tips for improving assignment

10 Tips for Writing Assignments

Writing assignments are a cornerstone of your academic journey, and honing your assignment writing skills is paramount for your success. Whether you're embarking on your first year or a seasoned academic, the art of effective assignment writing can wield significant influence over your grades and overall educational voyage. In this comprehensive guide, we'll offer you ten invaluable tips to elevate your assignment writing prowess. These strategies, along with expert guidance from our specialized assignment help website writemyessays.com/do-my-assignment.html , will empower you to enhance your writing skills and chart a course towards academic triumph.

Tip 1: Start Early

The first rule of successful assignment writing is to start early. Procrastination is the enemy of quality work. By initiating your assignments as soon as you receive them, you'll have ample time for essential steps such as research, planning, drafting, and revisions. Starting early allows you to manage your time effectively and produce well-crafted assignments.

Tip 2: Understand the Assignment

Before you begin writing, it's essential to thoroughly understand the assignment instructions. Take the time to read and analyze what is expected of you. If any aspects are unclear, don't hesitate to seek clarification from your instructor. Understanding the assignment's requirements is fundamental to meeting them successfully.

Tip 3: Plan Your Work

Effective planning is a cornerstone of assignment writing. Develop a structured plan that includes creating a timeline for your assignment. Break down the work into smaller tasks, allocate sufficient time for research, outlining, drafting, and proofreading. A well-organized plan will keep you on track and reduce stress.

Tip 4: Utilize Campus Resources

Your university offers a wealth of resources to support your writing endeavors. Take advantage of writing centers, libraries, and academic advisors who can provide guidance and feedback on your assignments. These resources are valuable assets that can significantly improve the quality of your work.

Tip 5: Research Thoroughly

High-quality assignments require thorough research. Dive deeply into your chosen topic, utilizing a variety of credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites. Ensure that you cite your sources correctly to provide evidence for your arguments and maintain academic integrity.

Tip 6: Maintain a Good Writing Style

Developing and maintaining a clear and concise writing style is essential for effective communication in your assignments. Avoid overly complex language and prioritize clarity. Ensure that your assignments have a logical structure with a clear flow of ideas. Your goal is to make your writing accessible and easy for your reader to understand.

Tip 7: Seek Writing Assistance

If you ever find yourself struggling with assignment writing, don't hesitate to seek writing assistance. Many universities offer writing assistance programs staffed by experienced tutors who can provide guidance and feedback on your work. These services are designed to help you refine your writing skills and produce higher-quality assignments.

Tip 8: Proofread and Edit

The importance of proofreading and editing cannot be overstated. After completing your initial draft, take the time to review and edit your work. Check for grammar and punctuation errors, ensure proper formatting, and verify that your assignment aligns with the assignment guidelines. Effective editing will polish your work and enhance its overall quality.

Tip 9: Stay Safe Online

When conducting online research for your assignments, it's essential to prioritize online safety. Use reliable sources and be cautious of plagiarism. Properly cite all your references to maintain academic integrity and avoid unintentional academic misconduct.

Tip 10: Celebrate Your Achievements

Lastly, don't forget to celebrate your achievements in assignment writing. Completing assignments is a significant accomplishment on your academic journey. Reward yourself for your hard work and dedication, and acknowledge your successes. Recognizing your achievements can motivate you to excel in future assignments.

Dos and Don'ts

To summarize, here are some dos and don'ts for successful assignment writing:

• Start early and plan your work effectively.
• Thoroughly understand the assignment instructions.
• Utilize available campus resources for support and guidance.
• Conduct in-depth research using credible sources.
• Maintain a clear and concise writing style for accessibility.
• Seek writing assistance when facing challenges.
• Commit to thorough proofreading and editing.
• Stay safe and ethical when conducting online research.
• Celebrate your achievements and milestones.
• Procrastinate on your assignments; start early instead.
• Overlook or misinterpret assignment instructions.
• Miss out on utilizing valuable campus resources.
• Skimp on research quality or rely on unreliable sources.
• Engage in overly complex writing that hinders clarity.
• Hesitate to seek assistance when facing challenges.
• Neglect the critical steps of proofreading and editing.
• Plagiarize or compromise on academic integrity.
• Forget to acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions related to assignment writing:

1. How can I improve my writing style?

Improving your writing style is a gradual process. Consider taking writing courses, seeking feedback from professors or writing tutors, and practicing regularly to refine your skills.

2. Is it okay to use online sources for research?

Yes, it's acceptable to use online sources for research, but ensure that they are reliable and properly cited in your assignments to maintain academic credibility.

Final Thoughts

Writing assignments may seem challenging at times, but with the right approach and these ten tips, you can excel in your academic journey. Remember that assignment writing is a skill that improves with practice and dedication. By following these guidelines and continuously honing your writing skills, you'll be well-equipped to tackle assignments successfully and achieve academic excellence. Go to website

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5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

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Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to essay writing.

Essay writing is a crucial skill that students need to master in order to succeed academically. Whether you’re a high school student working on a history paper or a college student tackling a critical analysis essay, having a solid understanding of the essay writing process is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential tips and tricks that will help you improve your essay writing skills. From generating ideas and organizing your thoughts to crafting a strong thesis statement and polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.

Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with useful templates that you can use as a framework for your essays. These templates will help you structure your writing, stay focused on your main argument, and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides

Essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, but with the right guidance and tips, you can improve your writing skills and produce high-quality essays. In this ultimate guide, we will provide you with valuable advice, tricks, and templates to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors.

1. Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you fully understand the prompt or question. Analyze the requirements and key points that need to be addressed in your essay.

2. Create an Outline: Organize your ideas and thoughts by creating a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you structure your arguments and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Research Thoroughly: Conduct extensive research on your topic to gather relevant information and evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and cite them properly in your essay.

4. Write Clearly and Concisely: Avoid using jargon or complex language in your essay. Write in a clear and concise manner to convey your ideas effectively to the reader.

5. Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your essay flows cohesively.

By following these ultimate essay writing guides, you can enhance your writing skills and produce outstanding essays that will impress your instructors and peers. Practice regularly and seek feedback to continuously improve your writing abilities.

Tips for Crafting an A+ Essay

1. Understand the Assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you fully understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. If you have any doubts, clarify them with your instructor.

2. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant sources and information to support your arguments. Make sure to cite your sources properly and use credible sources.

3. Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main point of your essay and guide your readers on what to expect.

4. Organize Your Ideas: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas in your essay.

5. Write Clearly and Concisely: Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Be direct and to the point.

6. Revise and Edit: Always proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Revise your work to ensure coherence and clarity.

7. Seek Feedback: Ask a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide constructive feedback for improvement.

8. Use Proper Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your instructor, such as font size, margins, and citation style.

9. Stay Focused: Keep your essay focused on the main topic and avoid going off on tangents. Stick to your thesis statement.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will get at it. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Tricks to Improve Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are some tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Read widely: Reading a variety of genres and styles can help you develop your own voice and writing style.

2. Practice regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to practice writing.

3. Get feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for constructive criticism. Feedback can help you identify areas for improvement.

4. Study grammar and punctuation: Good writing requires a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation rules. Take the time to study and practice these essential skills.

5. Edit and revise: Writing is a process, and editing is an important part of that process. Take the time to edit and revise your work to improve clarity and coherence.

6. Experiment with different writing techniques: Try experimenting with different writing techniques, such as using metaphors, similes, or descriptive language, to enhance your writing.

7. Stay inspired: Find inspiration in the world around you. Whether it’s nature, art, or literature, draw inspiration from your surroundings to fuel your writing.

By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer.

Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates

When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use to guide you through the process:

• Introduction: Start your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide some background information on the topic and end with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.
• Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, provide evidence to support your point, and then analyze the evidence to show how it relates back to your thesis.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and instead focus on tying together all the points you have made throughout the essay.

Expert Advice for Writing Top-Notch Essays

When it comes to writing a top-notch essay, it’s essential to follow expert advice to ensure your work stands out. Here are some key tips to help you elevate your writing:

1. Start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your main argument.

2. Conduct thorough research to support your points with credible sources.

3. Organize your thoughts logically and ensure your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

4. Use a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

5. Proofread and edit your essay carefully to eliminate errors and refine your arguments.

By following these expert tips, you can take your essay writing skills to the next level and produce work that is both informative and compelling.

