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Your Guide to Conquering College Coursework

Getting good grades in college can be a lot tougher than in high school. For many students, it requires building new skills and establishing new habits. Learning those skills now—before starting college—will help make your transition as easy and as successful as possible.

Mary Sharp Emerson

The transition from high school to college is a big one. Meeting new friends, living on your own, and creating your own schedule are just some of the new, exciting challenges that await you.   

In the excitement of starting a new life on campus, college coursework can sometimes become a second priority.

However, adjusting to college coursework is often the biggest challenge of all. Even the best students may be surprised at how difficult college courses are. The subject matter is more complex. The workload is larger. And instructors’ standards are higher.

Mastering college-level courses requires a new level of independence, advocacy, engagement, and time management.

You can prepare yourself to succeed before you even get to campus. Identifying the skills you need, and building those skills into established habits, will help make your transition to college academics, and college life, easier, less stressful, and more successful.

Be engaged in your college coursework

College courses require your full attention and active participation.

And the more you engage with your teachers, teaching assistants, and classmates both in and out of the classroom, the easier it will be for you to succeed in that class.

The importance of active listening

Active listening is one of the most critical parts of engaging in a course, according to Gina Neugebauer, assistant director of Harvard Summer School’s Secondary School Program.

“Professors and teaching assistants can tell if you’re actively listening. They notice if you’re taking notes and making eye contact. They also notice if you’re distracted by your phone or computer,” notes Neugebauer.

Active listening means not checking your social media accounts or texting friends during class.

It also means really giving the instructor and your classmates your full attention.

It sounds easy in theory but it takes practice. It can be tough to not think about all the work you have or your next party. But the more you work on actively listening, the easier it will be to not get distracted and miss important information in class.

Different ways to actively participate

Beyond active listening, there are many ways to participate in a course. And you can tailor your level of engagement to your personality and comfort level.

“It’s all about gauging what you’re comfortable with,” says Neugebauer.

“You may not be the person who raises their hand all the time but you actively respond to online discussion posts, for example. You may not feel comfortable talking in front of hundreds of students in a large lecture hall but you take advantage of TA office hours and email the instructor with questions.”

But don’t be afraid to push yourself if you aren’t someone who usually speaks up in class.

It’s ok to start small. Work on raising your hand in small seminars or discussion sections. As you gain confidence, you’ll find it gets easier to answer questions and share your opinions.

Build independence and advocate for yourself

In college, you are responsible for your own success. You will need to advocate for yourself and know when—and how—to ask for help. That requires a level of independence that you may not have needed in high school.

The good news is that instructors and teaching assistants want to help you.

“Instructors, on the whole, enjoy hearing from you. And they’d rather hear from you right from the start, rather than have you struggle on your own for three weeks,” says Neugebauer.

If you have a question about an assignment, send your instructor an email. Are you upset about a grade you got on a recent test? Visit your instructor or TA during office hours to discuss what went wrong and how you can improve.

But remember, says Neugebauer, professors are busy and you are only one of many students.

“Your email should include your full name, what course you’re taking, and a brief description of your question or concern. And you cannot expect an answer at 2 a.m. because that’s when you’re studying. When you reach out to an instructor, give them 24-48 hours to respond.”

And remember, always be respectful and non-confrontational.

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Don’t be afraid to seek help

If you have excelled in high school without extra help, you might be tempted to persevere on your own.

In college, Neugebauer points out, asking for help is the norm.

“Once you get into your undergraduate program, you’ll find that almost everyone has, at some point, asked a TA for extra tutoring, gone to a tutoring center, or a writing or math center for extra help. It’s part of the learning process of an undergraduate program,” Neugebauer says.

Colleges have a variety of support systems in place to help you succeed.

TA office hours are a great place to start if you find yourself struggling with a specific concept or assignment. Peer tutoring programs enable you to learn from students who have been through the course themselves. Academic coaches can help with more general study tips or exam-related stress.

The key is seeking out help proactively, before you get too far behind. As the courses become more difficult, catching up becomes increasingly difficult.

Build time management techniques

Balancing everything that comes with life on a college campus can be difficult for many incoming college students.

“The biggest challenge we see facing high school students who are trying to adapt to college life is overcommitment. Students want to engage in every activity, a full course load, and even sometimes a part-time job. They don’t schedule enough time for self-care, quiet time, doing laundry, and plenty of study time. All those things take time,” Neugebauer says.

Good study habits and time management are key to avoiding the stress that comes from getting overcommitted.

Neugebauer recommends getting into the habit of keeping an accurate and up-to-date calendar.

“The best thing I can recommend is a calendar, such as Google Calendar. Use it to schedule everything: your class, your lunch time, time at the gym. It may seem counterintuitive, but work on scheduling literally everything, even sleep.”

Be sure to include assignments, tests, and other deadlines, as well as office hours for your instructors, TAs, and academic coaches.

Use your calendar to block off dedicated study time. And once you schedule it, stick to it! Avoid the temptation to procrastinate or use that time to hang out, play video games, or scroll on your phone.

Your calendar should also include dedicated time for self-care.

Regular mealtimes, good exercise habits, and a full night’s sleep are not only critical for your physical and mental health. You’ll also be surprised at how much they contribute to your academic success.

Challenge yourself as you engage in college coursework

Getting outside your comfort zone is a critical part of preparing yourself for the exciting challenges that await you in college.

“Being uncomfortable allows for growth. It means saying to yourself, ‘this is new. I want to try it. I want to see how it feels.’ This is all about adapting to a new environment but also examining yourself as a person,” says Neugebauer.

Taking on a new challenge—regardless of the ultimate outcome—builds resilience, mental toughness, and confidence, all of which you will need to succeed in your college courses.

But, warns Neugebauer, it’s also important to know your limitations.

“That uncomfortable feeling should be manageable. It should be a challenge but not so challenging that you feel panicked and wake up in cold sweats every night. It should be something that gets you a little nervous but also excited about what you’re involved in every day.”

However you decide to challenge yourself, it’s never too early to start if college is in your future. The sooner you start identifying and mastering the skills you need in college, the better prepared you’ll be to succeed right from day one.

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About the Author

Digital Content Producer

Emerson is a Digital Content Producer at Harvard DCE. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale University and started her career as an international affairs analyst. She is an avid triathlete and has completed three Ironman triathlons, as well as the Boston Marathon.

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Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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• How to Make Your Coursework as Good as It Can Possibly Be

Many GCSE and A-level subjects are assessed in part by coursework in addition to exams, meaning that the mark you receive for coursework contributes to your overall grade. Many students prefer coursework, because it’s a chance to showcase your academic abilities away from the high-pressured environment of the exam room, making it ideal for those who don’t perform to the best of their abilities in exams. However, the time you have available for coursework, in contrast with the time constraints of the exam room, can lull some students into a false sense of security. Coursework is arguably just as challenging as exams, just in different ways – and, given the fact that you have more time, much higher standards are expected of you in coursework than in exams. Careful planning and research are needed for successful coursework, as well as strong data-gathering and essay-writing skills. In this article, we look at how to produce excellent coursework, from planning to proofreading. This information might also be useful to you if you’re planning on attending an Oxford Summer School this summer.

What is coursework?

