If you Google ‘how to write an assignment,’ you will find plenty of blogs written on the topic titled “10 tips” or “12 strategies.” But this blog takes a different route. Rather than just giving you the steps, we cover some secret tips from our experts, plus common mistakes that have caused more than 90% of the students to get poor grades in their assignment submissions. So, let’s get started.
What Is an Assignment? What Do Universities Want to Evaluate in Your Assignment?
An assignment is a writing project you will get as part of your college or university coursework. It will be on a topic relevant to your studies and will require intensive research and preparation. Assignments usually have a submission deadline, so completing and submitting them on time is important. You must follow the right steps to write an assignment to ensure timely completion.
Before starting to write the assignment, it is good to think about what your professors will likely evaluate in it. One key aspect that is looked into is your critical thinking skills. How are you going to apply the knowledge gained from a course in real-life application?
Additionally, your familiarity with academic writing standards, particularly those concerning formatting, citation styles, for instance, APA format assignment, and using references authentically, will be checked. It is to verify whether you would produce an original academic work.
What Are the Most Common University Assignment Types You Should Be Prepared for?
The type of assignment you will receive depends on the program you are enrolled in. For example, in science and engineering programs, lab reports and technical writing are common, while humanities or business-related disciplines will commonly require essays, case studies and research papers. Take a look at the common university assignment types below.
Essays:
They follow a specific structure, often argumentative, reflective or descriptive in nature.
Research Papers:
Research papers contain deeper-level investigations on an academic topic with critical thinking.
Presentations:
Presentations can be either oral or a visual presentation of your research project to a specific group of audience.
Lab Reports:
They are scientific documentation of the methods, experiments or conclusions of your laboratory work.
Case Studies:
A specific scenario, topic or problem is investigated, and a detailed presentation is given in case studies.
Annotated Bibliographies:
In annotated bibliographies, you give a summary of the diverse references you have used for a project preparation.
How to Write an Assignment – Here Are the 11 Easy Steps
To make your journey easier, here are 11 easy steps to write an assignment which have worked for students across various academic disciplines, levels and countries.
1. Grasp the Task Before You Begin
If you have any prior experience with writing assignments, you are very likely to ignore this part, thinking you already know what’s expected, which is a typical mistake most students commit. Take your time to go over the instructions about your task carefully and figure out:
- The total word limit you must follow
- The submission deadline for the assignment
- The specific topic or question you need to respond to while writing assignment
- Formatting guidelines, specifically the font type, size, and spacing required
- The required referencing format (MLA, Chicago or APA format assignment)
2. Investigate the Topic in Depth
Once you have a grip on the assignment topic, the next step could be preliminary research or an investigation into the topic. You should know where you can draw insights from for answering assignment questions in depth.
Some academically accepted sources in this regard include materials from your college or university library, databases like JSTOR or PubMed and scholarly search engines like Google Scholar. Make sure to note down important points as you discover them and record full reference details for each source you use.
3. Draft the Skeleton of Your Assignment
This is the most foundational part as you navigate how to write an assignment. The goal is to organise your insights in a reader-friendly and logical order.
- Introduction: This is where you can state what you will cover in the paper and why that matters.
- Body: This section takes up the bigger portion of your paper and is where you can place your arguments, data, analysis, comparisons and discussions.
- Conclusion: The conclusion summarises the main points you already covered in the paper, giving it a highlight for your final stance or insights.
- References: This is where you give the list of all your citations in the right format.
4. Write an Engaging Opening
This is something you must be very familiar with because any guide on ‘how to write assignment for university’ invariably emphasises it. If you start assignment with a grabbing introduction, chances are that you win the first impression of your professor and convince them to read it unbiasedly till the end. As a result, you will benefit from a fair assignment evaluation.
Below you will find an assignment introduction sample on a history topic. It starts with a statement that raises the curiosity of the reader and ends by giving them a clear idea of what to expect from the paper.
Science wouldn’t have made it this far without the invention of paper. Through paper, it became possible to record, preserve and share ideas that were developed by scholars from their years of inquiry without the limits of time or space. This assignment takes an investigative approach to understanding the role of paper in the growth and progress of scientific thought.
5. Keep Arguments Clear Throughout
One significant advantage of following clear steps to write an assignment is that it helps you keep your arguments focused. If the paper loses its focus and discusses irrelevant things, it could signal the writer’s ignorance about the topic or even a lack of preparation. So, whenever you decide to write a sentence, ask yourself whether it is going to make sense or stay relevant to your core argument
6. Support Points with Evidence
In making an assignment that sounds credible and authentic, supporting it with evidence is very important. You can choose insights from a wide range of university-approved materials like databases, university libraries or recognised online journals which give authentic information on the topic.
Let’s say your assignment is on ‘the impact of the internet on academic research’, it would benefit if you cite any research findings or survey results to back your points when you write the assignment.
7. Focus on Critical Thinking
Universities appreciate assignments that require the writer’s critical thinking rather than plain descriptions. It shows that you have done enough research and have tried to interpret, evaluate, and build on the ideas presented, rather than simply repeating them.