Resources to Enhance Your Essay Writing Process

When it comes to improving your essay writing skills, there are a variety of resources available to help you enhance your process. Here are some valuable resources that can aid you in becoming a more effective and efficient writer:

• Writing Guides: There are countless writing guides and books that offer tips, tricks, and strategies for improving your writing skills. Whether you’re looking to enhance your grammar, structure, or argumentation, these guides can provide valuable insights.
• Online Writing Communities: Joining online writing communities can be a great way to connect with other writers, receive feedback on your work, and engage in writing challenges and prompts. Websites like Writing.com and Wattpad are popular platforms for writers to share their work and receive critiques.
• Writing Workshops and Courses: Participating in writing workshops and courses can help you hone your craft and develop your writing skills. Whether you prefer in-person workshops or online courses, there are many options available to suit your needs and schedule.
• Writing Apps and Tools: Utilizing writing apps and tools can streamline your writing process and help you stay organized. Tools like Grammarly can assist with grammar and spelling checks, while apps like Scrivener can help you organize your research and ideas.
• Libraries and Writing Centers: Visiting your local library or university writing center can provide access to valuable resources, such as writing guides, research materials, and writing tutors who can offer personalized feedback and support.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your essay writing process and become a more skilled and confident writer.

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Most Effective Tips for Writing an Impressive Assignment

When in college, you have to accomplish all of your assignments as part of your education. One of the most common assignments is written essays that will contribute to your grade at the end of your course. 

But you might feel apprehensive when you receive such an assignment, especially if it's your first time. You might not feel like you have the necessary skills to write a good essay. But there are certain tips you can use to write a good assignment and lay your apprehensions to rest.

Research and plan

When you take on a course, you will receive a reading list. Familiarize yourself with it right away because your professors will choose texts from this list that will specifically help you with your tasks and assignments. Reading what's on your list will provide you with valuable insight into the topics you have to write about. It will make life easier for you when you need to write an assignment.

After researching, you should make a schedule for writing your assignments. Stick to your schedule. Also, double-check your deadline so you won't have to feel overwhelmed when you realize that your deadline is right around the corner. Break down your time and tasks into  more manageable chunks  so that you will always be on top of your work. Make a schedule that consists of mini-deadlines. Knowing that you have completed a task will keep you motivated.

Understand your assignment and take notes

Before starting your assignment, make sure that you understand it because writing an essay that contains irrelevant information or isn't coherent will prove disastrous. You should always know what you're doing and what you need to convey. If needed, rereading the instructions will help you understand what's expected of you. Moreover, you also need to determine how long the essay should be and how you will proceed with it.

Note-taking is another important aspect of writing. Before you start, you must collect various materials and resources relevant to your topic. You should also create an outline that will guide you. Go through various research materials, then take down notes on the most crucial information that you can include in your work. The writing process will become more manageable when you have all of the information you need.

Assignment writing by professionals

As a student in college, you have the option to ask for help when you need to complete an assignment and you have no time to do it. Since written tasks are an unavoidable aspect of college education, the best thing you can do is to seek assistance when you need it. The writers at AssignmentBro  helped with my assignment writing  in college. Thanks to their professional writers, I still had plenty of time to study and tackle my other responsibilities.

Use various resources

Aside from the deadlines and instructions that your professor will provide, they might also recommend some resources to you. Sadly, this is something that many students tend to overlook. For instance, for you to understand how your professor will grade your assignment, you will need to examine their rubric. This is a chart that provides information on what you must do. You will also learn about the objectives of the assignments or the learning outcomes.

Other resources you might receive include reading lists, lecture recordings, discussion boards, and sample assignments. Usually, you will find all of these resources in an online platform known as a Learning Management System (LMS). Research has shown that students who use LMS tend to get higher grades. If you still have any questions, you can ask your professor either online or offline.

Determine the objective and structure of your assignment

The next thing you need to do is to define the objectives of your written work and its structure. This is where you will determine the pattern of a well-written assignment. You want to make your work look impressive in the eyes of your reader. One way to accomplish this is to include more theoretical content and details in your essay. 

Make sure all of your paragraphs flow smoothly

It's not enough for the essay writing project assigned to you to provide enough information. It's also important to remain coherent. You must link each paragraph to each other. 

This will keep your reader  connected with the content . To achieve this, you need to go back to your plan for your assignment, then search for significant concepts that will help you connect the paragraphs smoothly. Here's an easy tip to do this - include phrases or words that will attract the eyes of your readers while supporting the context of your written assignment.

University life is full of challenges. One of which is the writing of assignments that will require higher communication, critical thinking, and information gathering skills that you may have practiced in high school. Instead of feeling daunted because of your assignments, use the tips you learned to make things easier for you.

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Communication Across the Disciplines

10 tips for writing assignments.

• Clarify the task. Don't let questions about the task encourage procrastination.
• Do the research early. Collecting and absorbing the material will help you meditate on what you will write, even if you don't get to work on the writing immediately.
• Leave a strong paper trail. Frequently, the lack of good note taking doesn't register until you are in the throes of the final preparation of your project, when deadlines loom, and materials are difficult to recover. This is because one often reads and discards materials as not being relevant during the research process, only to discover later, during the writing process, that they are.
• Brainstorm, make notes, jot down ideas as they occur, and begin by writing the stuff you do know. Most writing will be complex and you can't do all of the stages--brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading--in one fell swoop. Breaking the process into smaller steps makes it more manageable, and lets you make progress even when you don't have large chunks of time to devote to writing.
• Get feedback. It's difficult to anticipate the gaps, confusion, and potential misinterpretations that complex writing can generate. You need to have at least one outside reader to help you.
• Allow time for revising and editing. Once the ideas are drafted, you'll usually find that you need to go back and re-read, re-search, re-organize, and re-think what you have said.
• Make the organization apparent. Use paragraphs, subheadings, and spatial divisions (layout) to indicate clearly changes in subject matter, focus, and depth. Sometimes this is a good time to prepare an outline, to make sure that your organization makes sense.
• Write the introduction last. A good introduction must point forward to what the writing contains. It is a promise to the reader, and should be accurate. The best introductions will be prepared after you know what you will say and how you will say it.
• Check for accuracy. Research-based writing is often complex and it is easy to overlook a mistake made while drafting. Check your sources, read carefully through your quotations, citations, and documentation.
• Proofread carefully. This is often a step left out in the crunch to finish by a deadline, and yet, it is often little mistakes (typos, errors of punctuation and grammar) which communicate to your reader a sense of carelessness or inability to write.
• Forgive yourself for what is not perfect. We never stop learning how to write. No draft is ever perfect, but the deadline requires that you do your best and then send it out into the world of the reader.

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• Tips for Reading an Assignment Prompt
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12 Tips for writing an academic assignments

The Write Way: Strategies to Enhance Clarity and Coherence in Assignments

According to experts, students who write their academic assignments regularly have a better chance of getting higher academic marks due to an enhanced knowledge base. There is no doubt that writing academic assignments can be challenging, especially for college students who often juggle multiple courses and deadlines. However, adhering to a set of expert guidelines can significantly elevate the quality and effectiveness of your work. Twelve key tips stand out as essential to succeed in your academic endeavors. Our experts have mentioned the top 12 tips for writing college-level assignments efficiently.

Types of Academic Assignments

Academic assignments encompass a diverse range of formats, each designed to foster specific skills and objectives. Students work on different academic writings during their college years. Whether it's technical assignments or creative writing, every task has a significance that enhances subject knowledge and skill in students. Our experts have developed visual content where you can see different types of homework that professors often assign you.

Expert Tips For Writing Academic Assignments

1. understand the assignment prompt:.

- Carefully read and dissect the assignment prompt. Ensure you understand the topic, word count, formatting style, and any specific requirements outlined by your professor.

2. Plan Your Time Wisely:

- Create a realistic schedule that allocates sufficient research, writing, revising, and proofreading time. Avoid last-minute rushes, as they can lead to subpar work.