GCSE and A-level coursework typically takes the form of an extended essay or project. Its objectives vary from one subject to another, but there’s usually an emphasis on the student conducting independent research into a topic of their own choice. Thus coursework often takes the form of some sort of investigation; it may, therefore, help to have your ‘detective’ hat on as you explore, investigate and analyse your topic. You can usually work on your coursework at home, though it’s sometimes completed under controlled conditions through sessions at school. To give you a better idea of how coursework varies from one subject to another, here are some examples:

• English – English coursework usually takes the form of an extended essay with a title of your choice. You’re usually given a choice of themes and/or texts to explore, and you could choose a format such as a comparison between a set text and another one.
• Geography – Geography coursework usually focuses on the gathering, reporting and interpretation of data designed to answer a particular geographical question. You could investigate usage of a shopping centre, for example, or look at erosion on a particular beach.
• Sciences – coursework for science subjects often takes the form of a scientific project or experiment that you conduct and report on yourself.

Before you start work on your coursework, it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the rules. Failing to conform to the rules – inadvertently or not – may result in your coursework (or possibly even your entire qualification) being disqualified, so it’s a serious matter.

• No plagiarism – this is particularly dangerous given the ready availability of relevant information on the internet these days. Make sure everything is in your own words; you’ll need to sign a declaration stating that it’s your own original work.
• There’s only so much help your teacher can give you . They can provide guidance on what you need to include, and on what the examiners will be looking for. You can ask them questions, but they’ll usually only be able to check through your first draft once and offer broad hints on updating it.
• Check the word count , and stick to it. Find out whether footnotes, appendices and bibliographies are included in the word count.
• Check what topics you’re allowed to do your coursework on; if there’s an exam on this topic, you’ll almost certainly have to choose a different one for your coursework.

Choose your topic wisely

Ideally, choose something you’re genuinely interested in, as your enthusiasm will come across and you’ll find it more enjoyable to write. If there’s something you’ve been working on for the course so far that you’ve particularly enjoyed, you may be able to focus more on this as part of your coursework. For science coursework, you’ll need to choose something to investigate that you can measure, change and control; it should be what’s called a ‘fair test’, meaning that you have to acknowledge all the controls you use in the experiment and why. Try not to pick a topic for which the scope is too vast, as you’ll struggle to research it properly and you’re unlikely to do it justice, and it’ll be hard to keep within the word limit. Ask your teachers for some guidance on choosing your topic if you’re not sure what to write about; they might even tell you a bit about what previous students have done to give you some inspiration.

Plan how long it’s going to take

Never leave your coursework until the last minute, even if this is your normal approach to essays and it usually works for you. Make sure you understand when the deadlines are, including time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher. Then schedule blocks of time for working on it, allowing plenty of time before the deadline to cater for any unexpected delays. Allow ample time for making corrections based on teacher feedback on your first draft, and keep some time aside before the deadline for final editing and proofreading. Because actual deadlines are few and far between, you’ll need to take responsibility for the writing process and impose some deadlines on yourself to ensure it’s finished in time. Write down your deadlines on a calendar, with the coursework broken into stages and dates assigned to each, by which time each task should be complete. You can base your stages on the next few points in this article – research and data gathering, a structure plan for the piece of work, writing up, and so on.

Conducting your research and gathering data

As coursework is primarily a research exercise, the research phase is crucial, so don’t be tempted to skimp on it and go straight to writing up. Use as many different resources as you can to gather data: books, journals, newspapers, television, radio, the internet and anything else you think might be relevant. For science and Geography coursework, you’ll need to base your work on a hypothesis, so the research stage should start by coming up with at least one hypothesis, otherwise your research will lack direction. The research phase for some subjects may involve site visits for gathering data, so allow plenty of time for this, particularly if you need your parents to drive you somewhere to do so. If it’s a scientific experiment you’re conducting for your coursework, you’ll need to pay careful attention to planning the experiment using rigorous scientific methods (also noting what Health and Safety precautions you are taking), as well as reading up on the background and theory so that you have an idea of what to expect from the outcome of your experiment. In the research stage, make notes about what you expect to happen, so that you can later compare your expectations with what actually did happen. The experiment itself also forms part of the research and data-gathering stage for your science coursework; in the write-up stage, which we come onto shortly, you analyse and write up the results.

Plan your structure

Once you’ve completed your research, the process of writing up begins. Before you get down to the actual writing, however, it’s advisable to write a plan for how you’re going to structure it – essentially an essay plan for English coursework and other subjects for which the coursework is based on an extended essay. It’ll look slightly different from an essay plan for science subjects and others that revolve around project work, but the principle is the same: plan out what order you’re going to present your information in. For big projects, this is particularly important, because with a lot of information to convey, you risk being disorganised and waffling.

Writing up your project

For any coursework, but particularly coursework based around an extended essay, you’ll need to perfect your essay-writing abilities. For science coursework, writing up your project also involves data analysis, as you interpret the results of your experiment and work your notes into formal scientific language. Follow the links below to find lots more useful advice on writing great essays.

• How to write dazzlingly brilliant essays
• How to write more original essays
• Techniques from creative writing that can improve your essays

When you’re writing up, it’s important to find a place where you can work quietly, without distractions that could cause you to make careless errors. You wouldn’t want noise or distractions when you were in an exam room, so treat your coursework with the same reverence.

Supporting materials and images

For some subjects, namely the sciences and Geography, it would be appropriate to include images, graphs, charts, tables and so on in your coursework. For example, for Geography coursework, your extra material could include annotated images and maps of the site you’re talking about, plus tables, graphs and charts. An appendix could then detail your raw data; if, for example, your coursework focused on the results of a survey, you could put the raw survey responses in an appendix and provide summaries and analysis in the main body of the coursework.

Footnotes and bibliography

As we said earlier, it’s important that you always use your own words in your coursework to avoid the possibility of falling foul of plagiarism rules. However, it’s acceptable to quote from another source, as you would in any piece of academic writing, but you must make sure that you state where it is from and use quotation marks to show that it’s a quote from somewhere else. The best way of citing another work is to use a footnote; word processors will allow you to insert one, and it just puts a little number at the end of the sentence and another in the footer of the document, into which you put the name of the author and work, and the page within that work that the quote can be found. At the end of your piece of work, include a bibliography that includes a list of every external source you’ve used in the creation of your coursework. Stick to a set formula when including books. A common format is: Author Surname, Initial. (Date) – Title of Book , page number For example: Lewis, C.S. (1960) – Studies in Words , p. 45 When you get to university, you’ll be expected to include footnotes and bibliographies in all your essays, so it’s a good habit to get into and coursework gives you good practice at it.

The final pre-submission check

Having completed a first draft, received feedback from your teacher, and honed your work into a finished piece of coursework, have a final check through it before you send off your coursework for submission.

