It can feel daunting when your module website first opens, but taking the time to read through all of the advice and checking all of the TMA questions for your module early on can relieve some of that worry!<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at all the questions ahead of the TMA week. Make a note of which chapters they refer to, that way if you find yourself struggling for time you know which chapters to give more of your focus to. As you read the chapter, have the question written out in front of you and highlight relevant any points.\u201d @kapester1990<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember what the question is as you go through the unit. Highlight anything in your study book which may pertain to the question you so you\u2019ve a more focussed amount of text to draw from.\u201d @alos167<\/p>\n
Plan, plan, plan\u2026 and if you can, plan some more!<\/strong><\/h2>\nLots of OU students will study alongside working full-time and juggling family responsibilities and many will tell you planning is ALWAYS key!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Planning-300x195.jpg\")
\u201cDevelop a planning style e.g. mindmaps, list etc, that works for you. Doing this early on will mean that you’ll start every TMA the same way so that you can consistently focus on the content to respond to the question asked.\u201d @stuartholtom<\/p>\n
\u201cPlan plan plan! An effective essay plan is so important! I learnt this as I went through my first module. Also to read the TMA question before you begin that block so you can highlight and make notes that are relevant to your TMA.\u201d @amandamorris20<\/p>\n
\u201cPrepare and always allow more time that you think. Don\u2019t become a 1am TMA writer by nightlight like me!\u201d @travelfunmum<\/p>\n
\u201cDivide your plan so you allocate a word account to introduction, main body and conclusion.\u201d @mr_kelsey_<\/p>\n
Make tasks easier for yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhen you first sit down to write your TMA, staring at that blank page can be intimidating. From getting any words down to breaking down the question into chunks, there are lots of ways to make writing the assignment manageable!<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cBreak your TMA down into headings first, then subheadings and a list of the theories you want to cover. Then work out how many words for each heading\/sub-heading. Once you\u2019ve got this outline it\u2019s much easier to get the writing flowing and to make sure you hit all your points.\u201d @kate_ayre<\/p>\n\u201cBreak down the question and guidance notes. At first glimpse, the TMA always appears daunting. However, if you break it down into little chunks, it makes the task easier. Plus, it can help when trying to structure your assignment.\u201d @educatrex<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep referring back to the question when writing the TMA to make sure you are staying on track. It helps by repeating the question or using keywords from the question throughout your essay. Just get anything down on paper – it’s better than a blank page!\u201d @xsuzy1979x<\/p>\n
\u201cUse the audio\/read back feature on google or word to listen to your TMA back to make sure everything flows well and makes sense.\u201d @sonicoomph<\/p>\n
\u201cBreak down the question before you start! I write it out and highlight the key words – one colour for keywords, and one for \u2018process\u2019 words, like \u2018discuss\u2019 or \u2018explain\u2019. Then I go back and read the sections relevant to the TMA and take note of anything that relates to a keyword. – use P.E.E – Point, Example, Explanation!\u201d @islastevens<\/p>\n
Keep calm and ask for help<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Socks-300x195.jpg\")
<\/strong>All of our tutors are there to help you to do the best that you can! Don\u2019t be afraid to get in touch to check you\u2019re on the right path with your TMA.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAsk for help if you need it! Speak to your tutor about your train of thought to see if you\u2019re on the right track. And there\u2019s one certainty about work with the OU…if you\u2019re struggling with it, I guarantee others are too. So check the forums for guidance and support also.\u201d @alos167<\/p>\n\u201cMake use of the online tutorials and edit, edit, edit!\u201d @djfifi<\/p>\n
\u201cFirstly, keep calm – you can do this! Read the question and highlight what it\u2019s actually asking. Do the tutorials they are really helpful.\u201d @mccaffer29<\/p>\n