3. Select a Strong Thesis Statement:

- Your thesis statement should clearly express your main argument or point of your assignment. It serves as the guiding principle for your entire paper.

4. Research Effectively:

- Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites. Take thorough notes and organize your research material to streamline the writing process.

5. Create an Outline:

- Develop a content structure that outlines the main sections and subtopics of your assignment. It helps you maintain a logical flow and cover all essential points.

6. Write a Strong Introduction:

- Craft an engaging introduction that provides context for your assignment, states your thesis, and previews the main points you will discuss.

7. Support Your Arguments with Evidence:

- Support your claims and arguments using relevant evidence, examples, and data. Properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism. You can also seek Assignment Help in USA if you need professional guidance to strengthen the content of your assignment.

8. Maintain Clarity and Conciseness:

- Write clearly and concisely. Avoid overly complex sentences and jargon. Make your ideas accessible to your readers.

9. Proofread and Edit Diligently:

- Carefully proofread your assignment for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Editing is crucial to ensure your work is polished and error-free.

10. Follow the Formatting Guidelines:

- Adhere to the formatting style specified by your professor (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). Pay attention to formatting details such as citations, headings, and reference pages.

11. Seek Feedback:

- Don't hesitate to seek feedback from professors, peers, or academic writing centers. Constructive feedback can help you improve the quality of your assignments.

12. Submit On Time:

- Always meet assignment deadlines. Late submissions may result in penalties or a lower grade. Use time management techniques to ensure timely completion.

Remember that writing is a skill that improves with practice. Be patient, and don't be afraid to make revisions and learn from your mistakes. By following these tips and dedicating time and effort to your assignments, you'll be better equipped to excel in your college coursework.

Impacts of Academic Assignment Writing

The impacts of writing academic assignments, also known as academic assignment writing, extend far beyond the confines of a classroom, profoundly influencing a student's intellectual and professional development. With the help of these factors mentioned in the infographic below, students acquire new skills and enhance their subject proficiency. Moreover, students get a better learning experience. Writing assignments not only helps in studying but also makes students highly competent in various academic and professional settings. Overall, the impact of academic assignment writing extends beyond academic achievement, playing a pivotal role in shaping a bright future for students.

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9 tips for improving your college writing skills.

BY MARCUS DANIELSON

Writing is an underappreciated skill that will probably be more useful in your career than you realize. College is the best time to sharpen your writing skills, so here are ten ways you can improve the way you write your assignments and dissertations.

• Focus on the topic

The best writers know how to focus on the topic and tie in different thoughts and ideas to make their point. If you’re writing an essay on fashion journalism, for example, you could use your knowledge about internet marketing and the cotton industry to make a clear and concise point about the way journalism has evolved over the years.

• Keep it simple

Keep your write-ups short and simple. Every assignment you get in college will probably come with a word count limit. While some writers struggle to meet the word count, others go way over the limit. The key to writing well is to stay as close to the word count as possible. Make your pieces relevant and informational without getting boring.

• Find a writing spot

Silence is key. While people can work and study in a noisy environment, almost no one can write in it. You need to find the college library or a quiet spot on campus to write your important pieces.

• Talk to the audience

Always keep the reader in mind while you’re writing. It helps to use the professor’s own lecture notes while writing an assigned essay, because it helps you tailor the piece for them.

No matter how good a writer you think you are, you always need to proofread your work. Even a quick glance over the finished draft will help you weed out a few silly mistakes. Use an online grammar checker and a plagiarism checker to make sure the work is error-free and completely original.

• Get someone else to proofread

Proofreading yourself is fine, but it’s rarely enough. Get someone else to look at your work and they’ll find problems you would have missed completely.

• Master Google research

Google is bound to be your best friend at college. Every piece of data or authoritative source you find will come through an in depth online search. Learn how to use Google effectively and you’ll end up with better data and information than your peers.

• Style Guides

MLA or APA styles are going to take a lot of time to master, but your college probably prefers one over the other for all your work. You need to go over the specific style guide your college requests to make sure the format is correct.

Like math, writing is a skill that develops over time. A ton of practice and regular writing can help you churn out quality work by the end of the semester.

These nine tips can help you boost your writing skills and deliver top-notch assignments throughout the semester. But writing is a skill that will help you throughout your career. So, take the time to master it now.

Bio: Marcus Danielson is a traveler and world-citizen,who believes in the power of education and enjoys spreading it. He also takes pleasure in reading, watching old movies, and taking pictures.

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Tips for successful assignment writing

Hi everyone! I'm currently a course instructor for different university classes, applying for professorships. I've taught some courses on assignment writing and wanted to share some advice for students that may help with meeting deadlines and writing clearly and concisely.

try to get your first draft done a week before the assignment is due. This will give you time to go back and revisit your work, send it off to another set of eyes for help, and make you feel more relaxed because you're not rushing to get last minute edits done.

revise your assignment at least three times with different purposes: (1) to make sure the content works and is clear; (2) to check for punctuation, grammar mistakes, spacing errors, headings, headers, page numbers, and missing or additional references; and (3) to check transitions and make sure your ideas and paragraphs flow into one another and finish off any other edits you find. I would then sleep on it and give it a once-over with a fresh set of eyes before you hit submit.

ask the professor questions. Don't be shy to reach out and ask questions for clarification. The good profs don't want to see you stressed or anxious because something is unclear. We are all human and sometimes what we are saying may not be as clear as it could be. There's no harm in reaching out to other students on discussion forums or to professors through email to ask for help so you know exactly what is expected. If you are struggling to understand assignment expectations, odds are others are too, and that doesn't set anyone up for success.

try to be formal and respectful in your communications in class. It sets you up for better communication with the professor when you start emails with "hi professor" compared to "hey (first name of prof)".

know your weaknesses and listen to feedback. Everyone has their strengths. If you're struggling with transitions, then that's what you should focus your efforts on improving throughout the course. Take the free writing help centre time to work on transitions. Or references. Or whatever you feel stressed doing. Our stressors with writing are not something to avoid. In fact, it's the opposite. Don't let your anxiety get in the way of strengthening your writing. Get all the help you can, including asking the professor for their thoughts if you are having issues.

of you have the option, write about something that interests you as much as possible. It will motivate you to write, you will probably dive deeper with reading various materials, and your arguments will sound stronger.

make sure to avoid informal writing (story-like words, or words that you would say to friends, "but" compared to "however", "on the flip side" compared to "conversely").

Just a few tips, but I hope they help!

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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9 Awesome Assignment Writing Tips to Get Better Marks!

There are some things that are common among every student in the universe: they do not like getting up early, they hate it when their best friend is absent, and they absolutely despise writing assignments.

Well, we can’t solve the first two problems (because it’s between you, your parents and your best friend) – we can definitely solve the third one – writing assignments.

We know that the word ‘assignment’ usually sends shivers down your spine. You have got a blank page, a ticking clock, and probably your best buddy – procrastination. Those are enough things to send you into panic mode.

So what if we tell you that writing those dreadful assignments can be a really fun and easy process? All you need is some assignment writing tips up your sleeve, and we’re going to give you just that.

Yes, in this blog, we’ll be sharing 9 tips that will completely transform your assignment writing process (and get you an A Grade.) Ready? Let’s go!

List of 9 Tips That Will Help You Write Awesome Assignments

1. understand what exactly you need to do.

Yes, we can use the “just swing it” method while doing a lot of things in life. But, it’s not very wise to practice it while writing assignments. (Unless you want to face the wrath of your teacher.)

Basically, even if there is even one tiny thing that you don’t get about the assignment, clarify it with your teacher or classmates BEFORE starting the assignment.

Otherwise, you’d end up working on something that wasn’t even supposed to be done, and all your effort and time would go down the drain, along with a good grade.

Moral of the story: If you want to ace the assignment, you’ve to be very, very clear about what you need to work on. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – because it’s always worth it.

2. Plan Your Time Well

Sometimes, we all wish there were more than 24 hours in a day. That way, we’d have so much more time to do assignments and meet the deadlines, right?