• Sense check : have a read through your completed piece of work and check that it all makes sense. Make sure you haven’t contradicted yourself anywhere, or repeated yourself, or laboured the point. If there are any facts that you may have meant to look up to double check their accuracy, do so now.
• Word count : ensure that the completed work falls within the word count, and double check whether the bibliography should be included in the word count. If you’ve exceeded it, you’ll need to work through the piece and tighten up your writing, omitting unnecessary information, reordering sentences so that they use fewer words, and so on.
• Proofread : check your spelling and grammar, and ensure that there are no typos. Don’t just use the spellcheck – go through it with a fine toothcomb, manually, and if you can, ask someone to read through it for you to see if they spot anything you haven’t.
• Formatting : check that you’ve included page numbers, and that the font and line spacing is consistent throughout the work. Ensure that the font is plain and easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Bibliography : check that you’ve included everything, that the format is the same for all sources mentioned, and that the right information is included for each.

Once this stage is complete, you’re ready to submit your coursework along with your declaration that it’s entirely your own work. Get ready for a feeling of immense satisfaction when you finally send off your hard work!

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5 Simple Ways to Manage Coursework

Nov 22, 2016 | Pupils | 0 |

Coursework can be one of the most stressful parts of your education. You have a strict deadline, and a lot of work to do within that period of time. As a result, many students end up feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the workload.

Feeling overwhelmed often leads to procrastination and a lack of enthusiasm for your work. However, it does not have to be that way. There are quite a few techniques that you can implement to make things easier.

Managing your coursework has never been easier than with these five simple management methods.

Plan Carefully

Before you begin your coursework, you need to carefully plan how you are going to lay your coursework out. Plan where each section will go as well as the topics you plan to cover.

This way you can calculate how many words are required for each section, where the information goes, and a firm structure that you can base the final piece on. Often, the first day is spent planning so that when you start the process is much faster.

Be Realistic

When it comes to planning time to work on your coursework, be realistic about the time each section will take you to complete. It’s unlikely that you are going to be able to complete a section in an hour, so set aside two to three hours per area.

That way, you are not putting yourself under unnecessary pressure and if you finish earlier than the allotted time it can give you a good confidence boost.

Take Breaks

One of the worst things you can do when you are working on your coursework is go all day without a break.

The brain becomes tired and sloppy after constant work, and it is during this period that you are more likely to make severe spelling and grammar mistakes that you could miss later on. Make sure you schedule breaks into your work day to refresh your mind and take time for yourself. Working in chunks has the best results.

Proof Reading

Your coursework’s first draft should be finished two to three weeks before the final deadline. When this is done you should show it to a friend or family member and ask them to read through it, pointing out any spelling or grammar errors that they come across while reading it.

This means that you have time to correct anything that is wrong, so if a sentence makes no sense or there are quite a few grammar errors, you have plenty of time to work on it and get it checked through again before handing it in.

Reward Yourself

When you are doing your coursework, you often forget to reward yourself for your good efforts. Part of coursework management is ensuring that you reward yourself for working hard, which boosts your motivation and ability to work.

Whether it’s an object or some time out with friends, it is important to keep your spirits up while you work.

To Conclude

Coursework can be stressful at times, but with these five tips for coursework management, you will be able to get through it with minimum stress. Just remember to set your work hours and plan as soon as possible. The earlier you start, the less stressful it will be for you.

Just remember to leave yourself enough time for breaks and to never start your coursework close to the deadline.

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How to Keep up to Date With Coursework

Last Updated: August 9, 2020 References

This article was co-authored by Michelle Golden, PhD . Michelle Golden is an English teacher in Athens, Georgia. She received her MA in Language Arts Teacher Education in 2008 and received her PhD in English from Georgia State University in 2015. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 23,538 times.

Learning to manage your time in order to complete coursework is an important skill to develop while in college. You never want to fall behind in your assignments. By carefully planning your time, and sticking to the schedules you create, you should be able not only to keep up with what you have to do, but excel in doing it.

Organizing Coursework

• Your calendar should include tests, due dates for papers and other assignments, and anything else in your classes that will affect your grades.
• Make sure to have just one calendar for all of your classes. If you spread things out across different places, something is bound to be lost or forgotten.
• Put your calendar in a visible place. It should be somewhere easy for you to see so you can always be aware of what is coming up. [3] X Research source
• The class syllabus is a good place to see when all the assignments are due and what they are worth. Be aware that those deadlines can change, so listen for any changes from your instructor, and adjust your calendar as soon as you learn about them.

• Find the best times for you to work. Some people are "morning people," while others are night owls. You know yourself best, and what times you are most productive. Make sure you devote that key time to doing your coursework, as that is when you will likely have the most energy. [4] X Research source

• Create folders for each of your classes. Make sure they have clear names. The name of the course (Introduction to Biology), or the course number (Biology 101) are good to use. It might be best to create one larger folder (maybe named "Coursework" or named after your school, college or university) to hold all these folders.
• Give your files clear names that make it easy to remember what each is for. Check each course syllabus to see if there is a particular name you should use for assignments. This is important if you turn in papers or assignments online.
• Save your work regularly so you don't lose anything, and make sure you keep the files in the right folder.

• If you start to have concerns about completing your coursework, you should discuss that with your instructors. They probably won't change your deadlines, but they might have some helpful tips for using your time better.

Doing the Work

• Do not push away assignments that you don't want to do. Those should probably come first, as they will take more effort and require more energy.

• In most courses, the assignment schedule is back loaded. This means the largest chunk of your grade will be based on work done at the end of the semester, and this will probably be true for most of your classes. Creating a broad plan as soon as you get assignments, and starting work as soon as you can, will help avoid letting things pile up later. [14] X Research source
• If you are not sure what smaller steps might be, ask the instructor or TA. They know the best practices for the field, and can help you figure out what is important to complete and how long it might take.
• Don't ask for extensions. It can be tempting, as work piles up, to request an extension or incomplete from the professor. Without a clear deadline in place, though, it becomes even harder to get work done. [15] X Research source

• Just make sure this reward doesn't get in the way of doing other necessary assignments.

Expert Q&A

• Leave time in your calendar for fun and social activities. These things will come up, and you should have space to relax and have a good time. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://www.pace.edu/center-academic-excellence/learning-center/current-students/musts-for-successful-study/get-organized
• ↑ http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/08/19/15-secrets-of-getting-good-grades-in-college
• ↑ https://www.pace.edu/center-academic-excellence/learning-center/current-students/musts-for-successful-study/know-your-best-study-times
• ↑ http://www.pace.edu/center-academic-excellence/tutoring-center/new-york-city-campus/musts-for-successful-study/manage-your-time
• ↑ http://blog.cengage.com/top_blog/tips-for-students-keeping-your-coursework-organized-on-your-computer/
• ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/academic-life/college-course-work-help-is-available
• ↑ https://www.uhs.uga.edu/sleep/
• ↑ http://orientation.ucsc.edu/what-to-expect.html
• ↑ http://www.collegeclasses.com/tips-to-help-online-college-students-keep-up-with-assignments/
• ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/inside-the-classroom/8-ways-to-take-control-of-your-time
• ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/inside-the-classroom/take-control-of-homework

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Academic Advising for College Course Help

Why you need an academic adviser for course help.

Working with an academic adviser at college can be valuable when you need college coursework help. These advisers are often the first point of contact when you need educational guidance, support, and resources. They can also play a critical role in helping you navigate the complexities of college, develop academic and personal goals, and identify the resources and support you need to achieve your goals.

