Doing assignments

Lamiaceae · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject: Doing assignments

As you may or may not know, i've started a nightschool class. I was starting to get a bit bored of not actually having anything as a ( semi ) permanent fixture after work.

Anyway, we got given our first assignment recently, and so after staring at the question for what seemed like ages, I decided to phone a friend and as they are doing the same course I went round and we sat and stared at the question together.

Eventually, the thoughts started to flow again ( been a while I must admit doing essays and the like ) I typed them up on my laptop while she wrote what she wanted to put on A4.

I got to the end and announced I had finished she replied that she too had finished but needed to type it up.

I was puzzled by this as surely if you are going to type something up, why not start at the typing stage anyway and through the magic of Cut/Copy/Paste you can re-arrange your essay to suit how you want it to work.

I know a lot of people at school who used to do this, 'where they wrote it out first, then typed it up from notes'. Why? - why not just sit at whatever you use to type it up, and with class notes, text books, essay question, other research etc spread about why not just type it up as you go along?

Just always struck me as a waste of time, or am I the one missing something? - how did you go about producing essays, reports etc ?

aalpha obviously can't really answer in this thread, chalk and slate was the only method then Very Happy

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pickle · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 10:35 pm Post subject:

I suppose on a computer it's very methodical and you can't really read what you have put all at once.

I think it makes it easier for my brain to process the information in my own handwriting and if it needs to be re-arranged then I can do it before I type it up. Also sometimes you don't notice things on the computer are in the right order unless you print them off, so you are wasting just as much paper.

But just depends how your brain works I guess. The only reason I probs do it on paper first is because that's how I was taught and Microsoft word does frustrate me sometimes as I have actually never had a lesson in how to use it, just had to plod along.
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aalpha · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:21 am Post subject: Re: Doing assignments

area51newmexico · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 9:58 am Post subject:

I guess everyone works differently.

Some people find it much quicker to randomly scrawl notes onto a sheet of paper and to write down the ideas as soon as they come into your head before they are forgotten. Others find it easier to jot down their ideas as they come onto a screen. I've tried both.

A programme I found really useful when planning essays and revising is

http://www.inspiration.com/

You can create something that looks like a spider diagram. Starting from a central point, your ideas, thoughts and associations can be linked, colour & picture coded however you wish. In an exam, I visually went through the links to other ideas to form an argument.
It helped to organise my random and chaotic brain into organised sections. A brilliant help.

Here's one I made earlier for Employment & Business Law:

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aalpha · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 6:21 pm Post subject:

I remember that program when you were at uni. I would have bought it if I had been in school and needed it. It was a tad bit expensive for general curiosity hobby sorting. I just made that up!!

It really is a cool way to sort multi-faceted complex topics.
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Lamiaceae · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:04 pm Post subject:

whufc88 · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject:

I'm with Minty on this one, write the damn thing and then tailor make it once everything is on the screen!

Oh and uh, long time no chat everyone, what did I miss?
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area51newmexico · Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:35 pm Post subject:

whufc88 · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:39 am Post subject:

area51newmexico · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:44 pm Post subject:

whufc88 · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:20 pm Post subject:

Still at uni doing law. It's an unplanned extension I'm doing but, no complaints given how few jobs are available now.
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aalpha · Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:25 am Post subject:

Hurry up and graduate and take the PM to court for a poor job environment. You'll be set for life, and uh, maybe a favorite yank friend as well hey, mate? Very Happy

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