Skip to Main Content

Reassessment toolkit: your guide to success

Our guide can help to support you with any resubmission you need to do, whether you need to re-sit an exam or re-write an assignment.

Setting goals

So now you know what you have to do, you now need to make a plan and stick to it. But that’s not easy. Before making a plan of your time you need to consider what it is that you are aiming to achieve and by when. Breaking your big tasks down to small manageable goals will make the task less daunting, more achievable and you are less likely to procrastinate. Once you know what goals you have each week, you’ll be able to set yourself a plan. So what might this look like?

So, as an example, if I knew I had to re-sit an exam in 4 weeks’ time, I could break this down into a series of goals, such as:

  1. Make a list of all the topics that are covered in the module
  2. Rate the topics from ones I have a full grasp of through to those I struggle with
  3. Starting with the topics I am most unsure of:
    1. Read over the lecture and seminar slides on this
    2. Do any extra reading/ watch videos etc. to aid my understanding
    3. Create some revision notes/cards on the topic
    4. Try some practice question on this
  4. Do some practice papers  

Making a plan

Plans can be easy to make but hard to stick to. There are a few things that you can do to ensure your plan for resubmission is successful. Plans need to be realistic, work for your way of studying and be flexible. So, before you begin making a plan, think about when in the day you study best and how long you can study for before being distracted. Plans set hour by hour tend to be ineffective as we don’t often know how long a task will take. This can make us feel that we are falling behind; so, instead try making a plan, with more open times, like the one below – with morning, afternoon and evening slots.

Add in all the fixed appointments you have in any given week, and then work out when you can study. If you know you concentrate best in the mornings for example, make sure you protect this time for study. Most of us have dips in concentration in the afternoon, so you could use this time to do other chores.  Make sure you do not fill out all of the time with tasks. You will need to leave some blanks for ‘contingencies’. This allows you to use this extra time to complete tasks that took you longer than expected but these gaps can also act as motivators. If you achieved what you planned to that week, you can take this time off. It’s important to have a healthy balance and allow yourself some guilt-free time to relax. You may need to make a new plan each week, and use these alongside the weekly goals you have set yourself. This will help you to ensure you are staying on track between now and the resubmission deadline.

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thur

Fri

Sat

Sun

Morning

Read lecture notes on leaders (Lect 1)

Find practice questions

Read lecture notes on mgt (Lect 2)

Find practice question

Work

Park run

Food shopping

Afternoon

Gym

Gym

Work

Work

Revision cards on leadership

Evening

Theories on leaders

Practice questions

Make notes on Mgt theory

Practice questions

Friends

Friends

 

More details on making plans can be found here: making plans

Motivation and procrastination

It is one thing knowing you need to study, and another motivating yourself to do so. Motivation is individual: what works for one person may not work for another. So, it’s important for you to consider what motivates you. It might be time off to see friends, watch movies or having that bar of chocolate. These rewards can help you stay on track and entice you to stick to your plan.

We all procrastinate at times but it is important to consider the cause. It might be that the task is too daunting or overwhelming or we may not be interested in the subject, both of these will make the task unappealing. You might find yourself making excuses like ‘I work best with last minute pressure’, ‘I must tidy my room before I get started’ or ‘I haven’t done enough research to start writing yet’. If you’re not happy with the progress you have made, it’s important not to dwell on what happened in the past but instead have a strategy that will help you to move forwards.

 

Some tips to avoid procrastination:

  1. Minimise your distractions for set periods e.g. turn off your phone notifications, work somewhere you know you can study without interruptions
  2. Work in short (25 minute) blocks – you might want to use the Pomodoro technique or an app like Focus to Do
  3. Keep a ‘to-do’ list and cross things off as you achieve them
  4. Reward yourself when you have achieved your goals
  5. Start a study period with something quick and easy so you have a sense of achievement early on. At the end of a study period write down what you would do next.

For more information on procrastination and motivation see this blog post from our Life Tools team and watch this webinar on Motivation and Productivity

Staying in touch

Resubmissions and resit exams are likely to be at a time when there are few students around. It can therefore feel isolating and you might feel alone. Remember you can stay in touch with your academic tutor during these times. You can also make use of the University facilities, like the Library, which remain open during the summer period.

Additional support available

In addition to your Academic Tutor and teaching team, the support services at the University are also available to you. So make sure you make full use of the advice and support that we offer. Below are some of the services that can help during this period.