* By no means do I claim to be an expert: Juggling this amount of work has been a massive learning curve, and a lot of procrastination has been involved! These are just some things that I have come to realise, so thought I'd share *
1) It's gonna be hard, but it'll be worth it in the end...
My coursework is all worth 40% of my total A2 grade, so 20% of my A level. The way my teacher put it, if you don't put the effort into your coursework, it's like attending your exam and only writing your name. There's just no point!
2) Make the most of class time!
When you're in college/school, your teachers will probably give you quite a bit of time in lessons to do your coursework so I recommend making the most of it! It can be quite difficult to not get distracted while you're sat with your friends, but you have the teacher there with you in class - make the most of their expertise while its so readily available!
3) Accept that procrastination is inevitable
This is the hardest thing to do, especially when you have deadlines fast approaching and are a few words short of the minimum word count! I always sit down, determined to slave away until its done and then quickly print it off... Then I get distracted choosing a Spotify playlist, browsing social media, writing (but never finishing) a blog post, chatting to my sisters etc etc...
I look at the clock and its two hours later and I've only wrote 200 words! Once you accept that you're going to procrastinate, its a lot easier to put things in place to help...
4) Make a life as easy as possible for yourself
This kind of follows on from the previous - if you accept that you're going to get distracted, then you can try and help yourself. A great tip I learnt is to open two desktops on your laptop/computer. Have one open with all your work things on, then the other with your social media tabs and your music. Also, mute your chat notifications: It's so easy to get involved in a conversation when you're meant to be working! Set a timer for how long you're going to work and then have a quick break- get a drink, a snack, check your phone, change the music - whatever you want to do, get it over with then!
5) Most importantly, remember why you're doing it...
I know from my own experience how easy it is to get disheartened when your work is coming back draft after draft with seemingly endless corrections. It can be really frustrating, but the advantage of coursework over exams is that your teachers are there to help you make it perfect! They're going to do everything they can to help you get the best grade possible. Remember that end goal - whether it be that uni place, job, apprenticeship or whatever, remember why you are putting yourself through it. It'll be worth it in the end. We can do this!!
I hope you have enjoyed this post - its been nice writing something a little different! If you have any feedback or post suggestions, feel free to email me: annajordanucas@gmail.com. Also, if you'd like to vote for me as Blogger of the Month you can do that here! Thanks!
That's all from me for now, until next time :)
Anna x
3) Accept that procrastination is inevitable
This is the hardest thing to do, especially when you have deadlines fast approaching and are a few words short of the minimum word count! I always sit down, determined to slave away until its done and then quickly print it off... Then I get distracted choosing a Spotify playlist, browsing social media, writing (but never finishing) a blog post, chatting to my sisters etc etc...
I look at the clock and its two hours later and I've only wrote 200 words! Once you accept that you're going to procrastinate, its a lot easier to put things in place to help...
4) Make a life as easy as possible for yourself
This kind of follows on from the previous - if you accept that you're going to get distracted, then you can try and help yourself. A great tip I learnt is to open two desktops on your laptop/computer. Have one open with all your work things on, then the other with your social media tabs and your music. Also, mute your chat notifications: It's so easy to get involved in a conversation when you're meant to be working! Set a timer for how long you're going to work and then have a quick break- get a drink, a snack, check your phone, change the music - whatever you want to do, get it over with then!
5) Most importantly, remember why you're doing it...
I know from my own experience how easy it is to get disheartened when your work is coming back draft after draft with seemingly endless corrections. It can be really frustrating, but the advantage of coursework over exams is that your teachers are there to help you make it perfect! They're going to do everything they can to help you get the best grade possible. Remember that end goal - whether it be that uni place, job, apprenticeship or whatever, remember why you are putting yourself through it. It'll be worth it in the end. We can do this!!
I hope you have enjoyed this post - its been nice writing something a little different! If you have any feedback or post suggestions, feel free to email me: annajordanucas@gmail.com. Also, if you'd like to vote for me as Blogger of the Month you can do that here! Thanks!
That's all from me for now, until next time :)
Anna x
These are great tips! I NEVER have to write essays any more - but a lot of these are transferable. Especially the one about accepting procrastination is going to happen!
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