Carefully read the assignment in full, as soon as you receive it. Do not put off this task. The more time you allow yourself to look at what you are being asked to do, the more time you will have to work through any problems that you encounter.
Make sure you understand the assignment thoroughly – ask your tutor if you’re unsure of anything. After you have read the assignment, could you describe to someone else what you are being asked to do?
Highlight or underline the words and phrases that are key to understanding the assignment.
Look for keywords - "instruction words" - in the assignment question that tell you what you have to do. The image below contains instruction words, that often appear in assignment questions, and their meanings.
Use a dictionary to look up any words in the assignment question that you are unsure of the meaning of.
If you have to choose from a list of questions, pick the topic that interests you the most. Doing an assignment can be a struggle sometimes - it's often less of a struggle if you are working on something that you find interesting.
[Image source: "Verbs". DBS Library. Used by permission]
