How to break down a big assignment

1. Read the brief twice

Mark exactly what you're asked to do, the due date, how much it's worth and how it will be marked. If there's a rubric, keep it next to you the whole time.

2. Work back from the due date

Count the days you have, take one off as a spare, and spread the steps over what's left. Put each step on your calendar like a plan with a friend.

3. Use steps like these

• Understand the question: what are you being asked to show?
• Research: find and note your sources.
• Plan: an outline, one point per paragraph or section.
• Draft: write it in your own words, without stopping to polish.
• Revise: check it against the rubric, then read it aloud.
• Hand in, a day early if you can.

4. Make the first step tiny

“Open the brief and write three questions about it” is much easier to start than “start the essay”. Starting is the hardest part, so make it small.

5. Research with a plan

• Start with your textbook and class notes, then your school library's databases.
• Prefer sources that say who wrote them and where their facts come from.
• Write down every source as you go, with the page or link, so citing is easy later.

6. Outline before you draft

Write your main point in one sentence, then one line for each paragraph and the evidence it uses. Drafting from an outline is much faster than drafting from a blank page.