Well, you can still write great assignments on time. All you need to do is plan your time well. As soon as you get your assignment, create a solid schedule and follow it religiously until the deadline.

For example, you can set a deadline yourself for each sub-topic in the assignment, OR you can create a time-table and allot a few hours of the day to writing that assignment.

If you want to know more about how you can manage your time well and beat the procrastination monster, you can check out our comprehensive list of time management strategies.

3. Always Start With Research

First things first, gather as much knowledge as you can about the topic of your assignment. Read all the pre-existing material. In fact, take a deep dive into it.

After that, note down all the important points that you came across. Once that’s done, start working on your assignment using the knowledge you gained.

This way, you will be able to hand in a much more solid assignment because 1) the assignment would be more detailed and comprehensive, and 2) You do better when you know better.

Read more:   How To Make Class Notes Worth Reading?

4. Prepare a Structure Beforehand

Even though all those inspirational quotes ask us to ‘go with the flow’, it’s not the right thing to do while writing assignments. Assignment writing isn’t a piece of cake, so it’s better to be prepared.

Before writing the content of your assignment, first lay down the structure you’re going to follow. This will make your assignment writing process a lot smoother.

For example, if you need to write about what buyer persona is, you should first divide your assignment into different subtopics like the definition, importance, steps to create one, and so on.

5. Write a Classy Introduction

Your introduction is going to set the tone for the rest of your assignment, so you need to make it awesome. Write an intro that makes the reader feel like you know what you’re talking about.

Also, don’t keep the introduction too long. Cut to the chase and get to the meat of your assignment quickly. Remember, your introduction needs to hook the readers and grab their attention in a matter of seconds!

At the end of the intro, write a little about everything that you’ve included in the assignment. You can include a little background information about the topic to establish the context.

6. Don’t Use Slang Words

This isn’t a chat room. This isn’t an extra paper you’re scribbling on to pass time. This is an assignment – a professional thing that needs to be written professionally.

Even though you might have the habit of using slang words while talking or texting, you absolutely can’t use them while writing your assignment. As simple as that.

For example, you can’t write, “LOL girl, that was hilarious” to describe a funny anecdote or “Damn, that was dope” to describe an incredible thing that happened. 🙂

7. Proofread, Proofread & Proofread

Don’t just hand over the assignment to your teacher the minute your write the last word. Proofread it at least three times. Read it out loud. Check for spellings, punctuations, and other grammatical mistakes.

No matter how great your assignment is and how hard you worked on it, if the teacher comes across tons of mistakes in the assignment, it won’t be able to leave a good impression.

So, if you don’t want your effort to go down the drain, have some patience and proofread your assignment until you’re sure that there are no more mistakes.

Read more:   Study Guide: What is it & How to Create an Amazing One?

8. Cite Your References

When you’ll write your assignment, it’s natural that you’ll refer to books and other materials related to the topic. After all, as we said, research is the key to writing great assignments.

So, if you’re using a few lines, phrases, or stats from SOMEONE else’s work in YOUR assignment, don’t forget to cite the reference. Here’s why you need to do it:

First, if you cite the source of the information, your work won’t seem copied and it won’t be termed as ‘plagiarised’. Secondly, it’d give the impression that you researched thoroughly before writing the assignment!

9. Use Bit.ai

Last but definitely not least on our list of assignment writing tips is: use Bit.ai . This nifty platform simplifies and automates your entire documentation process.

See, you’ve spent hours working on the assignment. You did all the research, you compiled all the information, and you wrote the assignment really well.

But, between all this, you might overlook the presentation aspect of your assignment, which matters as much as the content of your assignment.

We totally understand. The deadline is lingering upon you, so you don’t have the time to care about the format of your assignment. But that doesn’t change the fact that a clumsy-looking assignment never works.

Luckily, Bit solves that problem for you by automating the design aspect of your documents for you. 😎 With over 90+ fully responsive and gorgeous templates , Bit has made the process of writing assignments super smooth.

With just one click, you can change the look of your entire assignment. You can even change the layout of the theme and update the color of your assignment too. How great is that?

Before you go!

Our team at  bit.ai  has created a few awesome education templates to make your processes more efficient. Make sure to check them out before you go, y ou might need them!

• Class Notes Template
• Lesson Plan Template
• Letter of Recommendation Template
• Recommended Reading Template
• Research Paper Template
• Thesis Template
• Checklist Template
• To-Do List Template
• White Paper Template
• eBook Template

Start Writing Efficient Assignments Today!

If you made it this far, we’re sure you’re going to ace your next assignment. Just follow all the tips we’ve given, use Bit.ai, and you’d end up with an assignment you could be proud of.

Remember, assignment writing doesn’t have to be a dreadful task. Just do thorough research on the topic first, prepare a structure beforehand, and you’ll be on your way to writing a great assignment.

If you’ve got any other assignment writing tips that worked for you, let us know by tweeting us @bit_docs. We’d be more than happy to include it on our list. Good luck!

Further reads: 

11 Grammarly Alternatives and Competitors You Must Know!

8 Different Types of Writing Styles (And How to Improve Your Own)

Top 9 Writing Checkers Every Writer Should Use!

9 Best Paraphrasing Tools In 2022 (Free & Paid)

Collaborative Teaching: What is it & How to Do it the Right Way?

12 Best Student Tools for Better Learning in 2022

Student Collaboration: What, Why, and Tools!

Lesson plan: What is it & How to Create an Effective One? (Free template)

Learning Objectives: What are they & How to Write them?

Thesis Statement: Definition, Importance, Steps & Tips!

9 Powerful Mind Mapping Software & Tools for Business!

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About Bit.ai

Bit.ai is the essential next-gen workplace and document collaboration platform. that helps teams share knowledge by connecting any type of digital content. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, anyone can work visually and collaborate in real-time while creating internal notes, team projects, knowledge bases, client-facing content, and more.

The smartest online Google Docs and Word alternative, Bit.ai is used in over 100 countries by professionals everywhere, from IT teams creating internal documentation and knowledge bases, to sales and marketing teams sharing client materials and client portals.

👉👉Click Here to Check out Bit.ai.

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9 Amazing Tips to Improve Assignment Writing Skills

Team Desklib

Published: 2022-09-02

Introduction 

In order to complete your college education, it is mandatory to adhere to acknowledge and complete all kinds of assignments and tasks that come with it. Written essays are one of the most frequent assignments and count toward your final course mark.

However, it can feel pretty daunting if you are on your own in this journey of growing and it may feel frightening to be doing the assignment on your own. It is very much possible that you can have a few doubts about your own capabilities as a writer. However, there are several strategies you may use to compose an excellent assignment and put your concerns to rest.

In this blog, we are going to discuss a List of 9 Tips That Will Help You Write Awesome Assignments:-

• Study and Preparation

You will get a reading list when you enrol in a course. It is important that you become familiar with it right away because your lecturers will pick texts from it that will aid you with your chores and assignments. Reading the items on your list will give you important new information on the subjects you need to write about. You'll find it to be more convenient when you need to write an assignment.

This point cannot be stressed enough that, research is crucial in every part of your assignment writing process. Maintain a strict routine by adding time management strategies . Additionally, double-check your deadline so that you won't have to experience stress when you notice that it is rapidly approaching.

Make your time and duties more manageable by dividing them into smaller, more frequent segments. So that you are never lagging behind in your assignment cycles and never miss out on achieving a higher grade. Create a timetable with several smaller deadlines. Finishing the deadline of the task will give you a dose of fulfilment and satisfaction and will motivate you to do more.  

• Recognize your task and make notes

Make sure you comprehend your project before beginning it because producing an essay that is incoherent or contains irrelevant information will prove harmful. Always be aware of what you're doing and the message you want to communicate. You can clarify your understanding of the requirements by reading the instructions again, if necessary. Moreover, it is advised that you decide the word limit and structure the assignment accordingly. 

Another crucial component of writing is note-taking. You must gather a variety of materials and resources related to your topic before you begin. As a guide, you should also draught an outline. Look over the numerous research sources, then jot down notes on the most important details you can use in your work. When you have all the data you require, writing will become easier to handle.

