assignments being due the first week back. To avoid stress and make sure you’re enjoying a well deserved rest over Christmas, getting ahead and being organised now could really help out. This article will share a few tips for how to make the most of your last few weeks at university and help to avoid being stuck facing a mountain of work straight after New Years.

Scheduling your time.

Staying organised can be a great way for you to be aware of how much time you have to do for each assignment or prepare for an exam. One way to do this is by scheduling out your time. This can be done on paper, google calendar or in a diary, wherever works best for you. Start off by filling in all of your deadline dates, this will give you an idea of how much time you have between then and now. Next, schedule in any plans or work commitments, including time off. You could also message friends and family to arrange dates to meet up over Christmas so you don’t get overwhelmed with last minute plans which compromise your study time. Now schedule in when you’re going to study what. It’s also important to be realistic about when you can study, for example it’s unlikely you’ll want to study the day after a night out!

Understanding content and accessing help.

Additionally, most academics may have slower replies or not be able to reply at all during the Christmas break, therefore it’s a good idea to try and get ahead now by going through assessment briefs and accessing help. Start by going through each of your assessment briefs and linking back to where they connect to the module content. Do you understand this? If not, email your lecturer for clarity or access help where you need it. The library also offers a great range of assistance, like scheduling in a writing development or MASH appointment before you break up for Christmas. You could also access the recommended reading and check if the ebook is available, or check out the book yourself from the library to use over the break. Finally, make use of the printing services and print out anything you may need for when the library is closed or you’re away from Lincoln. Doing these things now can help to prevent any unnecessary confusion or stress over the Christmas period when these resources may have limited availability.

Exams and assessment briefs.

Depending on how what type of assessment you have, for example a report or exam, try to prepare or do a draft of how you’re going to complete it. If you have an exam this could be creating flashcards from content and going over sections you don’t understand or printing out mock exams. Or if you have other assessment types, like a report, you could print out the brief and make sure you understand what is being asked of you or gather resources like journal articles to reference for each section. Starting on these now, doing bits little and often can ensure that you still get to relax and enjoy your break whilst smashing your assignments!