Left your coursework to the last minute? Do not worry, many others like you are sitting in the same boat and have the same worries. Students are always faced with challenging deadlines and have to juggle many different assignments and coursework at the same time. Many students only have a limited time to complete their coursework in, which is why Ivory Research has created this article to offer tips and advice to help you get your coursework done in limited time.
Focus
You only have a limited amount of time to get your work done. It may only be a number of hours, taking into account your other work and academic commitments (and your human needs to eat, wash and sleep!).
Turn off all distractions when you sit down to do your coursework, including the TV/internet/mobile phone. Work somewhere quiet where you can be productive and won’t be disturbed, perhaps this is your university library or a quiet room in your house. Make sure that you have everything you need, including your coursework brief, any materials and resources.
Plan
Make a plan of what you need to do. This will help to keep you focused, stop you drifting off topic and will also act as a framework to base your coursework on. Read your brief carefully and take note of any key aspects such as the word count, case studies and any tasks you need to complete. If your coursework is long or complex, create a checklist of what needs to be done and tick each item off as you do it.
Take a Break
It is likely that you are going to have to work twice as hard on your coursework to get it done in a shorter period of time. Work hard, but remember to take a break. Take short, frequent breaks between 10-15 minutes every 1-2 hours. Get up and go for a walk, stretching your legs and getting some brief exercise will help to keep your mind and body alert.
Eat and Drink Healthy
It may be tempting to snack on sugary foods, especially if you are staying up late to get your coursework done. However, these foods will not do you any favours in the long run. A lot of chocolate and sugary snacks will leave you feeling bloated and you will experience a post-sugar crash a few hours later.
The same applies to coffee and other drinks full of caffeine, i.e. energy drinks and tea. It may seem like a good idea at the time but after a short while you will suffer a crash and energy slump and you will end up feeling less motivated. Unless you need to “pull an all-nighter”, staying up to complete all of your coursework in one night, I suggest you stay away from the coffee.