One of the key benefits of working with an academic adviser is the ability to plan your course schedule and make sure you’re taking the right classes to earn your degree. This can be a good idea if you pursue a major with specific course requirements or transfer from another institution. An academic adviser can help you understand what your major covers and ensure that you take the necessary classes to complete it.

Academic advisers can also help you explore different majors and career paths to find the best fit for your interests and skills. They can provide information about various classes, career opportunities, and potential career paths based on your interests and goals. If you’re undecided about your major or considering a change, these advisers can point you in the right direction.

Navigating complex academic policies and procedures can be challenging for many students. Academic advisers can help you understand what is required for your specific academic program. Some majors have certain rules about transfer credits, course waivers, and academic probation. They can also help you understand how these policies can impact your academic progress. These advisers can help you address any other challenges that may occur while you’re on campus, too.

Academic Advisers Can Direct You to Diverse Services

Academic advisers can connect you with campus resources and support services to help you succeed academically and personally. They can provide information about tutoring services, study groups, academic support programs, and other resources to help you thrive on campus. Along with that, these professionals can also have information about support services to help you handle personal challenges, such as mental health services, disability services, and financial aid.

Developing study strategies and time-management skills is critical for success in college. Academic advisers can help you use these skills to help you balance your academic and personal commitments. They can guide you in managing your time effectively, prioritizing your tasks, and staying organized.

Finally, academic advisers can help you address any academic or personal challenges impacting your performance or well-being. They can provide guidance on how to handle difficult academic situations, such as failing a class or experiencing academic probation. They can also offer support and referrals for personal challenges like stress, anxiety, or depression.

Academic advising is a valuable resource for students seeking guidance and support to help them succeed in college. By working with an academic adviser, you can get the guidance and support you need to navigate the challenges of college and achieve your academic and personal goals.

Where to Find Academic Support

It's a good idea to become familiar with the following resources for help with coursework and studying.

Office hours

Your professors have office hours when you can meet one-on-one to discuss any questions or problems. Building a positive communication relationship with your professors can enhance your course experience and provide you with additional support. Don't hesitate to take advantage of this time if you have questions about coursework, testing, or other issues. If your professors can't answer your questions, they can point you to other resources.

Academic Advising

Most students get the chance to work with an academic adviser. An adviser can tell you which classes you need to take, help you plan a schedule that meets your needs and guide you when it’s time to choose a major. Some academic advisers specialize in specific fields of study, such as biology. Others work with certain groups of students, such as athletes.

Deans and department chairs

These professionals run academic departments or other units within a college. If you have more general questions about your classes, talk to one of them. They can help you solve any small problems before they become big ones.

Writing center

Many colleges offer these free centers where you can get help writing a paper or improving your writing skills. The center is staffed by students who are trained to guide you whether you need broad tips on writing or help with a specific problem.

Tutors and guided study groups

These may be available through the campus learning center or a particular department. They can be a great resource when you need extra help in a class.

Independent study groups

You can join or start study groups with other students. Going over course material with others in your class can help you understand the things you find challenging.

Types of Advisers

Most students get the chance to work with an academic adviser. This type of adviser can tell you which classes you need to take, help you plan a schedule that meets your needs, and guide you when it's time to choose a major. Some academic advisers specialize in specific fields of study, such as biology. Others work with certain groups of students, such as athletes.

Transfer Advising

Most community colleges offer advice to students who plan to transfer to a four-year college after completing the two-year program. If this is your plan, contact your college's transfer advising office before you register for your first classes. The advisers there can help you choose the best classes to prepare for this path. You should also talk to a transfer adviser at the four-year college you want to attend to ensure you take the classes you need and meet any other transfer requirements.

Related Articles

How to Write a Coursework

Coursework projects do not resemble essays, research papers, or dissertations. They are the combination of all three. Students spend less time writing coursework than on making a term paper, but this type of work requires more time and efforts than an ordinary essay - it is made of several essays. Thanks to our guide, each student can discover how to write coursework. If you are running out of time or lack experience to complete the specific coursework, we recommend using our coursework writing services to hire professional academic writers.

What is Coursework and Why Does It Matter?

Coursework definition: General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) coursework is a typical academic assignment, given in the course of study to evaluate the student’s knowledge, skills, and identify the final grade. Many students face this type of writing in the US colleges. One of the examples is a coursework UTD (The University of Texas at Dallas) - the requirements of this institution are strict, and many students fail to submit their papers and pass the corresponding courses.

Such type of assignment helps to have the ‘detective’ hat on: a student observes, examines, and evaluates the chosen topic using credible, up-to-date, and relevant sources. Working under controlled conditions is important. Participating in every school class will help to prepare good coursework by the end of the term. Take a look at the examples of what students of various profiles may face:

• English Composition - English coursework is an extended essay in most cases. A student has a right to pick the topic. The tutors provide their students with the list of recommended titles to choose from, sources to observe & analyze, and a format (e.g., a comparison between different relevant articles)
• Sciences - coursework for science is a complicated assignment. Such type of work appears in the form of a scientific paper to test what a writer investigates and reports independently.
• Geography - geography coursework is about collecting, reporting, and explaining information to reply to a certain geographical question or offer solutions to the problem. One idea is to explore the usage of a shopping mall or analyze the recent tornado. No matter whether you have to prepare a coursework Columbia or such paper for other educational institutions, keep in mind these differences!

Types of Coursework Explained

English Language coursework is the most common type of this assignment. At advanced GCE level, the student will be expected to write a couple of essays, totaling 3,000 words. Every assignment is 20 marks maximum.

An analytical essay : Evaluate, compare, & contrast 3 different sources of data interconnected by a common theme; written /spoken / multimedia content. Discuss different uses for targeting various audiences. Learn more on our blog.

Original essay with a supportive commentary : A student will have to come up with a single piece of media writing in the observed modes (written, spoken, or multimodal). Add a supporting piece with details about the aspects of English language. English Language & Literature coursework is a bit different. The basic requirements are the same, and the parts are:

An analytical study : Sharing an analysis of the chosen piece and its relation to the related content. It will show how well the writer understands the original piece. Tutors grade such works based on the:

• Use of the proper terminology and the coherence of the written words;
• Understanding & evaluation of the way a structure, form, and language create the written & spoken word;
• Opportunity to observe relationships between various pieces of writing.

Creative writing & commentary : Produce a creative piece that imitates the style of the assessed text. Share comments to backup your understanding. The goal is to show the knowledge, prove the competence, and use appropriate language skills in communicating with the target audience. You will also need a relevant coursework resume (review) in both cases. Keep on reading to learn how to write coursework of A level.

How to Write a Coursework: Guide for Students

Several factors may lead to the coursework being disqualified. It is a serious matter! The risk factors include:

• Plagiarism - it is the worst thing that could happen to any type of academic assignment. Lots of relevant information is available on the world wide web today, and the tutors are strict about the issue of plagiarism. Write everything in your own words! If you decide to insert the quotes from the sources, apply the suggested citation format and develop a list of references. Sign the declaration claiming it is your original project. If you're unsure about how to approach this, seeking professional help by choosing to write my coursework can be a wise decision.
• Word count - do not ignore the specific requirements concerning the length of the coursework. Specify if the footnotes, appendices, & references are included in the word count.
• Topics - go through the list of available themes. If there is an examination planned on the specific topic, try to pick another idea for the coursework.
• Tutor’s assistance - do not ignore the help of your instructor, ask them to provide guidance on what to write. Ask the questions to learn more details, but keep in mind they can go through the 1st draft once and just offer some general recommendations.

