What is coursework? Every student has this question in mind when he or she gets a task to write it for the first time. The main goal of such an assignment is to prove to a teacher that a student has understood everything he or she has learned in a specific course or during an academic year.
If you want to submit impressive coursework, here are a few tips to take into consideration. To begin with, carefully select an issue to dwell upon in your piece of writing. Decide what the goal of your coursework is going to be. Make sure you understand the assignment requirements. The best advice is to choose a subject that has not been researched too often, but is not under-researched as well. If a topic is diverse, narrow it down and articulate the subject you are going to dwell upon in a clear way. If possible, make certain there is only one way to understand the issue you have selected. Do not hesitate to consult your superior regarding the topic you want to choose. He or she may suggest a better one, or navigate you in the right direction. Ask what his or her opinion regarding the subject you have chosen is. Your supervisor has a lot of experience, which is why he or she may decide right away whether a certain issue is suitable for a coursework topic or not.
As soon as you have chosen a topic, start writing a plan for your coursework. This part is of great importance, as a properly written outline helps you stay concentrated on the main idea of your paper. What is more, a carefully written plan can serve as a step-by-step guide for you. When you have a structure of the coursework right in front you, you understand what you are supposed to work on next, as well as what aspects might require improvement.
Then, decide what research methods you are going to use. There is a lot to choose from depending on the subject under consideration: observation, interviews, polls, experiments, analysis, comparisons and many others. It is advisable to check with your supervisor what research methods should be used.
The next step is to gather all relevant information. This is a time-consuming process, as you will need to go to the library, and to keep looking for useful materials on the internet. Take notes as soon as you come across a source you are going to use. It will help you organize your piece of writing better. Having done that, create an outline for your coursework. An outline is a more detailed version of a plan for your coursework.
After that, get down to the process of writing. Start creating your first draft. Do not worry if your piece of writing does not look perfect at this stage. The point is to present a topic, to provide enough evidence to support it, and to make sure there is coherence between paragraphs. You will create a couple of drafts in the process of writing coursework. Do not forget to allocate enough time for editing and proofreading. The latter is one of the most essential parts not only in coursework writing, but also in academic writing in general.
Research is crucial for coursework writing. Make sure you do not paraphrase what has already been said in previous research studies. For this reason, it is significant to come up with a unique topic that has not been thoroughly researched yet. This way, your coursework will have novelty, and it will be easier to prove why the subject you have chosen is relevant these days. Gather as much data as possible. Make certain you have used different sources. Check whether they are credible before citing them. In general, about sixty percent of coursework writing should be dedicated to conducting a research study. It is much simpler to have tons of sources to choose from rather than to have nothing. Coursework is a deep analysis of a certain topic. Another reason why the information you provide in your paper has to be credible is that a coursework provides a reader with a hypothesis for further research. In other words, you can develop a thesis from your coursework later on.
Start working on this assignment early on. Students typically wait until the last minute. However, coursework is not that kind of paper you can write overnight. It requires thorough research and careful planning. Having enough time on coursework writing means being able to avoid common mistakes students usually make when they work on such an assignment. When you are done with coursework writing, take a break and get back to editing and proofreading in a day or two. Make sure your piece of writing is easy to understand. Use transition words and subheadings to create a natural flow of thoughts. Check whether the whole paper is coherent. Avoid long sentences and over-complicated language. Use precise words and accurate vocabulary to express your ideas. Break a sentence into parts in case it is hard to understand. Do not hesitate to take a look at Stanford coursework examples to see how such papers are written and formatted.
Coursework is quite often listed on resumes. If you are willing to know how to list relevant coursework on resume or want to take a look at a relevant coursework resume example, here are a few helpful tips to consider.
One of the main reasons why students include coursework in their resumes is that they do not have a lot of work experience. This way, listing coursework is a great way to demonstrate one’s practical knowledge in a certain field. If you are going to include coursework in your resume, do not forget to mention related courses as well. A potential employer will see what areas you have a deep understanding in. For instance, list any courses related to politics or law if you are applying for a position of a paralegal. If you have completed academic projects in related areas, specify this information in detail in your resume. Have volunteering experience? Feel free to mention that as well.
In regards to mentioning coursework in a resume, it is important to understand why you want to add it. For example, you want an employer to see that you have a lot of relevant experience in a certain area or that you comprehend what this particular job entails. Listed coursework on a resume helps an employer understand what your level of expertise in this particular area is and whether you will need additional training or not. Even if the topic of your coursework has a slight relation to the position you are applying for, do not try to list any fabricated coursework on your resume. It will be spotted right away. Besides, you will not be able to do the job properly even if you get it, as you will not have the relevant knowledge and experience. Instead, list other educational degrees you have together with completed courses and written coursework. This way, you will demonstrate how diverse your knowledge base is and how determined you are to work at that company.
The details about your education should be listed in a separate section of your resume. If you have little-to-zero work experience for the position you are applying for, list your educational background first. It will draw an employer’s attention to your strengths. All internships and volunteer work should be mentioned as well.
Taking everything into consideration, writing coursework is a time-consuming assignment. Make sure you have enough time to conduct thorough research. Gather all vital information on the subject. Edit and proofread your paper to double-check everything. A lot of grammatical, syntactic, punctuation, and spelling mistakes can be avoided when you have enough time to reread your coursework. Ask someone who has a deep understanding of the issue to proofread your coursework as well. You will get an objective opinion, which will help you improve your piece of writing. Create a backup of your research materials, as writing coursework is a very lengthy process. You will always have a copy in case something unexpected occurs. Avoid broad statements and generalizations in your coursework. Choose one specific idea and dwell upon it in your piece of writing. Do not leave any questions unanswered. Cite credible sources and provide evidence to support ideas expressed in your coursework. Start writing as early as possible. You never know how much time this process is going to take. In addition, you will also need to proofread your coursework several times. Avoid doing that in a hurry. All in all, do your best to finish the final copy of your coursework before the due date to have an opportunity to improve it in case you are happy with the way you phrased a certain idea.