• Try sticking to the point

Giving a protracted series of typically rambling speeches may have worked for authors, but it is unlikely that it works for you as a blogger. Your line of argument will probably keep your readers' attention throughout the entire piece. Rambling frequently lacks this element, which could put readers off. Keep your content on the subject to improve readership and make it more readable. It will not only keep your readers interested, but it will also make it very simple for you to adhere to that single train of thought.

• Use a range of resources

Your lecturer will provide you with dates and instructions, in addition to possible resource recommendations. Sadly, a lot of students have a tendency to ignore this. You should look at your professor's rubric, for instance, to learn how they will score your assignment. The importance of a healthy student-teacher relationship also comes to light here. You will also gain knowledge of the goals or results of the assignments.

Reading lists, lecture recordings, discussion forums, and example assignments are some other resources you might get. Typically, a learning management system is an online platform where you may discover all of these resources. According to research, students who use learning management systems typically achieve superior grades.

• Start with a good beginning 

You need to make your introduction fantastic because it will set the tone for the rest of your work. An introduction should be attractive, in a way that it can catch the reader’s eye at the first reading. Additionally, avoid making the introduction overly long. Try getting to the point quickly within your answer and wrap it up quickly so that you do not deviate from the key points of the topic. This will not only make your write-up readable but will also attract readers as it will be a more polished version of your assignment. In the end, give the writers a brief summary as a conclusion of the introduction. To set the context, you can provide a little background knowledge about the subject.

• The ambiguity surrounding Commas and Semicolons

Semicolons are a contentious issue on our team that focuses on content. We either love them or hate them. Grammar checking  with Grammer Checker is an important aspect that we consider while writing assignments. When separating two complete thoughts, semicolons offer more of a pause than a comma but less of a hard stop than a period.

Make sure the sentences before and after the semicolon are complete thoughts if you must use one (with both a subject and a verb). "I adore semicolons, but I hate commas" is incorrect even though a comma would be better in this situation because the "but hate commas" component cannot stand alone.

"Let's eat grandfather," for instance, is a macabre illustration of how to utilize a comma. This line now sounds ludicrous since it implies that everyone in this group is attempting to consume their grandfather. Contrarily, if a comma is used, the statement will sound more like, "Let's eat, Grandpa." Now, this statement implies that the children are 'inviting' their grandfather to dinner rather than really eating him. The meaning of any sentence can be altered in this way by the placement of a comma.

• Proofreading is the Key

Proofreading frequently does not get the respect it merits. It's far too easy to put off jobs until the last minute and then finish them quickly. However, because proofreading is so crucial, it should be seen as a lengthy stage in the writing process. Proofreading can be the difference between a text reaching its intended audience or not. No author can create a brilliant paper without carefully reading, thinking about, and correcting what they have written, and proofreading is an essential stage in this procedure.

Effective editing and proofreading services are extremely necessary for the production of quality scholarly and professional writing. We all know that this can be done by working independently or by editing and proofreading your own work. But we are all aware of how draining it can be to actually finish your own writing and then edit it yourself. Proofreading is important because people are frequently unable to do their finest work since they have written so much that they are unable to see faults.

• Set Aside Time to Edit

Language editing usually happens after the initial draught of work is finalized. Authors should edit their work to improve the language and clarity of their thoughts and arguments after making sure it is properly structured and has appropriate material. The effectiveness of this approach will increase when you compare two documents .

This increases the reader's emotional response to the writing. You can edit and proofread something separately or jointly. The revision order is determined by the type of revision (research paper, essay, cover letter, etc.) and whether the author is self-editing or receiving assistance from a peer or professional editor.

Either the author or a more seasoned coworker can perform basic editing. 

• Recognize that not all errors are created equal

Marketing writers must be aware of the differences between academic writing and writing for the web. Format, sentence construction, and punctuation must all be altered. Make sure any errors you do make have a good reason behind them. It's acceptable to break the rules while writing for the web, but make sure you understand why you're doing it and whether it will be helpful.

In the early days of SEO, do you remember when authors would purposefully misspell words in order to rank for certain misspellings? There may still be cases in which you purposefully misspell a word or, as is frequently the case, invent a phrase, even if Google's intelligence has made this unnecessary. This, however, does not mean that you should abandon your uncontrolled creativity; rather, it means that you should write with clarity and purpose and be aware of your goals.

There are several difficulties in college life. One of these is writing tasks that will call for more sophisticated forms of communication, critical thinking, and information collecting than you may have had to do in high school. Remember that writing assignments don't have to be a miserable task.

You may easily do a great job if you just do extensive study on the subject prior and make a plan beforehand. The above-mentioned tips are here for your aid in order to write better and make things simpler for yourself rather than letting your assignments intimidate you.

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7 Tips for Students to Improve Assignment Writing Skills

February 16, 2023 by Bassey James Leave a Comment

In this article, you will learn how you can improve your assignment writing skills as a student.

Are you continuously scoring low grades on your assignments?

Do you want to improve your assignment writing skills so that you get excellent grades and improve your CGPA?

If these two questions are your key concerns, you have landed on the exact place. 

To help you out, we have shared the top seven tips that will help you write better assignments. 

Here you go!

Tips for improving assignment writing skills 

Writing a top-quality assignment is a challenging task. But you can achieve perfection in this task with smart work.

Whether you are a school, college, or university student , it is never too late to fine-tune your assignment writing skills. 

Below there are some tips and tricks that will help you write top-notch assignments in the shortest possible time.

Let’s have a look at them one by one.

Develop a reading habit 

Reading keeps your mind active and boosts your creative ability. 

In order to become a remarkable writer, you first need to be an excellent reader. 

On the other hand, if you do not like reading, you cannot become a good assignment writer. 

Reading gives you new ideas and inspiration. These two things help you become a better writer. 

As a student, you are not only bound to read books of your syllabus. Instead, you can read anything that appeals to you. 

You can read fiction, thriller, humor, or anything that sparks curiosity in your mind. 

Focus on the writer’s writing style and tone. 

Another plus point of developing a reading habit is that it increases your vocabulary. 

Master different writing styles

There are four types of academic writing you should be aware of. These are:

Descriptive style

It is the simplest form of academic writing. While writing a descriptive assignment, students need to provide factual information. 

Analytical style

Most often, students are also assigned to write analytical papers. In this type of assignment, they have to include descriptive writing. 

In addition, you also need to reorganize information and facts into categories. 

Persuasive style

In persuasive writing, you have to persuade your readers. In addition, you need to justify your feelings and opinion on a specific subject and convince them. 

Narrative style

Writers employ the narrative style of writing to craft short stories, novels, and poetry. 

Think about your assignment’s structure 

If you want to give the best structure to your assignment and improve your writing skills, you need to craft an outline. 

An outline can help you picture the flow of your essay, explain the points that need more research, and highlight the main points of each section.

Depending on what you are writing, the structure may seem different.

A standard essay comprises a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. 

However, fiction might follow this structure:

• Rising action

Pick the option that best serves your needs.

Avoid using flowery language

Many students use complicated words in their assignments to impress their readers. 

You cannot express your message by using complex words. Furthermore, your mentor and readers will not appreciate words that are hard to read and understand. 

Not at all!

So stop using hard-to-read words and sentences in your assignments.

Instead, use simple words to help readers grasp the main theme of your writing. 

Make a habit of using simple words in your paper. The more you use common words, the better it will be for you and your readers. 

Do not know how to simplify hard-to-read assignments?

You can paraphrase complicated sentences. An online word rephraser tool helps you replace all difficult words with simple synonyms. 

An online paraphraser is an AI-supported tool that changes the sentence structure and replaces all hard-to-read words with common words that keeps readers interested. 

In this way, you can make it easier for your readers to digest your content. 

Moreover, a rephrasing tool also breaks the long sentences and writes short and sweet sentences that are easy to read and scan. 

It helps you to learn different writing styles to present the same idea with different wordings. So it gives a helping hand to students. 

Keep your writing focused

Being focused on your writing is a challenging task, but it is a key you need if you want to improve your assignment writing skills.

Even though it seems pretty clear, it is easy to get caught up in small details and lose sight of the main point of your piece.

