Skills for Success / Academic Skills / The Basic Steps in Doing an Assignment
Writing can be challenging, but here is some advice to help you approach it more effectively.
Expect to write more than one version (or "draft") of your assignment. For the first draft, it's a good idea to write it quickly without focusing on details like spelling. This will give you a basic shape to work on, and will remove the stress that a blank page can cause.
You have done the research, you have written your thesis statement, and you have outlined your answer. This should make writing the introduction fairly straightforward.
Click here for our HowTo Guide on writing introductions
You have planned the body of your assignment, but remember to include transitional words and phrases to help in linking between paragraphs.
Click here to access our Mini-module: Paragraphs, page 2 for more on ways to link paragraphs.
Regarding the style of the writing, try to be concise and clear, using no more words than you need. Keep in mind your audience, for example whether they are experts or a lay audience.
Click here to access our Vocabulary Resources page for more about the kind of vocabulary you should be using.
Don't forget that Skills for Success has events and resources that can help you. For example, we have a "Writing Cafe" where you can come and write; regular Drop Ins, and an Academic Writing Course.