Choosing a Topic for Your Project

Dedicate enough time to this extra important question. Select the field of your interest if it is possible to relate it to the course. That is the golden rule of choosing a coursework topic - keep in mind the rest of the hints:

• Analyze the offered list of topics or develop yours
• Pick a topic from the area of your expertise related to the studied subject
• Select the topic you are interested in
• Choose the topic you’ve started to observe in the past
• Check how much relevant, up-to-date information is available on the Internet about each of the topics
• Pick what you can measure, change, & control (they call it a ‘fair test’)
• Use the ideas of previous researchers and students
• Do not choose a topic with a vast scope - you risk struggling to research it correctly

10 Good Coursework Topics

• Non-traditional Forms of Poetry with TC Tolbert
• Documentary Foundations: Usage of Oral Histories with Beth Alvarado
• Traditional Forms of Poetry
• Hermit Crabs: Type of Fiction
• Writing the Autobiographical Poem
• Creative Non-Fiction on the Examples of New Journalists
• Authors without Borders
• Writing the Sticky Stuff
• Socially Engaged Literary Arts
• Common Vocabulary

Research & Data Collection

Research is an integral part of coursework. Have you written research papers before? If yes, you will find it easier to select proper primary & secondary sources and gather the necessary information (evidence to support the main point - thesis). Depending on the required paper format, cite & reference the following sources:

• Books & e-Books

Base the project on a specific hypothesis. The research must start with minimum one hypothesis. The research stage for some topics may consist of visiting websites to collect information. Leave another time for collecting the data as it is the heart of the research. Three methods of data collection are known:

• Direct personal investigation : The one an author does individually (using literature and findings from previous studies);
• Interview/Questionnaire : The researcher should gather the data from the respondents asking questions regarding required data;
• Discussion with community leaders : Community leaders are approached to fetch information for the necessary data.

In case a student works on a scientific experiment, they should pay attention to planning the analysis with the help of rigorous scientific methods (keeping in mind the Health & Safety precautions you take). Review background information and theories. Take notes to express what you expect to occur to compare & contrast it to what happened in real life. In the write-up stage, one has to evaluate and present the findings.

Writing a Coursework Outline

The writing process follows the research. Do not start it without preparing an action plan and scheduling the work - a paper pin for English coursework is based on an extended essay . An outline will look different for the science coursework projects. The goal of creating a plan is to prevent a writer from being disorganized and waffling.

Let us explain coursework outline on the specific example - a project on the global pursuit of lower costs and the role of human rights.

Start with the brief introduction explaining why it might be a topic of interest for many people. Mention those vast corporations like Wal-Mart abuse human rights by choosing and using child labor in the factories.

Provide an overview of the problem . Define human rights and costs. Pick the definitions from the official dictionaries and cite them properly when inserting in the text. Try to explain the terms in your own words.

Develop a body of the coursework , start with the case for & against ethical business practices. Using evidence and examples, list the arguments supporting ethical business practices and another side of the coin. Include a business case for ethical practices after the opening body paragraph.

Move to discussing ethical responsibilities ; explain why business organizations should care about the ethical aspects of their activities. After three sections of the body, one can conclude the paper. It can be a good idea to share a fact or statistics stressing the importance of research problem in the essay conclusion. End up with the reference list that may look this way:

• Klein N (2000) No Logo (Flamingo, London)
• Marcousé I, Gillespie A, Martin B, Surridge M and Wall N (2003) Business Studies 2e (Hodder Arnold, Oxon)
• Royal Dutch Shell (2006) 4th Quarter Financial Report at (site example)

Additional Elements

Supporting materials and pictures are a must! The sciences & geography projects require tables, charts, graphs, and other types of images to illustrate the complicated topic. Not only should you add the pictures - it is essential to interpret and reference each of them. A separate part of the coursework where the student list and explains every visual element is Appendix , and it is an optional part. The presence of appendix increases the chances to earn an A+.

How to Write an Introduction for Coursework?

Most of the students underestimate the role of introduction & conclusion when it comes to writing an essay. An eye-catchy introduction is a key to success. The primary purposes of a coursework introduction are:

• To grab the reader’s attention
• To introduce the topic
• To explain the research importance
• To come up with a compelling thesis statement

The opening paragraph shows the depth of the writer’s acquaintance with the topic. Look at the expert tips below. They will help to learn how to write a coursework introduction to make the tutor want to read your entire paper.

What Is an Introduction?

The introduction of GCSE coursework is the opening paragraph that aims to interpret the central questions and purposes of the entire paper. It should have several elements to be effective. Those are:

• A hook sentence
• Background information
• Problem significance
• Solid thesis statement

Advice from our Experienced Writer

How to write an introduction to coursework? The quality of this part predetermines paper’s success. Look at some common mistakes writers do while working on the coursework introduction - try to prevent them!

Ignoring the prompt. Many students tend to neglect the tutor’s instructions. It is critical to read the prompt several times, highlight the main points, research question, rules, and grading rubric details.

Missing a plan. The prompt does not always say to develop a coursework outline. Without a plan for every separate section, it is impossible to write a flawless piece step-by-step. No matter whether you have to write a term paper, research paper, dissertation, or C3 coursework, get ready with the detailed plan. Once you understand how to write an introduction, it will be easier to develop the rest of the paper.

For those who need a helping hand in ensuring their work meets all the standards and deadlines, don't hesitate to buy coursework from trusted professionals.

Related Articles

4.2 Planning Your Degree Path

Questions to Consider:

• What types of college degrees or certifications can I pursue?
• What is the difference between majors and minors?
• How do preprofessional programs differ from other majors?
• Do some majors have special requirements beyond regular coursework?

To set goals for your academic and career path, you must first have an understanding of the options available for you to pursue and the requirements you will need to meet. The next section provides an overview of academic programs and college degrees that are common among many colleges and universities in the United States. Please note that each institution will have its own specific options and requirements, so the intention of this section is both to help you understand your opportunities and to familiarize you with language that colleges typically use to describe these opportunities. After reviewing this section, you should be better able to formulate specific questions to ask at your school or be better prepared to navigate and search your own college’s website.

Types of Degrees

Whereas in most states high school attendance through the 12th grade is mandatory, or compulsory , a college degree may be pursued voluntarily. There are fields that do not require a degree. Bookkeeping, computer repair, massage therapy, and childcare are all fields where certification programs—tracks to study a specific subject or career without need of a complete degree—may be enough.

However, many individuals will find that an associate’s or bachelor’s degree is a requirement to enter their desired career field. According to United States Census data published in 2017, more than one-third of the adult population in the country has completed at least a bachelor’s degree, so this may be the degree that is most familiar to you.

Not every job requires a bachelor’s degree, and some require even higher degrees or additional specialized certifications. As you develop your academic plan, it is important to research your field of interest to see what requirements might be necessary or most desirable.