Most writing tasks require you to develop a thesis – the main point you want to make. 

Each paragraph you write should have something to do with your thesis. 

So stick around your paper’s thesis. 

Include citations & references

In order to make your academic paper look more professional and authentic, you need to include citations at the end of your assignments. 

Citations help you give proper credit to the author of the source you used to write your paper. 

Include citations in the required referencing style asked by your teacher. The famous referencing styles are:

Proofread it

Once you write your assignment, you should take a rest for a couple of hours. After that, you need to reread your paper to make sure it is written accurately and clearly. 

This is where proofreading comes into play. 

Do you not know how to proofread your assignments?

To proofread an academic paper, follow these steps:

Read your text aloud

Seems awkward?

This step helps you to trace the confusing structure and abrupt sentences. 

Print out the assignment

If you shift your focus from a computer screen to paper, you can find writing mistakes easily that slip through the cracks. 

Following the aforementioned tips and tricks will help you improve your academic writing skills. 

In this way, you can write a top-notch assignment that will impress your mentor. 

Best of luck!

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About Bassey James

Bassey Chimezirim James is an ardent writer who has written for top education and tech websites, which includes the likes of World Scholarship Forum, After School Africa, Gadget Wrights, etc. James is a public speaker; a graduate of Physics and the Team for the http://stayinformedgroup.com/ Project.

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35 Effective Writing Strategies for College Level

Graduating from high school and entering college, you may feel intimidated by the upcoming courses. As you wait for the first essay or another writing task, you might feel completely overwhelmed. Fortunately, there are plenty of effective writing strategies to help you get through your homework in one piece. And no, walking around and asking your peers “Will you do an assignment for me ?” isn’t one of them.

What strategies are helpful for college-level writing assignments? The ones that explain you the following:

• how your brain works;
• how to minimize distractions;
• how to keep yourself motivated;

This article covers them and explores the essential elements of college essay writing, such as research, structuring, and revising.

Look through these writing strategies for college students from our custom writing service . Select the ones you feel will work the best for you and use them in your tasks.

🔎 Conducting Research

Every writing starts with prewriting. Whether you choose your topic or a topic is assigned, your first task is to know how to perform research properly. You have to gather relevant sources to craft a thorough and informative essay. The process might begin with you examining your assigned topic or selecting one.

Either way:

Your goal here is to collect as much appropriate information as possible. Here is a list of writing strategies to help you do that.

• Whenever possible, choose a topic of interest. In the case you are assigned a specific topic, you can still choose an interesting angle or an unusual perspective.
• Always feel free to ask for help. While this might not seem like one of the most obvious writing strategies, don’t be afraid of asking. If you don’t think you know how to follow the requirements, you should question your instructor.
• Make good use of the Internet. If your professor has provided any links as sources, then you should use them for sure and expand from there. Remember to use only credible sources. Not all guidelines, articles, and research on the Internet are provided by writing professionals or experts in your subject matter. And remember that the Internet can be an incredible source of inspiration. The Muse can jump out from where you least expect it. Sometimes the social media sites, such as Pinterest or Reddit, can be quite inspiring and useful.
• Visit a library . They are still very relevant when researching for an assignment. A library is an incredibly valuable place if you have to get a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Start in the reference section and make use of available resources. Search the library’s catalog. Finally, take a trip to “the stacks” and browse the shelves in your subject area to see what titles are available.

Owl Purdue also provides some great tips on how to conduct research. And now that you’ve got it, you have to move on to the next stage. Do something with all those sources and information you have uncovered.

🏁 Getting Started

Sometimes, getting started is the most challenging part of a writing assignment, especially when you have to pick your topic. Knowing what is expected of you and having a good idea of what interests you are crucial.

But that’s not all:

Effective writing strategies include learning brainstorming techniques that will help you narrow down your essay topic and sift through the information you found. Then, you should be able to identify only relevant and up to date information.

Check out the following writing strategies for college students that offer brainstorming techniques and teach you how to start organizing that information.

• Use the free-writing technique. It is the first of the helpful strategies to master your writing skills. Take a pen and a piece of paper, relax, and just write down your stream of consciousness for a selected topic. It can be clumsy or grammatically incorrect, but who cares if it works for you and helps you to focus. Try to generate as many ideas relevant to your topic as possible. Never mind how good they are. At this stage, the more concepts, the better. Write down even the silliest ideas coming to your head. Set a timer if you wish. When your time is over, carefully check what you have written and evaluate it. Choose only the best ideas to include in your homework.
• Try mind-mapping. In the middle of the paper sheet, draw your question and use lines to connect that question to relevant ideas, words, and images. These elements might branch out to other concepts. Write them all down and connect one to another. In such a way, you will find out the trend in the ideas that will help direct you in researching and writing your paper.
• Begin constructing paragraphs. Sometimes the most challenging part of writing is to start. Use the information and data from your research and brainstorming sessions. You can distribute the information you have chosen to use between paragraphs. Note how many parts you will need and which points you will use in each.
• Come up with a topic sentence . You need one for each paragraph. Topic sentences are handy when you want to save time because it provides you with a summary of what you wish to include in the section

What’s now?

Well, it is time for the main event. Stayed tuned for strategies that will help you better understand the act of writing.

✍️ The Writing

Yes, it is inevitable. You do have to begin writing now. As long as you have done the previous steps well, you will be well organized and prepared.

But here’s the thing:

Writing can still be a complicated process , even when you know the above techniques. For this reason, you need to have a good grasp of the following writing strategies to ensure you can compose something that is intelligent and expresses your views appropriately.

• Use an active voice whenever possible. Towson University gives an excellent description of active and passive voice in writing. Writing in the active voice demonstrates that there is a subject (someone or something) and that this subject is conduction the action expressed by the verb. The opposite is when the subject is being acted upon, which is the passive voice. Keep in mind that the active voice is much more potent and is the preferred option.
• Minimize the use of “there is/there are.” Do not hide the doer of the action using these phrases. (For example, you have to write “Three ways exist to tackle the problem” instead of writing “There are three ways to tackle the problem.”)
• Start quoting with the author’s name. Do not confuse your readers by starting sentences with phrases like “It has been…,” like “It has been hypothesized that…” A reader cannot understand who has done the hypothesizing. Since a hypothesis must have an author, start your sentence with the author’s name and give the proper reference at the end of the sentence: “John Doe hypothesized that…(Doe, 2005)”
• Avoid redundant words. You should delete any redundant words, such as “completely,” “extremely,” and “absolutely” in the majority of situations.
• Make sure your writing is clear. The reader needs to understand all the points you have made.
• Ensure your writing is concise. Avoid using general statements to make your readers think that there is more valuable information than there actually is; stick to the point.
• Make your writing precise. Your written work has to communicate the meaning you intend to get across to the reader.
• Remember that accuracy is vital. Be sure to double-check facts before using them.
• Approach your writing with honesty. Good writing has to be free of prejudice and has to reference all sources of information.
• Don’t edit while you are writing. Otherwise, you will interrupt the flow. You can save the editing until after you are finished writing your rough draft.
• Don’t be afraid to skip an introduction . If you have difficulty writing it, leave it for now. It is OK to start writing with the essay’s body and go back to the introduction when you are ready.
• Be sure to look up synonyms for words you find repetitive. The significant thing is the use of different vocabulary when writing. It’s amazing how effective and inspiring a synonyms search can be. Look for them in online dictionaries or choose the suggestion option in MS Word.

The writing will take care of itself, as long as you can focus.

🤔 Staying Focused

It is easy to lose focus when you are working. Either you are becoming tired and lacking concentration or procrastinating. Finding other things to do than settling down to write can seem desirable. You should focus and be highly productive during your work time.

How do you accomplish this?

