Have you ever got busy with studying and other tasks that you forget you had an assignment due?
That’s exactly what happened to me once during the second semester. I got busy with exams and other things and forgot about my business assignment. I remembered it when I had only two days left before the deadline.
Instead of wasting time worrying, I stayed calm and divided those days into focused working blocks and submitted it on time without loopholes.
I have outlined exactly how I covered tasks at different times during those 2 days, so you can plan your work.
Let’s get started!
The Tasks I Covered Day 1
I Spent the Morning Preparing a Checklist from My Prompt
Before starting the work, I spent almost 1.5 hours reading the assignment prompt and turning it into a clear checklist, so I did not have to check it repeatedly for each instruction.
Here are the tasks I included in my checklist:
- The exact question I was required to answer.
- The answer approach I had to use (analyse, evaluate, discuss).
- The business theories and frameworks I specifically had to work on.
- The word count, reference and citation formatting style I had to follow.
With this checklist, every major and minor task became a crystal-clear path for me, because I knew the exact tasks I had to cover.
I Conducted Research and Created a Skeleton Outline in the Afternoon
I was aware that there wasn’t enough time to spend reading every single article that seemed like a relevant source on Google. Instead of wasting time on Google search, I first figured out what type of evidence I needed for each section and then conducted focused research.
After being clear about what I needed as evidence, I looked for
- The lecture slides and notes I prepared during class.
- Specific business reports and industry reports I had to include statistical data from.
- I also browsed through Google Scholar and my university’s library to find three to five references that were both credible and relevant to my assignment.
Since I had conducted enough research, I started working on preparing a skeleton outline to simplify my work by mapping out the main headings before writing.
- For the introduction, I listed the core argument and key findings I planned to talk about in my content.
- I wrote the first main point where I would apply a business concept or model.
- I discussed the second point and also listed the evidence I would support here.
- I listed the ideas I was going to apply to the specific business concept.
- I mentioned the points I had to include in the analysis section.
- Lastly, I mentioned what I was going to include in the conclusion and how I would answer the question clearly.
Since I was required to write 2000 words, I assigned a specific word count to each section. It helped me avoid writing a lengthy section that could have left no room for other sections.
I Prepared the Initial Draft by the Evening
I set everything aside, kept the outline with me on the study table, and switched off all unnecessary notifications to work with full concentration.
I began writing and focused on turning ideas into words first, instead of trying to sound perfect. By using the same technique, you should write your initial draft without editing and refining each sentence while writing.
- In each section, I focused on the PEEL paragraph format to make sure I was working with the right approach.
- I made sure to connect each theory and concept to my main topic.
- I kept the focus on explaining sources of evidence instead of including simple explanations.
Honestly, this made it even easier for me to complete the harder task first, which was writing the draft. On the second day, I was only left with much easier tasks like editing, proofreading, and finalising the entire assignment.
What I Did on Day 2 to Complete the Assignment
I Checked My Work Against the Prompt in the Morning
After breakfast, I immediately started working on my assignment. I didn’t fix the errors first and moved to confirming I followed every instruction.
I used my learning outcome and prompt as a final checklist to make sure that:
- I had answered the exact question.
- I used the required citation style across the content.
- I did not exceed the required word count.
I Proofread and Checked the References by the Afternoon
Throughout the afternoon, I checked each reference to be sure that I left no citation mistakes.
Here’s how I proofread citations:
- I confirmed that I had cited every reference.
- I matched each reference to the corresponding number on the reference list.
- I verified that all author names and publication years were correct.
- I also ensured that all statistical data and content from business reports and other sources were correct.
I Spent the Evening on Editing and Proofreading
Finally, I only had editing and proofreading left, as I had already fixed errors in the in-text citations and referencing style in the afternoon.
I began with,
- Re-reading the entire content in a different font made it easier to identify and eliminate grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence-structure errors.
- I also read everything aloud, which helped me catch awkward phrases and complex sentences that impacted the readability.
During this process, I got stuck on improving the transitions in each section and making sure that my arguments were strong. Then, I looked for an expert assignment writer in Canada to get help with further proofreading. Through professional assistance, I was able to fix the logical structure of my arguments, improve clarity, and eliminate words and phrases that were breaking the flow.
Bringing it All Together
To sum up, you can manage even an urgent deadline by working in focused blocks.
I hope the strategies that worked for me in making it possible to complete and submit an entire, 2000-word business assignment without any hassle can also be useful for you.
Remember not to panic. Instead, stay calm, prepare a focused schedule and begin working.
Good luck with your assignments!