To distinguish between the types of degrees , it is useful to understand that courses are often assigned a number of credits, sometimes called semester hours as well. Credits relate to the calculated hours during a course that a student spends interacting with the instructor and/or the course material through class time, laboratory time, online discussions, homework, etc. Courses at all degree levels are typically assigned a value of one to six credits, although students often need to complete a developmental education course or two, often in English or math. These requirements, which cost as much as typical college courses but do not grant college credit, are meant to provide some basic information students may have missed in high school but that will be necessary to keep up in college-level coursework.

The minimum or maximum number of credits required to graduate with different degrees varies by state or institution, but approximate minimum numbers of credits are explained below. Keep in mind that although a minimum number of credits must be completed to get a certain degree, total credits completed is not the only consideration for graduation—you must take your credits or courses in particular subjects indicated by your college.

To determine your best degree option, it might make sense to do some research to determine what kind of career you’re most interested in pursuing. Visit your campus career center to meet with a counselor to guide you through this process. These services are free to students—similar services can be pricey once you’ve graduated, so take advantage. There are other tools online you can investigate.

Get Connected

These free, online self-assessments help you narrow down your choices.

• MyPlan identifies your motivations by having you rank different aspects of work, then creating a ranked list of different possible jobs.
• MAPP Test helps you determine what you love to do and what you don’t love to do and then creates a list of jobs that might be a good fit for you.
• The Career Cluster Interest Survey is a quick tool to let you create career clusters based on personal qualities and school subjects and activities you especially enjoy.

Associate’s Degrees

To enter an associate’s degree program, students must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Associate’s degree programs may be intended to help students enter a technical career field, such as automotive technology, graphic design, or entry-level nursing in some states. Such technical programs may be considered an Associate of Applied Arts (AAA) or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees, though there are other titles as well.

Other associate’s degree programs are intended to prepare a student with the necessary coursework to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program upon graduation. These transfer-focused programs usually require similar general education and foundational courses that a student would need in the first half of a bachelor’s degree program. Transfer-focused associate’s degrees may be called Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS), or other titles, depending on the focus of study.

An associate’s degree is typically awarded when a student has completed a minimum of 60 credits, approximately 20 courses, meeting the requirements of a specific degree. Some technical associate’s degrees, such as nursing, may require additional credits in order to meet requirements for special certifications. You may find that your college or university does not offer associate’s degrees. Most associate’s degrees are offered by community or junior colleges, or by career and technical colleges.

What to Ask

If you’re planning your associate’s degree, here are some specific questions you may want to research.

If you intend to enter a technical career that requires special certification:

• Does your college prepare you to take a certification exam, or will you be meeting those requirements through your courses?
• Does your college have any special internship or employment placement arrangements with employers to help you gain experience or get started in the field?

If you intend to transfer upon graduation:

• Is your college regionally accredited?
• Does your college have any special transfer agreements for guaranteed transfer of credits or perhaps for discounted tuition?
• Does your state have special transfer agreements or requirements that make it easier to transfer to colleges or universities within the same state?

Bachelor’s Degrees

When someone generally mentions “a college degree,” they are often referring to the bachelor’s degree , or baccalaureate degree. Because it takes four years of full-time attendance to complete a bachelor’s degree, this degree is also referred to as a “ four-year degree .” Similar to an associate’s degree, to enter a bachelor’s degree program a student must have completed a high school diploma or its equivalent. Both associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees are considered undergraduate degrees , thus students working toward these degrees are often called undergraduates . A student with an associate’s degree may transfer that degree to meet some (usually half) of the requirements of a bachelor’s degree; however, completion of an associate’s degree is not necessary for entry into a bachelor’s degree program.

A bachelor’s degree is usually completed with a minimum of 120 credits, or approximately 40 courses. Some specialized degree programs may require more credits. (If an associate’s degree has been transferred, the number of credits from that degree usually counts toward the 120 credits. For example, if an associate’s degree was 60 credits, then a student must take 60 additional credits to achieve their bachelor’s degree.)

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) are the most popular degree titles at this level and differ primarily in their focus on exploring a broader range of subject areas, as with a BA, versus focusing in more depth on a particular subject, as with a BS, BSN, or BFA. Regardless of whether a student is pursuing a BA, BS, BSN, or BFA, each of these programs requires a balance of credits or courses in different subject areas. In the United States, a bachelor’s degree comprises courses from three categories: general education courses, major courses, and electives . A fourth category of courses would be those required for a minor, which we will discuss in more detail in the section on majors and minors.

General Education

General education , also called core curriculum , is a group of courses that are often set as requirements by your state or by your individual college. These courses provide you with a foundation of knowledge across a breadth of fields and are also intended to help you further develop college-level critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities. You may be able to select courses from a general education menu of courses available at your institution. More than half of your bachelor’s degree program is likely made up of general education courses.

Major Courses

Major courses are courses in your field of interest and provide you with the foundational knowledge required for further study in that field or with the skills necessary to enter your career. Some schools may refer to these as career studies courses. Major courses often have a series of prerequisites , or courses that must be taken in sequence prior to other courses, starting with an introductory course and progressing into more depth. Major courses usually make up about a fourth or more of a bachelor’s degree (30 credits, or approximately 10 courses). A BS or BFA degree may require more major courses than a BA degree. Colleges and universities usually require students to select a major by the time they’ve completed 30 total credits.

Electives are free-choice courses. Though you may have a choice to select from a menu of options to meet general education and major requirements, electives are even less restricted. Some students may be able to take more electives than others due to their choice of major or if they are able to take courses that meet more than one requirement (for example, a sociology course may be both a major requirement and a general education social science course). Some colleges intentionally allow room for electives in a program to ensure that students, particularly those students who are undecided about their major, are able to explore different programs without exceeding the total number of credits required to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. In other cases, students may have taken all of their major courses and fulfilled their general education requirements but still need additional credits to fulfill the minimum to graduate. The additional courses taken to meet the total credit requirement (if necessary) are considered electives.

Graduate Degrees

According to United States Census data published in 2018, 13.1 percent of the U.S. adult population have completed advanced degrees. 3 Whereas associate’s and bachelor’s degrees are considered undergraduate degrees and require high school graduation for entry, advanced degrees called graduate degrees require prior completion of a bachelor’s degree. Some professions require graduate degrees as a minimum job qualification, such as pharmacists, lawyers, physical therapists, psychologists, and college professors. In other cases, students may be motivated to pursue a graduate degree to obtain a higher-level job or higher salary, or to be more competitive in their field. Some students are also interested in learning about some subject in greater depth than they did at the undergraduate level. Because graduate degrees do not include general education or free elective courses, they are very focused on career-specific knowledge and skills. Graduate degrees include master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees. Master’s degrees often require 30–60 credits and take one to two years of full-time attendance to complete. Some master’s degrees , like those for counselors, require supervised job experience as a component of the degree and therefore require more credits.

Doctorate and professional degrees are the highest level of advanced degrees. Approximately 3.5% of the U.S. adult population has completed a doctorate or professional degree. Very few careers require this level of education for entry, so fewer individuals pursue these degrees. Doctorates are offered in many subjects and primarily prepare students to become researchers in their field of study. This in-depth level of education often requires an additional 90–120 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree, and may or may not require a master’s degree prior to entry. (A master’s degree as an entry requirement may reduce the number of credits required to complete the doctoral degree.)

