So, you’ve completed the learning and gathered the research you’ll need to do your assignment, but you’re stuck – your gaze alternating between the questions and the blank screen. You feel the cursor mocking you in all its blinking expectation. Ahhhhg!
We’ve all been there and in this post I aim to give you some tips on how to become unstuck.
Start with a plan
Step away from the screen and plan out on a piece of paper a structure for your response. Refer back to the question and write a sub-heading to indicate each thing you need to do. Also make a note of the command verb(s) (explain, analyse, critically review…) and include a brief definition of what that means. Add these to the document and already you’ve reduced the white-page blindness.
Go for something easy
Are there any words or terms that need to be defined? Can you include a great reference that really explains these well? Do you need to include any preamble to set the context? Writing these can be a good start and might begin to build your confidence a little.
This tip is also useful if you’re answering a series of questions and you’re stuck on the first one. Read them all and start with the one you like the sound of or at least know something about.
Add relevant content from your learning and research
If you’ve already carried out some research you may be starting with a stack of stuff. Review this and add what you feel is relevant under each sub-heading. If you’re just starting out, you could use the sub-headings to direct your research and add in what you find. Use a different coloured text to remind you this will need some work. Also keep a note of where it’s from as you’ll need that for referencing.
Start rough, very rough
As soon as you have something under each heading, try to write up a first draft. It doesn’t matter how rough it is at this stage. I find I feel better if I have something that at least looks like an answer, even if I know it needs work. Leave instructions for yourself (I use red text for this) indicating wording that needs work, where more of something might be required or anything you’re not sure about. When you come back to review what you’ve done you’ll already have a message from yourself, directing you what to do next!
Next time – A word on word counts.
