It’s a beautiful Monday morning, perfect for your Political Economy class. And you’re ever ready, looking cool and sassy, waiting for your Professor to arrive.

He’s arrived. He’s delivered perfect 1 hour: 48 minutes lecture. But something happened before he stepped his legs out of the class.

‘Take this as an assignment,’ he commands. ‘Define the term ‘political corruption’ and stress its impact on Nigeria’s economic stagnation. Submit next week.’

Now your beautiful day turns ugly, because you hate writing assignment or any essay writing.

You feel it’s too demanding, exploiting, too much a threat to your leisure time. So, you threw that assignment in the pit of rage and never looked back.

It’s really OK that you’re having this feeling. You’re not alone. Most students hate assignments. In fact, you should have these feelings because no Nigerian university – that I know of (and you can correct me on this one) – has writing course in its curriculum, even though, I think universities should, as a matter of urgency, incorporate writing in their curriculum.

Therefore, it’s normal to feel scared at writing an assignment because, writing, like any other art, requires years of training, practice and commitment.

If your assumption is that: assignments are mostly done in written form; I’m not good at writing; and, therefore, I can’t write any assignment, then these tips will help you reconsider your thoughts.

Understand the question(s) first.

The first thing that you should do, once you’re giving an assignment, is to try and understand the question thoroughly.

I know this sounds pretty obvious, but seriously, most students, even when they think that they get the assignment question; in reality, they don’t. And the reason is that, their attention and interest is way off from the assignment question that’s being asked.

And when there’s no focus and interest and attention, then there will be no thorough understanding of the assignment question. And without really understanding what problem your professor is asking you to solve, there’s no way you can write your assignment, no matter how simple and straightforward it sounds.

To get laser focus at understanding your assignment, you need to:

 Befriend the question (literally).
 Smile at it.
 Get to know every sentence, every word in that question.

I also recommend that you translate the assignment question – word for word – in your mother tongue – just so you master the question even more. This is how I have been reading over the years and that has helped me passed my exams (pretty well) at every level in my academic career.

You also need to be critical when making sense of the assignment question. Don’t just rely on the wordings of the assignment; uncover what your professor implies.

Once you’re sure of what the assignment requires you to do, then move further to the next step: research materials.

Determine your keywords

These are the words/phrases that are the building blocks of your question. In the assignment question which reads: ‘Define the term ‘political corruption’ and stress its impact on Nigeria’s economic stagnation,’ for example, your keywords are:

 political corruption
 economic stagnation

Why does finding your keywords important for writing your assignment?

1. They will tell you what materials to search for.
2. They’ll help you stay focused on your research and writing processes.
3. They’ll help speed up your writing.

So, find your keywords and keep them handy.

Know where to source your research materials

There are a billion websites, blogs, podcasts and other valuable channels on the Internet. Where would you source your research materials?

Google is the Internet’s no. 1 search engine. It gives you the answer to virtually everything you ask her. But, sometimes, Google’s answers are not direct, relevant or credible.

Low-ranking sites are buried within the algorithm of the search engine giant and using materials from these sites might hurt your assignment.

Use Google Scholar instead. It’s a great search engine that was created and managed by Google. And it’s very simple to use.

Structure your ideas

Now that you have expanded your knowledge on the subject and figured out what to say, the next thing to do is to organise or structure your thoughts. In other words, build a skeleton for your assignment.

Think of it as an architectural blueprint of a house. The blocks, the sand and cements are all used to construct the beautiful house on that blueprint. The structure, the points you intended to discuss in your essay, are your blueprint.

All other words you put in there are the meat of your body.
For example, using our assignment question example, you can structure your ideas as follows:

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Meaning and Explanations of Political Corruption in Nigeria

 1-3 definitions of political corruption
 1 classical example of political corruption in Nigeria

1.2 Effects of Political Corruption on the Slow Growth of the Nigerian Economy

 political corruption and infrastructural decay
 political corruption and epileptic education
 political corruption on economic growth

1.3 Conclusion

 summary
 recommendation

References

Write, Edit and Reference

Now, just fill in the points with flesh and blood (valuable words).

Don’t expect your written words to be perfect at this time, because they’ll never be. Just write, not minding grammar goofs, spelling mistakes and technical information.

After you’ve written your ideas, it’s the right time now to edit.

Unlike during the writing stage, now you pay serious attention to your broken sentences, grammar goofs, spelling mistakes, check for correct data/information and so on.
It’s the editing that makes your assignment outstanding; therefore, make it perfect.

Also, don’t forget to reference all your work. Unlike opinion-based articles, your essay writing assignment must include a reference section where you list all the works you’ve cited (used) in your article.

Conclusion

I have to admit: writing an assignment is a little bit difficult. Sure, it’ll take you 3 hours or 33 days before you write that 2-page homework that your Prof. will grade favourably, especially if you’re not use to the task. But here’s the good news: You can learn it.

If you follow the tips I’ve outlined in this article and stay committed and patient to writing, you can write that 2-page assignment without any fuss or insulting your Prof.


