More about assignments

Other than studying, the trick to performing well in class is to figure out what your professor wants, and deliver the goods. How can you tell?

The first place to look is the syllabus. This is likely where you’ll find information about the class, like assignment deadlines and the professor's office hours. Sometimes profs even have directions for turning in papers in the syllabus. 

(I had one specify the direction the staple should face at the corner of each page – no joke. And if you did it wrong, you had points deducted. Read that syllabus!)

Another place to look is on the assignment itself. Whether it’s a Word doc or a piece of paper, many instructors offer prompts, especially for writing assignments. You may be asked to double space your work or use a certain font. Follow these directions. There’s no reason to lose points over something so simple.

And, this is a bit repetitive but it’s important: if you don’t know what the assignment is asking of you, just ask. It will save you time and frustration, and probably result in a better grade.
















Know your assignment.Find your focus

What’s more important than your paper’s main point? One thing: understanding your assignment. 

You can come up with the perfect thesis statement and the strongest points to back it up, but if you’re not doing exactly what the professor asks, you may in up having to re-write your paper, or worse, having to accept a failing grade. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to make sure you know what the assignment is asking:

  1. Read the writing prompt several times, if you were given one.* If you were given verbal instructions, write them down. Circle any parts that seem unclear.

  2. Check in with the professor. “Did I understand this right?” is a completely legitimate question for you to ask.

  3. Practice paraphrasing. Read the assignment’s instructions a few times and then put them down. In your own words, summarize what you read. As you write your own meaning of the assignment, your purpose and your mind will become clearer.


YOUR TURN:

Use your own words to describe what the assignment is asking you to do in 2-3 sentences. Read the assignment, set the prompt aside, and then paraphrase. Only refer back to the original text if you have to. Use synonyms from your head first, then from the thesaurus. You’ll not only be engraining the task in your mind (which will help you focus), you'll be getting practice for rest of your essay. 

The Purdue OWL has paraphrasing exercises if you need a jumpstart.



* Your professor might give a broader assignment such as simply “write a persuasive essay”, instead of offering a writing prompt or specific verbal instructions. Although you still have to consider what the assignment is asking you to do (such as, are you persuading, comparing, etc.), you’ll have more freedom to choose a topic. This can also be a little more daunting. In the next sections we’ll cover brainstorming your topic, thesis statement, and points, and you might find some helpful tips for these free-form essay assignments.