Now that you’re involved in full-time work as well as normal family life, your apprenticeship coursework can make you feel as though you have extra pressure to deal with on a daily basis. With these simple tips for you to manage assignments and make the process less daunting, keeping you motivated along the way. You can do it!
Communicate with your family
Manage assignments effectively by ensuring your family know how much work you have to do for your course. By letting them know what you’re doing will give them an understanding of how important study time is and how busy you might be at times will make the process easier. Firstly, they will be in a better position to support you and secondly, make you feel like you’re not alone in your goals.
When your family know your aims they will also know when you’ve met them and may give you the extra motivation to keep going. Once a support system is secure you can trust that it will still be there to fall back on when times get hard. Keeping your family up to date will also help if you have less time to help out around the house or if you’re unable to be involved as much as you usually are. They will understand if you help them understand.
Create a study plan
Rather than having a sea of work swirling around your head in one big mess- break it down. You’re not expected to do more than your best one task at a time. Having a study plan will help you focus on new tasks and become more mentally organised with your workload. Figure out when you can put a few hours aside to ensure you’re getting enough done; for an apprenticeship a minimum of 7 hours a week is recommended.
Keep your priorities firmly in mind. You may have one task that you really enjoy doing but that’s not due in for a few weeks whilst you’ve got another task you’re not so confident with that is due in a few days. Be sure to ask for help with tasks you don’t quite understand fully so that you don’t get yourself behind. Keep your weekends free if you have children or other immediate family commitments so that you’re not missing out on days with them. You deserve the time off after a hard-working week.
Break down your workload
Aim to achieve a minimum number of words or tasks each time you sit down to your computer. This will make completing your coursework less daunting, as the task is broken down into more manageable chunks. It will also make you feel you’re achieving something by hitting small goals each time. You’ll get all the work done before you know it!
Pace yourself
Make sure you’re not overdoing it. Remember, although you can finish the apprenticeship coursework before the 12 months, you have to participate in the course for the whole time. Try not to race to get your coursework finished, if you sit down to work on the assignment in the wrong frame of mind, you might not achieve as much as you hoped. You could then be left feeling disappointed.
Ask for help
Finally, if you’re having any problems with managing your coursework or you feel like you’re struggling at all, speak with your assessor. They will be able to provide further support and suggest ways to manage assignments with you. You’re never alone.
