writing assignment calculator

Assignment Calculator

The Assignment Calculator breaks down research and writing projects into manageable steps based on your due dates.

Each step includes hints and "how-to" links. 

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Studiosity's assignment calculator

Start early and stay calm - you've got this..

Uh oh, due on the same day?

Due tomorrow?

Save your plan for this assignment:

• Read your assignment instructions, check the word count and marking criteria, double check the due date and the format.
• Circle keywords in your assignment question that tell you what to do. For instance, is it asking you to 'evaluate' or 'describe' or 'assess'?
• Try writing out the question in your own words, or explain the assignment to a family member or friend.
• Circle or make note of any keywords that are related to your subject or course specifically (in Nursing, this might be \"human structure\" or \"misconduct\"; in Business it might be \"ethics\".)
• If you have any questions on how to understand your assignment question or keywords, log into your free Studiosity account and connect live to ask a Specialist. Alternatively you could reach out to your lecturer or tutor to ask any questions.
• Use the right structure for your assignment type: is it an essay , report, personal reflection, persuasive or narrative, or scientific paper? Your assignment sheet or instructions from your teacher will tell you this.
• What do you already know? Spend a few minutes writing it down.
• Where will you look? Think about the tools you will use (perhaps your library databases, Google Scholar, others). Journals might be good for evidence, a credible online source or search might be good for general information.
• Get creative: When searching, think of other, related keywords that could give you new results and perspectives (for example the different keywords: Sport; Soccer; World Cup might give you different sources.)
• When taking notes, consider paraphrasing as you go - this means using your own words to describe someone else's idea. Paraphrasing can help you understand the idea yourself. (Remember, you still need to reference someone else's' idea even if you use your own words.) You might also choose to use a direct quote - \"exact words in a reference\" - or you might summarise, which is describing the findings of an entire source or section in your own words. If you take notes this way while researching, it will help you form your ideas, sentences, and paragraphs when you write your first draft.
• Save yourself some time - if you read something relevant, make a note right away . You might keep it in a \"research journal\" book or digital document, with correctly formatted references, dates accessed, and a brief note on what it relates to. This will save you a lot of time later!
• Remember those notes you took while reading? Now you can put them in an order that makes sense.
• Take notes to suit the type of structure you need to follow.
• Whether you are typing or writing, one method is to start with headlines - for example, by argument, by topic, by idea - and group the notes you made this way.
• Use your own words, using language that your teacher expects.
• Use evidence, properly.
• A draft isn't perfect! Try to write everything down first. Then, try to focus on developing those notes into organised paragraphs, based on the structure you need to follow.
• If you're not sure where to start, you can always connect to an English Subject Specialist who can help guide you on how to start your assignment
• Get trusted AI-powered feedback on what you have written so far. Studiosity is free for many students, so find your service to   upload your document and get fast, personalsied feedback to help improve your draft, in just minutes.
• Always check with your teacher or lecturer if you are unsure, or want feedback on the content or even referencing of your draft.
• You've got feedback, great! Now you need to do something with it. This is where you can critically think for yourself about the strength of your argument (if you're arguing), your references, and structure. Decide what feedback to use, and how you want to make changes if you want to.
• Make sure your assignment is formatted correctly for the task type and your teacher’s requirements.
• Do a proofread and last edit ( what's the difference? ).
• Use Studiosity to get a last round of writing feedback, before you hand your work in. You only need a few minutes to get your review, then you can take your feedback and make any necessary edits, before submitting your work.

Got a first draft? Get free writing feedback, in minutes.

Available in your university, school, or library student portal:, hbspt.cta._relativeurls=true;hbspt.cta.load(437097, '7dc81220-c506-4112-8eae-b3930b1cf104', {"usenewloader":"true","region":"na1"});.

Students : Think about your own workload, commitments, and choices. Leave enough extra time - especially if you usually procrastinate - and start your assignment as soon as you can. Always ask your own teacher for help.

Find your free access from your university, college, or school.

Educators and staff : This assignment calculator is inspired by advances in Transition Pedagogy and built using the knowledge gained from almost 20 years of experience helping students with time management, assignment skills and study skills, in order to build confidence, reduce anxiety, and increase capacity to succeed. 

Read more about how we help students every day.

"Will this assignment calculator do my assignment?"

No. It will give you ideas about how to start, which might make it easier. When you do have something written, upload it in your free Studiosity service. You'll get personalised feedback in just minutes, so you can improve your own work before submitting.

"My assignment is due really soon!"

Don't stress, and always speak to your own teacher. You can choose to get a last moment review with our AI-powered writing feedback service, or get instant  study support through "Connect Live" in your free Studiosity service.

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Assignment Calculator: A time management tool for use with writing assignments

Break your assignment into steps

Use the Assignment Calculator to break down your writing assignments into a series of manageable steps -- each with a separate due date.

