Ace your assessments with these top tips
Assessment period can be stressful, often with both exams and assignments due at the same time. If you’re looking to boost motivation and build good habits, these five student tips will help.
1. Start early
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed as soon as assessment dates are confirmed, and most of us would rather watch our favourite television show before thinking about revision.
To make the best start in getting prepared, start thinking ahead of time about your assignment questions or exam subjects. Revisiting your course subject matter will make your assignments feel less daunting, and familiarity with your topics may mean that devising essay themes and structures are easier too.
Why not go a step further and read around the topic of your chosen essay question? Or take a look at past papers and practice questions? By doing this preparation, you will find it easier to get started and better manage your time.
2. Break it up!
Exam and assignment preparation is easier to manage when activities are organised in smaller quantities. You can:
- Mark the due date of your assignment on your calendar and work backwards from the deadline.
- Write a week-by-week plan of small, digestible tasks that must be completed each week to meet your deadline
- Make sure you factor time in your schedule for every step of the writing process, including brainstorming, researching, proofreading and referencing.
By doing this, you can visualise the activities that you have to complete and by doing this your big assignments and exams won’t look as daunting. Once mapped out, you can choose to stretch or reduce the dedicated timeframe to schedule other study commitments. This will help you feel more in control and avoid being swamped with last-minute tasks.
3. Brush up on your academic skills
During exam season it can be difficult to know where to start with a literature review, be critical within your writing, or even to know the right revision technique to use for an upcoming exam.
Head over to the Library website and sign up for the workshops on academic skills. These are especially helpful during the assessment period or after a long break from writing and revising.
Taught student workshops and webinars | Library | University of Leeds
4. Get a good note-taking app
Simple note-taking software can help keep your work on track. I would recommend the following three apps for this purpose: Google Notes, Colornote and a Sticky Notes widget. Google Notes and Colornote allow you to organise notes by sorting them into different categories, while a Sticky Notes widget allows you to stick digital notes to your home screen.
A note-taking app is useful to:
- Keep reminders
- Make a list of the assignments/tasks you need to complete
- Jot down impromptu ideas
5. Get the help you need
During exam season it is important to look after yourself and avoid becoming stressed and overwhelmed. Seek help when you need it.
For academic help, speak with your module academics or your coursemates. For help with well-being, speak with your personal tutor or access the Union’s free well-being services. You can find these here.
Taking a break to go on a walk for a few minutes or reading a book for half an hour will also give you a well-deserved break from your studies.
Looking after your mental and physical well-being is crucial to your success! And there’s no need to struggle alone.
Good luck in your assessments!
Written by Alliyah, Student Ambassador for Digital Education
Students can access helpful guides for Minerva, PebblePad, and Turnitin, as well as resources on assessment and academic integrity at the Digital Education Systems Help website. You can also find information on assessment at the For Student website.