Are you battling with assignment, essay writing, thesis writing? Or looking for a professional edits for your document?

Visit my website and consult me for professional academic writing and editing services that will not only inform and educate you but upgrade your Average Grade Point as well.


_____________
Suhaib Mohammed is a lecturer, professional freelance writer and founder and CEO of Cademica - the academic writing and editing company. Consult him for essay, thesis and other writing and editing solutions. And don't forget to follow him on Twitter – @Cademicaa and catch him on Facebook. 

JUPEB, Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board is a national examinations body approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria in December 2013. It was formally established in April 2014 by a consortium of ten (10) partnering universities led by the University of Lagos.

The JUPEB programme is an advanced level program of that allows interested candidate to gain admission into 200 level of JUPEB’s approved institution without writing JAMB UTME. this program is moderated by the University of Lagos.
for realizing your dream of university education.

JUPEB programme is intended for candidates aspiring to secure admission into any Nigerian University through Direct Entry (DE). The programme last for nine (9) months divided into two semesters. During this period, students are exposed to intensive lectures from Mondays to Friday every week and a weekly C.A test.

YOU DO NOT NEED JAMB TO BE ADMITTED FOR THIS PROGRAMME

The programme is certified by NUC (Nigeria University Commission)

It is more economical to go for this programme because it will save you the cost and stress of 100 level as you will be admitted directly into 200 level upon completion of the programme . Students with awaiting results can also register.

APPLICATION FOR 2016 ADMISSION IS IN PROGRESS, CLICK HERE APPLY WITH US TODAY

WHY REGISTER FOR JUPEB? Benefits Of JUPEB

- JUPEB certificate is accepted in over 95% of the universities in Nigeria for direct entry (DE) admission into 2oo level.
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- The nine months of studying for this programmes equates the period of time spent in 100 level of any university which simply means you don’t have to waste time applying for 100 level admission.
- Option to pay fees gradually through the period of study. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Apply Now!!!!

Nigerian Creates Bicycle Chain Charger. Innovative Or Dangerous??????

 

A hot debate is going on on Nigeria Twitter right now as to whether this man's creation of a bicycle charger is innovative or dangerous.

According to Pamela Braide, she met Isa in Bida, Niger state. They haven't had light for the past two weeks and to survive, Isa created this. He charges N50 per appliance. See how it works below and let's know why your thoughts are about this innovation, guys.

1. There are 2.5 trillion (give or take) of red blood cells in your body at any moment. To maintain this number, about two and a half million new ones need to be produced every second by your bone marrow.That's like a new population of the city of Toronto every second.

2. A red blood cell can circumnavigate your body in under 20 seconds.

3. Nerve Impulses travel at over 400 km/hr (249 mi/hr).

4. A sneeze generates a wind of 166 km/hr (100 mi/hr), and a cough moves out at 100 km/hr (60 mi/hr). A sneeze generates a wind of 166 km/hr (100 mi/hr), and a cough moves out at 100 km/hr (60 mi/hr).

5. Our heart beats around 100,00 times every day or about 30 million times in a year. Our heart beats around 100,00 times every day or about 30 million times in a year.

6. Our blood is on a 60,000-mile journey per day. Our blood is on a 60,000-mile journey per day.

7. Our eyes can distinguish up to ten million colour surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man.

8. Our lungs inhale over two million litres of air every day, without even thinking. Their surface area is large enough to cover one side of a tennis court. Our lungs inhale over two million liters of air every day, without even thinking. Their surface area is large enough to cover one side of a tennis court.

9. We give birth to over 200 billion red cells every day. We give birth to over 200 billion red cells every day.

10. When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph

11. We exercise at least 36 muscles when we smile. We exercise at least 36 muscles when we smile.

12. We are about 70 percent water. We are about 70 percent water.

13. We make around 1 to 1.6 litres of saliva a day. We make around 1 to 1.6 litres of saliva a day.

14. Our nose is our personal air-conditioning system: it warms cold air, cools hot air and filters impurities. Our nose is our personal air-conditioning system: it warms cold air, cools hot air and filters impurities.

15. In one square inch of our hand we have nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors. In one square inch of our hand we have nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors.

16. We have copper, zinc, cobalt, calcium, manganese, phosphates, nickel and silicon in our bodies. We have copper, zinc, cobalt, calcium, manganese, phosphates, nickel and silicon in our bodies.

17. It is believed that the main purpose of eyebrows is to keep sweat out of the eyes. It is believed that the main purpose of eyebrows is to keep sweat out of the eyes

18. A person can expect to breathe in about 45 pounds of dust over his/her lifetime. A person can expect to breathe in about 45 pounds of dust over his/her lifetime.

19. There are more living organisms on the skin of a single human being than there are human beings on the surface of the earth.

20. From the age of thirty, humans gradually begin to shrink in size. From the age of thirty, humans gradually begin to shrink in size.

>>Confused About Jamb New Policy? See Solution