These tips for struggling writers are some of the writing skills that are useful in college. They can help you stay focused:

• Work with the rhythms of your brain. The human brain goes through a process called the ultradian cycle. It takes you through periods of active concentration and focuses and then into periods during which it needs rest. Fast Company explains that the natural cycle is to work for 90 minutes and rest your mind for 20 minutes. You will then be energized enough to work for another 90 minutes. If you take advantage of this natural cycle, you will always be working at peak efficiency, and you won’t lose focus and waste your time.
• Incorporate physical activity into your breaks. When you do take some rest during your writing time, doing some form of exercise is essential. Stand up and do a couple of stretches or go for a walk. Sing, dance, wave your hands, or even scream. It will help you wake up and complete your essay as soon as possible.
• Try listening to music . If you are working in a place with various distractions, it is a good idea. Music can help you reduce tension and concentrate. Make sure you don’t start singing because it can be very distracting. Choose tracks without lyrics or songs in another language.
• Block out all potential distractions. If you don’t need to use the Internet, then work offline. If you need access to the Internet to do research, close any tabs related to your email and social media. Oh, and turn off your phone! All the Twitter updates and text messages can wait. Avoid drinking too much liquid because bathroom breaks can be very disruptive. Avoid anything that could distract you during a work session.
• Plan something fun to do for after you are done with your work. Sometimes, an immediate reward means a lot. Think of what you will do after you finish that essay because this will motivate you to write faster. Promise yourself that you will take a walk, eat a treat, or call a friend. Then your writing will move at lightning speed. Knowing that you have to complete your project by a particular time can be very motivating, but knowing you have something exciting to do when it’s done can be even more motivating. With this in mind, just get your work done and enjoy life!
• Use the carrot and stick method to keep yourself motivated. This approach is practical. Praise yourself if you start early and punish yourself if you fail to start on time. Be ruthless. Stick options include not using Facebook for a day or two or working out longer than one hour. Carrot options could be eating a nice treat or watching your favorite series or funny cat videos.
• Think of the worst consequences of failing that assignment. Let these motivate you. What might happen if things go wrong? Will you fail the entire course? Will you have to drop out of college?
• Compete with someone. Suggest to one or more classmates that you compete in writing your assignments to see who can get theirs done first. Of course, it’s not the most exciting game ever, but since you have to write the essay anyway, a little competitive spirit might just improve your time management.

Now you are done writing, but there is still more to do…

📑 After the Writing

You have finished writing, and it’s brilliant! Or is it? Just because you have finished writing doesn’t mean your essay is done. You still have work to do because strategies for good writing include the following tips.

• Proofread, proofread, proofread! Now is the best time to start re-reading the paper and editing it, making any necessary changes. When revising, the University of Pennsylvania recommends you begin with fixing the big things, like organization and content. Then adjust the details, such as spelling and grammar.
• Nail the format. Chances are one of the conditions for submitting your assignment includes a precise style of formatting. Make sure that font and margins are correct. For help with formatting, check out this guide to formatting .
• Check your reference list and quotes. These are the must-have for academic writing. Be sure you have inserted all the citations and references you have used while writing your paper. For help on including them in your work, check out these articles on APA style and MLA style .

📰 Practice Essays

If you are still unsure about the above writing strategies, you can always choose to write one or two practice essays. While this sounds like it’s a lot of extra work, doing so will help you sharpen your college-level writing skills so that when you write your assignment, you will do a better job. Here are some activities for struggling writers that will help you write a practice composition.

• Prepare several pieces of paper . Writing your practice essays may be more manageable on the sheets than in MS Word. Paper lacks distractions.
• Surf the web to find practice essay topics. You may use any search engine and type in something like “topics for essays.” Pick a subject according to your grade level.
• Use the five-paragraph essay structure. Even in your practice writing, you cannot escape the academic organization.
• Pay attention to details. Keep in mind other critical criteria of composition evaluation like content, grammar, and style. You have to show your literacy.

Writing assignments don’t have to be scary, but you have to grasp the right writing strategies. Just click on this video to see how stress-free it can be.

If you are still struggling with writing when assigned an essay or another type of paper, you can find more help with Harvard College . You can also hire a custom writing company that knows how to help struggling writers.

Regardless of how you produce your assignment, you will have a top-notch paper to hand in to your professor. And thanks for reading! Share our writing strategies with those who may need them.

Further reading:

• Useful Revising and Editing Checklists
• Essay Checklist: How to Write an A+ Essay
• Common Mistakes in Essay Writing
• How to Control Words per Page
• Basic Writing Rules – Common Mistakes & Fixes
• 200 Powerful Words to Use Instead of “Good”
• List of Credible Sources
• An Ultimate Punctuation Guide

🔗 References

• Writing Strategies: Ministry of Education (Ontario, Canada)
• The Basics of Essay Writing: UNSW
• The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay: Thought Co.
• Example Five-Paragraph Essay: UW Libraries
• 50 Conducting Research: WU Libraries
• Brainstorming: UNC Writing Center
• Academic Writing Style: USC Libraries
• Formatting a Research Paper: UMN Libraries
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Essential Tips for Carolina Housing Assignments

By: Jordan Cady, with Matt Bertram

Welcome to Carolina Housing! Whether you’re a transfer student, an incoming first-year, or a returning student, understanding the housing assignment process is crucial for a smooth experience. My name is Jordan Cady, the Assistant Director for Assignments with Carolina Housing, and I’m here to guide you through the key points you need to know.

Priority Deadlines

One of the most important things to keep in mind is your priority deadlines. Carolina Housing runs various housing processes throughout the year, including returning room selection, first-year assignments, summer housing, and sometimes even winter break housing. Each of these processes comes with its own priority deadline.

• First-year students: The priority deadline is typically in May.

• Returning students: The priority deadline for the next academic year usually falls between October and November.

Make sure you know your specific deadline to maximize your chances of securing your preferred housing.

Communication Through UNC Email

We communicate all housing-related information via your UNC email. This includes move-in and move-out details, opportunities for room reassignment, and closure notices. It’s essential to regularly check your UNC email to stay informed and avoid missing important updates. While we do offer a newsletter for parents, all official communications are directed to your UNC email.

Understanding Your Housing Contract

Every housing application concludes with signing a housing contract. This contract includes critical information such as:

• Bill proration

• Cancellation penalties

• Rights and responsibilities of both you and Carolina Housing

Reviewing the contract thoroughly before signing is a good practice to ensure you understand all terms and conditions.

Resources and Support

Our processes vary depending on whether you’re a first-year student applying in the summer or a returning student applying in the fall. For detailed information tailored to your specific situation, explore our website, call us, or stop by our office. The assignments team is dedicated to making your housing experience as easy and comfortable as possible. We’re here to help with any questions regarding billing, room changes, room contents, and move-in procedures.

We’re excited to have you with us and look forward to meeting you. Welcome back or welcome to Carolina Housing!

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• Life Skills

Forgot where you put the keys? Experts (and a trivia buff) share tips to boost memory

Andee Tagle

Margaret Cirino

Where did I put the keys? Tips to improve memory

Eugene Mymrin/Getty Images hide caption

You don't have to be a trivia buff to be great at remembering things.

Monica Thieu , a four-time Jeopardy! contestant and winner of the game's 2012 college championship, uses memory techniques like mnemonic devices and flash cards to retain world capitals, TV shows, Olympic cities and more.

"With practice, absolutely everyone can make their memory stronger," says Thieu, who also researches memory, human cognition and emotion as a postdoctoral scientist at Emory University.

Listen to the podcast episode: Where did I put the keys? Tips to improve memory

That's because memory is selective. What our brains choose to remember is something we can train, says Charan Ranganath , director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis, and author of Why We Remember . "It can be biased, warped and reconstructed."

If you want to improve your memory, even if it's just remembering where you parked or where you put your keys, try these science-backed strategies from our experts.

Pay attention to what you want to remember

"The first necessary ingredient in creating a memory that lasts longer than the present moment is attention," says Lisa Genova , a neuroscientist and the author of Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting . "We need that input — otherwise that memory doesn’t get made, even if your eyes see it."

When people gripe about having memory problems, they're often having attention problems, she adds. For example, if you blame your memory because you can't find your parking spot, you probably weren't paying attention to it in the first place. So slow down and focus on what you want to remember.

Don't always depend on GPS. Your sense of direction will thank you

Create a rule and a habit.

If you repeatedly lose track of an object like your keys, wallet or cellphone, pick a designated spot in your home and keep it there when it's not in use, says Genova. That way, you don't have to expend effort trying to remember where you placed it.

