Academic Tips and References
Writing Assignments
In the course of your studies here at Unitec, there are likely to be many occasions on which you will be called upon to write an essay for an assignment. It is important, therefore, that you understand exactly what you are being asked to do.
Essays play an important role in helping you to learn by encouraging you to explore a topic in depth, and by helping you to develop the ability to locate and retrieve relevant information; interpret, analyse, and evaluate facts and opinions and construct a clear and logical argument.
In general, good essays
- show evidence of research that goes beyond lectures, and the textbook;
- develop and sustain a position on a subject or issue;
- are clearly and logically structured;
- use and integrate a wide range of detailed evidence;
- accurately reference all sources of information.
Steps in Writing an Assignment
Tackling Academic Reading
You’re expected to read a great deal for academic purposes, so developing an effective approach is one of the most useful things you can do during your early terms here at Unitec.
Managing Time and Workload
A good way to help you plan your time and map out your assignments is by using the USU Wall Planner and the USU Diary. If you didn’t receive one of these free planners during Orientation, pop into the USU Reception and pick one up.
Ways to ensure you manage your time efficiently:
- Start the day with an action plan.
- Ensure your work space/study space is tidy so you can focus on the task at hand
- Plan out your assignments and commitments on a planner
- Make sure you get enough sleep
Referencing
Plagiarism is a big deal, and it’s not something you want to find out about the hard way. It could get you dismissed from Unitec!
Researching ethically is also researching efficiently: not only will you learn how to avoid plagiarism, but you’ll also pick up some good research tips too.
The Unitec library website has a webpage about referencing, with examples of the three main styles used at Unitec. Click here.
Preparing for Exams
The best way to prepare for exams is to start early, to plan your revision, and to use learning strategies that work for you.
As exams move closer, you should prioritise your time. This means deciding how much time to allocate to particular subjects or topics. Factors that you might take into account when planning prioritising would include:
- the relative weight of the exam in the overall assessment of the paper,
- the level of difficulty of the content for you,
- the timing of the exams
Analysing Assignment Questions
There are usually three steps to analysing an assignment question. Some questions may involve more than one task.
1 - Checking the meaning
Check the meaning of any words or terms within the assignment question by looking up your course notes, study guide, textbook, or dictionary.
If the assignment question includes a direct quote from a particular author, then you could try to locate a copy of the source (article or paper or text). This will enable you to identify the context of the writer’s statement.
2 - Identify the three main parts of the question
Normally, there are three main parts to assignment questions:
- Command: These are command or directing words that tell you what to do, such as “Discuss”, “Analyse”, “Compare”, “Critique”, or “Evaluate”. Make sure you know what each of these words mean – the services listed below can help you.
- Topic: The general area of discussion. The topic can be determined by taking the command word and asking “what?” after it. For example, Discuss – “What?”, Compare – “What?”
- Focus: The specific area of the topic that you need to concentrate on. Sometimes there is more than one focus in a question. This can usually be extending the strategy above: Discuss – what? - in relation to what?
3 - Forming a thesis statement
Many types of assignment (such as essays) require you to form a thesis statement - a single sentence outlining your answer to the question
The following services are able to help you out with any of these things, either one-on-one or in a workshop situation:
The Learning Centre (Te Puna Ako)
The MAIA Maori Development Centre