All you need to know is the date you will start working on the assignment (be realistic!) and your due date. 

Read through your assignment guidelines and note requirements such as citation style and page limits.

If your topic is broad (e.g. "write an essay about healthcare") then narrow or focus your topic before you start researching. .

For more about narrowing your topic, try:

• Developing a Topic for a Research Paper: Narrowing Your Topic , a quick video (3 minutes) plus tips, from University of Regina's Archer Library.
• University of Nevada Las Vegas's Topic Narrowing tool , for a mind mapping approach. 

Gather research from credible sources to develop your topic. There are many places to search for credible information, including the SFU Library or Google Scholar.

Review the information you find to understand your topic. You will want to pay attention to relevant beliefs, trends, thoughts, and facts, giving more emphasis to the kinds of information your assignment asks you to focus on. 

For more on finding and evaluating sources, see:

• What is a scholarly journal ?: For how to identify and evaluate scholarly journals, magazines, and trade publications -- both print and online.
• Finding and evaluating resources : Tips for finding and evaluating the reliability of publications, whether you find them on the open web, in the Library Catalogue, using Google Scholar, or elsewhere. 
• Search the SFU Library for tips for books, and journal articles, and tips from subject expert librarians.

Create an overall statement that both summarizes your research and indicates the significance of your main claim or argument.

Not every research paper needs an argumentative thesis statement, but if you’re asked to take a position on a topic, then your thesis statement should also be debatable.

Remember that an effective thesis statement presents both your main claim and your central reasons for making that claim. 

You can always adjust your thesis statement as you draft your paper.

Looking for more?

• Try these tips on constructing a thesis statement from Walden University.
• You can also review these  templates for argumentation , from the SFU Student Learning Commons. 

Outline the main sections and/or paragraphs you plan to write about in your paper. 

Each section or paragraph should tie in with your thesis statement.  In your outline, make notes about how each section of your paper relates to your thesis statement. 

Also note which facts, articles, and/or evidence you will use to support your claims.

• Try these suggestions for the essential sections of an outline  from Walden University
• The University of Toronto's  guide to organizing an essay has some good outlining examples

Refer to your outline and expand your ideas into complete sentences and paragraphs.

The writing doesn't need to be perfect -- just focus on getting your ideas written and solidifying the key points of your paper.

Note the research sources you think you will write about and/or use as evidence in your paper in your outline. Be sure to include where you found the information, who the author is, and when the source was published. 

• Review these tips for writing a first draft from Berkeley
• Stuck? See these tips for overcoming writer's block: Writers Block (from Walden University) and Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block (from Purdue University)

Revision takes time.

In this step, look again at your thesis and make sure your paper advances your argument. At this point you might need to make structural changes.

Where revision asks you to look at the structure, organization, and overall argument in your paper, editing is about taking a close look at your sentence structures, transitions, and the concision of your writing. 

For more detailed tips and examples:

• Check out  Revising the Draft  from the Harvard College Writing Center
• To ensure your paper meets the assignment guidelines, and to check for cohesion, try  Reverse Outlines: A Writer's Technique for Examining Organization (University of Wisconsin - Madison).

Make sure that all your sources are properly integrated and cited. This step is important for ensuring academic integrity.

• Review the guidelines of the citation style you have been asked to use (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago).
• When do you need to cite? Test your knowledge with the  SFU plagiarism tutorial .
• Need more help? Ask a Librarian your citation question.

Review the style, clarity and flow of your writing. Focus on individual sentences and look for common errors in sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, or usage. Read your work out loud to help you catch mistakes. Printing out and checking a hard copy can also help you to notice typos that you might miss on the screen. 

Finally, format your paper to fit all your assignment guidelines.

• Try these techniques for sentence clarity from Purdue University.
• Review these Top 10 Self-Help Editing Tips from the Student Learning Commons

Submit your assignment, and you're done!

Remember that your instructor will provide you with helpful feedback on your assignment that can help you to improve both your writing and your writing process for future work. 

If you ever get feedback that is unclear to you, you can  bring it into the Student Learning Commons  for discussion with one of our Peers or Graduate Writing Facilitators. 

Book a consultation with the Student Learning Commons  at any of these stages to get more support. 

About this tool

These general steps will guide you through the process of writing most research-based essay assignments.

However every assignment is a little different -- so always refer to the your specific assignment guidelines, check with your TA or instructor if you have questions, and use your best judgement about which steps are necessary for you!

Further resources and more information

Looking for more types of assignments?

The University of Toronto Scarborough's Assignment Calculator  includes steps for literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, lab reports, poster presentations, and more.

Attribution:

• Our Assignment Calculator is based on the Assignment Calculator by the University of Minnesota Libraries.
• The image at the top of this page is a cropped version of  one created by Morten Oddvik  ( CC BY 2.0 ).

The Writing Assignment Calculator

Based on the original Assignment Calculator from the University of Minnesota.