Take a break and beat that writers block<\/strong><\/h2>\nTaking a break and thinking about something else for 10 minutes can often help to restart those creative thoughts. Study snacks can help too.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave a kettle and some snacks nearby and take regular breaks!\u201d @ccast65<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways have a steady supply of tea and snacks.\u201d @cazgreeners<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIf you are struggling have the courage to walk away from the assignment and give yourself a break…walk round the block….water the plants….anything that breaks writers block!\u201d @sally63uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With new students about to start their journey with us, we asked our Instagram community to share their top tips for completing those TMAs (tutor marked assignments). Here\u2019s their advice on how to submit a winning assignment: Know ALL your TMA questions It can feel daunting when your module website first opens, but taking the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":13636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[171,581,1525,2135,2151],"class_list":["post-13635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-university-news","tag-assignment","tag-deadline","tag-news-home","tag-student","tag-studying"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cDevelop a planning style e.g. mindmaps, list etc, that works for you. Doing this early on will mean that you’ll start every TMA the same way so that you can consistently focus on the content to respond to the question asked.\u201d @stuartholtom<\/p>\nWhen you first sit down to write your TMA, staring at that blank page can be intimidating. From getting any words down to breaking down the question into chunks, there are lots of ways to make writing the assignment manageable!<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cBreak your TMA down into headings first, then subheadings and a list of the theories you want to cover. Then work out how many words for each heading\/sub-heading. Once you\u2019ve got this outline it\u2019s much easier to get the writing flowing and to make sure you hit all your points.\u201d @kate_ayre<\/p>\n \u201cBreak down the question and guidance notes. At first glimpse, the TMA always appears daunting. However, if you break it down into little chunks, it makes the task easier. Plus, it can help when trying to structure your assignment.\u201d @educatrex<\/p>\n \u201cKeep referring back to the question when writing the TMA to make sure you are staying on track. It helps by repeating the question or using keywords from the question throughout your essay. Just get anything down on paper – it’s better than a blank page!\u201d @xsuzy1979x<\/p>\n \u201cUse the audio\/read back feature on google or word to listen to your TMA back to make sure everything flows well and makes sense.\u201d @sonicoomph<\/p>\n \u201cBreak down the question before you start! I write it out and highlight the key words – one colour for keywords, and one for \u2018process\u2019 words, like \u2018discuss\u2019 or \u2018explain\u2019. Then I go back and read the sections relevant to the TMA and take note of anything that relates to a keyword. – use P.E.E – Point, Example, Explanation!\u201d @islastevens<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAsk for help if you need it! Speak to your tutor about your train of thought to see if you\u2019re on the right track. And there\u2019s one certainty about work with the OU…if you\u2019re struggling with it, I guarantee others are too. So check the forums for guidance and support also.\u201d @alos167<\/p>\n \u201cMake use of the online tutorials and edit, edit, edit!\u201d @djfifi<\/p>\n \u201cFirstly, keep calm – you can do this! Read the question and highlight what it\u2019s actually asking. Do the tutorials they are really helpful.\u201d @mccaffer29<\/p>\n Taking a break and thinking about something else for 10 minutes can often help to restart those creative thoughts. Study snacks can help too.<\/p>\n \u201cHave a kettle and some snacks nearby and take regular breaks!\u201d @ccast65<\/p>\n \u201cAlways have a steady supply of tea and snacks.\u201d @cazgreeners<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIf you are struggling have the courage to walk away from the assignment and give yourself a break…walk round the block….water the plants….anything that breaks writers block!\u201d @sally63uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With new students about to start their journey with us, we asked our Instagram community to share their top tips for completing those TMAs (tutor marked assignments). Here\u2019s their advice on how to submit a winning assignment: Know ALL your TMA questions It can feel daunting when your module website first opens, but taking the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":13636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[171,581,1525,2135,2151],"class_list":["post-13635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-university-news","tag-assignment","tag-deadline","tag-news-home","tag-student","tag-studying"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Keep calm and ask for help<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/strong>All of our tutors are there to help you to do the best that you can! Don\u2019t be afraid to get in touch to check you\u2019re on the right path with your TMA.<\/p>\nTake a break and beat that writers block<\/strong><\/h2>\n