For an assignment on ‘the impact of the internet on academic research,’ instead of merely saying that “the internet has affected academic writing,” point out the reasons behind this influence, such as easier access to sources, shifts in referencing styles, or the rise of plagiarism concerns. Talk about its broader consequences for academic standards and writing practices.
8. Build Paragraphs with Structure
Sticking to the word count alone shouldn’t be the only criterion when you develop paragraphs for your university assignments. Our experts recommend using the PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation and Link) method.
- Point: It deals with the core point you are putting forth in the paper.
- Evidence: It covers the data you are using to substantiate your core point.
- Explanation: It gives justification for the link between your point and the evidence
- Link: It establishes a connection between the point you covered in this paragraph and the previous or next paragraphs.
9. Reference Sources with Accuracy
It is believed that about 20% of an assignment’s credibility depends on the accuracy of the references used. Today, it is easier for the evaluators to verify the sources and detect plagiarism or uncredited sources in academic submissions. So, citing sources correctly and listing those references using the correct assignment writing styles (APA, MLA, Chicago or Harvard) becomes an essential responsibility for every writer.
10. Review and Fix Mistakes
While the biggest part of assignment preparation ends with making the draft and adding the references, cross-checking it for possible errors cannot be overlooked. In fact, many students, when in a hurry due to fast-approaching deadlines, avoid this part in their process of how to make assignment. Do a thorough review with an open eye for:
- Clarity of key points
- Accuracy of in-text citations
- Grammar mistakes and spelling errors
- Consistency in formatting style
- Logical paragraph transitions
11. Get Constructive Peer Feedback
As we near the last stretch in the steps to write an assignment, asking your peers to review your work and share what they think could be a very helpful practice. With their honest and constructive inputs, you can refine the final draft. When you do this, you are getting their fresh perspective, which is quite different from what you feel about your writing.
Top Mistakes Students Often Make in Assignment Writing
Being aware of the common slip-ups that could weaken your writing is as important as knowing how to write an assignment effectively. Below are some of the frequent errors our expert assignment writing help team have identified as harmful to scoring potential.
Delaying work until the deadline:
Writing university assignments in a hurry towards the last minute can hurt the writing quality, formatting, and a lot of other areas.
Missing citation and source details:
Any insight you add in your assignment borrowed from somewhere, if not cited correctly, could raise suspicion over your academic integrity.
Copying content and not giving credit:
Using someone else's words or ideas without acknowledgement is considered plagiarism, even if it is unintentional. Always give due credit.
Overlooking proper assignment format:
Ignoring university-approved assignment formatting style can affect the scoring potential, even if you have written a well-rounded research paper.
Failing to address the question:
The ultimate goal of an assignment should be to address the core question presented as being discussed. Failing to address it can impact its appeal.
Manage Your Assignment Writing Easily with These Smart Tips
Sure, the aforementioned steps on how to write an assignment will act as a guiding point. But still there can be a bit of confusion when putting everything into practice. The following smart tips are meant to make it even easier and give you more control.
Split the task into chunks:
Do not try to complete your assignment writing in a single stretch. Split it into multiple parts and attempt each part at a time.
Treat yourself after milestones:
After completing each part, take a break and treat yourself with a snack or a short walk. Approaching the entire writing this way can make it more fun.
Enable auto-save in Docs:
Use Google Docs for writing since it auto-saves progress in real-time. If you are using MS Word, enable auto-save to avoid losing your progress due to a sudden shutdown or crash.
Brainstorm topics with peers:
If choosing the topic or figuring out where to start overwhelms you, it is better to brainstorm with peers. Their perspectives can sometimes spark fresh ideas.
Refer to the sample work:
If you are writing a research paper for the first time, starting out can be confusing. Along with understanding how to write an assignment, refer to some sample works for better direction.
Not Sure How to Write an Assignment with High Scoring Potential? We Can Help!
If you are still not confident to write the assignment on your own due to topic complexity, lack of time and resources or any other reasons, we can help. Get in touch with our professional assignment writing help team.
Conclusion
Congratulations if you read till this point.
It means you at least have some knowledge about the steps to write an assignment.
With the right strategy and planning, you can draft an impressive coursework for any complex topic. Hope you found this blog on how to write an assignment.
If you still have any questions about assignment making, feel free to write them in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours should I spare for the writing of an assignment?
There is no rule that you should spend this many hours preparing for an assignment. How much time you would require depends on how familiar you are with the topic, your access to authentic and useful resources, your writing and time management skills, etc. If you are unable to complete your paper on time, it is advised to seek professional help.
Is using AI tools like ChatGPT acceptable for writing the assignments?
No. Using AI tools for assignment preparation is not acceptable. Most universities across the world have updated their academic writing guidelines in the context of AI tools, with clear objections against their use in assignment preparation. They require students to do independent research and produce 100% authentic and human-written content. Moreover, there are advanced plagiarism detection tools today which can flag AI-generated content quickly and cause damage to your academic integrity.
How can I write assignment if I am facing writer’s block?
It is a good question. It is believed that nearly 50% of students face writer’s block when writing their assignments. However, unlike other creative work, which does not have a strict deadline, academic writings have a deadline and facing writer’s block is not an excuse. When you face such challenges and can’t proceed anymore, it is good to seek expert help from any reputable assignment writing services like Digital Content Writers India.