Professional degrees are a specific type of doctorate-level degree that focus on skills to be applied in a practical , or hands-on, career rather than as a researcher. The most common professional degrees are Doctor of Medicine (MD) for aspiring medical doctors, Juris Doctor (JD) for aspiring lawyers, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) for aspiring pharmacists, and Doctor of Education (EdD) for aspiring school and college or university administrators. If the career you are pursuing requires a graduate degree, you should keep this end goal in mind as you plan for the timeline and finances required to meet your goals. You may also want to inquire about special agreements that your college or university may have to expedite admission into or completion of graduate degrees. For example, some universities offer 4+1 master’s programs , wherein students take both bachelor’s and master’s level courses during their last year as an undergraduate to accelerate the completion of both degrees.

Other Post-Baccalaureate Credentials

Post-baccalaureate refers to structured learning experiences pursued after a bachelor’s degree is achieved. While some such activities are structured into graduate degrees as described in the sections above, other fields value continuing education credits, competency badges, and additional certifications. These post-baccalaureate credentials may need to be completed prior to entering a career field, may be obtained as an option to gain competitive advantage for hiring, or may be achieved during the course of an individual’s career to stay current, maintain qualification, or be promoted. To determine if your field requires post-baccalaureate credentials , you may want to speak with an established professional in that career, review the qualifications section of related job descriptions, or visit with a career counselor on your campus. In a world that changes as rapidly as ours, engaging in lifelong learning is advisable regardless of the specific requirements of any particular career choice.

Draft an Education Timeline

Use the Bureau of Labor Statistics online Occupational Outlook Handbook to search for occupations that interest you, and note the level of education that these jobs require. Refer to your college’s academic catalog (frequently located on the college’s website) or curriculum maps to see the suggested sequence of courses for majors that relate to your career or careers of interest.

Select three interesting jobs and sketch a timeline for each, starting with your first semester of undergraduate study (whether you’re getting an associate’s or a bachelor’s) and ending with the point when you will meet the minimum requirements to be qualified for that job. Keep in mind that the timeline of students attending full-time may differ from those who are attending part-time.

Majors and Minors

One of the most common questions an undergraduate college student will be asked is “What’s your major?” As we already noted, your major is only one part of your undergraduate (associate’s or bachelor’s) degree, but it is the part that most demonstrates your interests and possible future goals. At some point during your studies you will be asked to decide on, or declare , a major. You may also be able to select a minor or additional concentration. Whereas a major comprises approximately 10–12 courses of a bachelor’s degree program and is required, a minor is usually 5–8 courses, is often optional, and may count toward or contribute to exceeding the total number of credits required for graduation. Rather than take elective courses, some students will select courses that meet the requirements for a minor. When selecting a major and possibly a minor, you’ll want to consider how the knowledge and skills you gain through those fields of study prepare you for a particular career. Majors and minors can be complementary. For example, a major in business might be well-matched with a minor in a foreign language, thus allowing the student to pursue a career in business with a company that hires bilingual employees. It is important to research careers of interest to you when selecting your major and/or minor to determine what will best help you to meet your goals.

Preprofessional Programs

Some undergraduate degrees are specifically designed to prepare students to later pursue professional degrees (such as the MD or PharmD) at the graduate level. Such programs are called preprofessional programs , preprofessional majors, or preprofessional tracks. The most common preprofessional programs are premed, prelaw, and prepharmacy, but you may see other offerings. Although some preprofessional programs are structured as majors that you can declare, many preprofessional programs are a sequence of recommended courses and activities that a student can follow alongside a related major. While following a preprofessional program may not guarantee your admittance to a professional program, it does increase the likelihood of acceptance to and preparation for a graduate professional program.

Consider Loretta’s story as an example of how a student might be on a preprofessional track. Loretta has decided that she would like to become a medical doctor. She has declared biology as her major and is taking the courses required to graduate with a bachelor of science degree in biology. Her university does not have a premed major, but it does have a premed track. She informs her academic advisor of her career goals, and her advisor provides her information about the premed track. The premed track includes a list of courses that students should take to prepare for the medical school entrance exams, called MCATs. Some of these courses are biology courses that overlap with Loretta’s biology major, while others are higher-level chemistry courses that are not required for her major. She can take these chemistry courses, and any other premed-track courses, as her elective courses. The premed track at Loretta’s university includes opportunities to attend MCAT study workshops and premed student club meetings. It also provides recommendations for summer volunteering and internships that will strengthen Loretta’s resume and application to medical school following the completion of her bachelor’s degree.

Special Requirements of Majors

While preprofessional programs prepare students for entrance into graduate professional degree programs, some undergraduate majors involve special requirements beyond the usual courses and classroom experience to prepare students for entrance to their career. Such requirements provide students practical experience or prerequisites for licensure necessary for a particular job. When requirements are major-specific, it is often because the requirement is state-mandated for that job. Majors that often include state-mandated special requirements are education, social work, and nursing. Some colleges and universities may require all students to participate in additional experiences beyond their regular coursework. You will want to ask your college about details specific to your major or institution. In this section we will generally discuss four such special requirements and experiences: fieldwork and internships, clinicals, student teaching, and service learning.

Fieldwork and Internships

Fieldwork and internships may also be referred to as practicums and field experience. These requirements provide hands-on work experience in a career, or field . When fieldwork or internships are required for your major, such as with a social work major, it is often listed as a course requirement among your major requirements. In other words, you usually receive credits for your fieldwork as you would for a lab or lecture course. Your fieldwork instructor will likely ask you to reflect on and report on your experiences. They will likely confer with a supervisor at your fieldwork site , the place where you are working, to help assess your hands-on learning. Fieldwork and internships provide students with opportunities to practice the skills they’ve learned in the classroom while also introducing them to the values and culture of the organizations and communities in which they hope to be employed. It is important to note that fieldwork and internship experiences are often available to students even if they are not required for their major. You may want to inquire with your academic advisors, faculty, or career services office to determine what opportunities might be available for you to gain this type of experience in your field of interest.

Clinicals are a type of fieldwork specifically required of nursing students. Clinicals may take place in hospitals, nursing homes, or mental health facilities. They provide nursing students who are nearing the end of their degree programs with the opportunity to practice nursing skills that cannot be learned in a regular classroom. During clinicals, students will interact with real patients to conduct physical examinations, draw blood, administer medicine, and provide other care as necessary. Because of the risk to patients, students participating in clinicals are more closely supervised by experienced professionals than those in other types of fieldwork experiences. Thus, clinicals function very much like a real-world classroom and progress to more independent work through the semester. Before undertaking clinicals, nursing students will need to complete certain coursework and pass a physical examination and background check. Because clinicals are often much longer than a class meeting, students will need to work with staff from the program to plan their schedule. It may not be feasible to work at another job while completing clinicals, so if you must work while you’re in college, it’s important to discuss this with nursing staff or academic advisors and to plan ahead.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is a specific type of fieldwork undertaken by students who plan to teach at the preschool, elementary, or middle and high school levels. Education students are often required to complete a student teaching experience in order to obtain a teaching license in their state. Students must often complete core education coursework prior to student teaching and must complete a background check prior to placement in a school setting. During their student teaching experience, students are usually paired one-on-one with an experienced teacher and have the opportunity to observe that teacher, get to know the students, understand the classroom culture, and participate in lessons as a teaching assistant as needed or appropriate. Much like nursing clinicals, this highly supervised fieldwork experience usually progresses to more independent work when the student teacher is asked to deliver and reflect on a lesson plan of their own design. Keep in mind as you plan for student teaching that unlike other fieldwork experiences, student teaching is limited to fall or spring semesters and cannot be completed in the summer because most schools are closed during the summer terms. Also, it may not be feasible to work at another job while completing your student teaching experience, so if you must work while you’re in college, it’s important to discuss this with your program staff or academic advisors and to plan ahead.

