Assignments Support for OU students from friends and family

Assignments are often demanding and stressful for students. They have to be sent to the tutor on fixed dates, which must be kept to unless there are exceptional circumstances. Assignment scores are usually a substantial part of the final module grade so doing well is important.

Sometimes assignments can seem like a huge hurdle – they always require effort and concentration. Your support and encouragement will really make a difference.

How can I help?

You can help by:

• offering to listen while your student talks about things they've been reading – talking through subjects in their own words helps understanding and learning
• being patient if they seem distracted
• realising that a better-than-expected grade will make them feel elated and it's good to share that feeling
• being aware that a lower grade than expected can make students feel disappointed and in need of some reassurance

You can also remind them that there are special online resources under Study skills dealing with the challenge of assignments.

Student views

My partner reads through my assignments just to see if they make sense and that things are in a logical order.

It's such a buzz when I get a good mark, but I find it really hard to cope if my mark's a bit low - I certainly need a bit of tender loving care. Now I know how my children feel when they get their school coursework back.

Family views

He likes to talk things through, so we’re all learning bits about all sorts of subjects we would never have come across if he hadn’t been studying!