"If you put it in the same place every time, you've made it [a fact], sort of like your address and birthday: My keys always go in this bowl. There's a rule and a habit," she says.

The more details the merrier

To form memories you'll naturally keep, make them as immersive as possible, says Thieu. This is especially helpful when you're tackling a subject that you find difficult to connect with.

Let's say you're trying to learn more about the Renaissance era. Commit the period to memory by absorbing information about it through a variety of mediums, says Thieu. Make a playlist of music from the era. Watch period dramas set at that time. And "any time you have an opportunity to learn something in a richer way, do it" — like going to a theater performance on the subject matter.

Our brains love to remember anything that's "meaningful, emotional, surprising or new," says Genova. So the more details you can give your brain to latch onto, the stronger that a memory becomes and the easier it is to recall later.

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Trigger your memory

When your brain creates a memory, it naturally weaves together all the sights, sounds, tastes and smells associated with that memory, says Genova. So use those connections to your advantage.

Let's say you're studying for a vocabulary test. If you always listen to Dua Lipa while you're studying and "have a chance to listen to Dua Lipa while you take the test, it might help you remember those words," says Genova. Psychologists call this process "context-dependent memory."

Genova suggests enhancing your study space with smells, music or certain tastes. Try chewing a piece of cinnamon gum, for example, while you're preparing for a big exam — and then again while you're taking it. Your senses can act as triggers for the rest of your memory to fall into place.

Negotiating isn't just for job offers. Here's how to use it in everyday life

"chunk" long strings of information.

If you have a big load of information to recall at once, Ranganath suggests a strategy that researchers call " chunking ." It's a way to organize longer strings of information to make them easier to recall. Let's say you want to remember the phone number (130) 555-1212. "That’s 10 digits, which is a lot to juggle around in my mind."

So "chunk" it into three parts, he says: 130, 555, 1212. Instead of recalling each number individually, you can recall the entire group — and then retrieve each individual number more easily.

Create a "mind palace"

Need to remember to grab eggs, milk and coffee creamer from the store? Ranganath suggests a method that memory researchers, as well as memory champions, call a "mind palace" — or the method of loci , which means "places" in Latin. You may have seen this ancient mnemonic device on TV shows like Sherlock .

This technique allows you to pair a place you know well, like your childhood home, with new information. Picture yourself placing the items of your grocery list around the house. Place a carton of eggs on your couch. Put milk on the kitchen counter. Put some creamer on the coffee table. Later on at the supermarket, recall this path through your house as you're shopping. It'll help you remember your grocery list.

How to start a new habit: think small

Try good old flash cards.

Don't overlook the power of reviewing flash cards, says Thieu. "Some of the best trivia experts I know do a lot of flash-carding."

Thieu likes to watch old Jeopardy! reruns and create flash cards for the information in each episode. Then, she'll use the cards to quiz herself. She also uses this technique to drill lists of more specific trivia information — say, the world's longest rivers or deepest lakes.

Take your flash-carding one step further by testing yourself before you learn the information, to see what you already know, and then afterward to see what you were able to remember. A pre-lesson test primes your brain for what you'll need to recall later on.

"We learn the most when we challenge ourselves — and that's an extraordinarily powerful tool for retaining information in the long run," says Ranganath.

Go easy on yourself

Lastly, don't expect your memory to be perfect, say our experts. It's normal to occasionally misplace your keys or forget to pay a bill.

"Life is an open-book test," says Genova. You're not cheating if you look something up or write it down. It could save your mental energy for something more meaningful.

The audio portion of this episode was produced by Margaret Cirino. The digital story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected].

Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts  and Spotify , and sign up for our newsletter .

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How Brian Burns Has Been Getting Ready for First Season with Giants

Michael france | 15 hours ago.

• New York Giants

Outside linebacker Brian Burns, arguably the New York Giants’ biggest off-season acquisition,  has high expectations for the 2024 season.  

Burns, who posted 8.5 sacks with the Carolina Panthers last year, recently participated in the annual “Sack Summit” in Las Vegas. This two-day gathering of the top NFL Pass Rushers allows them to exchange tips and network.

Former NFL guard turned NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, who stopped by the summit, shared a video of Burns working with fellow NFL pass rushers in which the new Giants defender explained how he uses the spin move by drawing blockers to outside.

@Giants @Fire_Burns99 @BuffaloBills @VonMiller Sack Summit here in Vegas. QB's are in trouble. We are learning. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/FOmql1hxK0 — Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) June 29, 2024

"All edge, all edge. So when I come [outside], and get him to commit, he gonna commit, when I get him to commit, that spin [move] is open every time ... and especially if you got an inside puncher," Burns said. 

"You got an inside hand puncher, he's giving that spin to you every time."

Buffalo Bills All-Pro Von Miller then joined the demonstration, where they discussed using the chop spin and shoulder roll off blockers. Baldinger asked how important hooking the elbow was, and Burns replied "the most important."

"Because that's the violent part, that's what's going to get you through there," Burns said. "The main thing with the outside spin is you gotta sell it, so like, the only time you'll see me pull out an outside spin is if I already beat him inside already ... because now he's [screwed]."

• RELATED: Brian Burns: The Good, the Great, and the Ugly

Burns has never really had a consistent pass-rushing partner on the field with him during his time in Carolina. With the Giants, however, he can look forward to playing with fellow outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and interior defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II in the Giants defense that will be run under new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

“It is exciting, especially when you have four guys that can do it,” Burns said earlier this year about the Giants' pass rush potential. 

“Allowing those guys to work is exciting, but it's earned. We have to show that we can get to the quarterback at a consistent rate by ourselves. That's going to take chemistry. It's going to take the form of a brotherhood. If I got Dex with me, just know if I got Dex with me, I got a plan.” 

While there are great expectations for Burns in this defense, he’s focused on being the best player he can be and letting things fall into place.

“ I feel like if I do what I have to do on the field, it will come naturally,” he said. “One of my sayings is to keep the main thing the main thing. My main focus is ball, getting better, and helping the team. Everything else will follow right behind it.” 

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MICHAEL FRANCE

Biden's debate game was hobbled because he tried to say too much. 'Less is always better,' a speech coach says.

• Joe Biden's debate performance disappointed Democrats, and even he knows it.
• Voters have worried about Biden's age, which showed during the debate.
• Despite his age, simply slowing down and saying less would have helped, a speech coach told BI.

Even President Joe Biden knows his debate performance was off.

Voters and legislators have long been worried about Biden's age , nervous that he's slowing down and spitballing about replacement candidates because of it.

But slowing down and saying less might have actually helped him perform better during Thursday's debate, Carmie McCook, a DC-based public speaking coach, told Business Insider.

Related stories

"Less is always better. Always. The more you throw out there, the more landmines you've got to step on. Stay focused," McCook said. "His team has to know if he has issues staying on target, you just drill, go back to the message… Don't let the other person sit in the driver's seat and dictate what you're going to say."

Viewers seemed to agree that former President Donald Trump won the debate , even though he also didn't articulate himself very well. Both candidates are hoping voters look past their obvious flaws .

McCook said Biden also takes time to express his thoughts in speech, due to his lifelong stutter, which didn't help his optics.

"I'm sure he was tired because they probably were drilling him, and he probably didn't feel well," McCook said. "He stutters, and I work with a lot of people with that same issue. I do know it takes time sometimes for you to formulate your word, and it does look like you're lost in thought because you're trying to figure out, 'Which tongue muscles can I use? Or what alternative word can I use?'"

Max Burns, a Democratic strategist, said on X that Biden needs to get out to rallies to "push back against the stiff and meandering image he portrayed on Thursday."

"Biden needs better (and frankly, less) prep in the future. He was clearly bogged down trying to recite long lists of data points instead of engaging more organically, like he did in 2020. That can be worked on, but it needs to start now," Burns posted on X .

McCook made similar points.

"Slow down," she said. "Take your time. Do not let the other person rattle you because that's what they're there to do. Stick to your top three to five points, and that is it."

Watch: Surprising misconceptions about Trump and Biden ahead of the 2024 election

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