Service Learning

While service learning may not be required of a specific major, you may see this special requirement for a course or as a general graduation requirement for your college or university. It’s also an excellent opportunity to try out something that interests you, something that could lead to or be part of your eventual career.

Service learning is very much like volunteering or community service. The purpose of service learning is to interact with and meet the needs of your local community. Service learning does differ from volunteering in that it is more structured to meet specific learning goals. For example, if you were engaging in service learning for an environmental science course, your activities would likely be focused on local environmental issues. Or, if you were engaging in service learning for a sociology course, you would likely be working with local community groups or organizations not only to assist these organizations, but also to observe how groups interact. Like fieldwork, service learning provides you an opportunity to observe and apply concepts learned in the classroom in a real-world setting. Students are often asked to reflect on their service learning activities in the context of what they’ve been learning in class, so if you’re engaged in service learning, be thinking about how the activities you do relate to what you’ve learned and know.

What Students Say

• Fieldwork, internships, and/or student teaching
• Other (write in)
• Part-time job
• Full-time job
• Study Abroad
• The advice of friends and/or family
• The practical, hands-on experiences I’ve had outside of the classroom
• The knowledge and skills I’ve learned in class
• The advice I’ve gotten from mentors, advisors, or college faculty

You can also take the anonymous What Students Say surveys to add your voice to this textbook. Your responses will be included in updates.

Students offered their views on these questions, and the results are displayed in the graphs below.

Does your major have any special requirements that must be completed outside of the classroom?

While in college, which of the following do you think you are most likely to do?

What has influenced your academic and career plan the most?

• 2 Minimum degree qualifications may vary by state.
• 3 United States Census Bureau. (2019, February 21). Number of People with Master’s and Doctoral Degrees Doubles Since 2000. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/02/number-of-people-with-masters-and-phd-degrees-double-since-2000.html

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Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: Amy Baldwin
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: College Success
• Publication date: Mar 27, 2020
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/1-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/4-2-planning-your-degree-path

© Sep 20, 2023 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

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What is Coursework? | Definition, Meaning & keypoints!

What is coursework.

Coursework is a practical work or study done by a student in partial fulfilment of a degree or training. Projects, field work, design studies, long essays etc constitutes a coursework. The nature of work which requires to be carried out depends on the course. It is largely a part of learning exercise and a step to prepare you to handle the required work/ task effectively and efficiently.

• folios of essays
• art and craft items
• speaking tests
• practical work
• assignments and experiments undertaken and assessed during the course

As per Oxford dictionary “Coursework” is defined as

Written or practical work done by a student during a course of study, usually assessed in order to count towards a final mark or grade.

Who assigns coursework and why?

Coursework can be assigned by your teacher or mentor. The reason can be an assessment by the teacher but in most of the cases it’s a requirement as per course structure. A coursework is meant to reflect understanding of what has been taught. How well you understand it and apply it in different situations. Your own thoughts and way of thinking about a topic is reflected in your final work. As mentioned earlier nature of coursework is very diverse. Institutions may make you to write (essays, paper, term paper, thesis etc) or make something (sculpture, are & craft related things) or take some form of test. All these activities done as a coursework award you marks or grades which are counted to evaluate your overall grade for a particular course or purpose. Your creativity, understanding, innovative aspect, talent etc are reflected in the work done by you. Some of the most widely used form of coursework include thesis, dissertations, research paper & term paper as far as writing is concerned. Model making, crafts and other similar activity is generally given when creativity aspect is to be assessed. There may be a combination of these in few cases. The whole purpose largely depends on what your course and what it prepares you to be.

Major types of coursework & how to go about them?

Students have different and mix reaction when coursework is given. Some are excited as it gives them an option to put in effort and bring out something new. They are happy and confident to present their viewpoint and grasp of the topic. While some feels it is a burden and unnecessary task and just want to get away with it. Whatever the case may be there are few guidelines and rules while writing coursework which everyone should follow. Writing a coursework can also be fun!

Some of the steps to help you get started includes:

Coursework for academic topics which require writing:

• Do some research about your topic of interest or assigned topic
• Finalize your topic
• Prepare a structure especially for long writing coursework such as thesis
• Write an abstract or summary for approval from mentor/teacher.
• Do a thorough research for collecting data , facts.
• Start writing and keep on doing the required research
• Check for plagiarism (if any) and work to remove it
• Give credits & references

What makes a good and effective content

A good and effective content is easy to read and understand by readers. Some of the points while writing a content to improve its quality are

• Well- structured
• Well Illustrated
• Predictable

Coursework requiring you to make something like model, sculpture or artwork

• Find something which you appreciate (its design, concept, through, history, significance)
• Come up with what remains the focus area for your coursework
• Decide what you wish to make and in what form eg. model (scaled or not to scale), sculpture or some craftwork
• Finalize the materials to be used such as waste materials, wax, wood, metal, plastic etc
• Collect all the required stuff for making your masterpiece
• Have a mental image prepared and preferably a rough sketch
• Get working!

Key points to be kept in mind while working on coursework

• Originality – Your topic/ idea should be original. Originality of idea is given significant importance and can be a deal breaker. This is not just of the requirement in most of the cases but also a scoring parameter. There are countless number of students and scholars doing research so having an original idea keeps you on positive side. Some students prefer contacting  SmartWritingService coursework writing service to get professional help from experts.
• Need – If you coursework is solution oriented then you must clearly identify the key problems and issues which you aim to cover under your work. A good solution cannot be provided unless the problem has been understood well.
• Uniqueness – Uniqueness in terms of idea and work. Preparing good questionnaires and conducting surveys adds to uniqueness and originality of content. Not only your topic and but also content should be unique. Avoid plagiarism, copying is a strict “NO”. Any form and extent of plagiarism is dealt seriously if caught and can even disqualify your submission.
• Your Input – This is the most crucial aspect. Your inputs will reflect the understanding and applicability of topic by you. This is the whole purpose of having a coursework. Try your best and put best foot forward. Having a well structured and presented work is something a teacher and mentor is looking for.
• Outcomes & way forward – Having worked and making lots of efforts doesn’t have much value unless useful outcomes are shown. Having a good & meaningful analysis and presentation of data with the  best data extraction service is an essential factor. These can be in form of proposals or problem identification. Your work might conclude your topic or pave a path for others to continue working. Depending on the work and nature of coursework give a conclusion to your study and propose what can be done next or how it can be used.

Coursework & Higher Education

Doctorates are the highest degrees conferred by universities. An online or on campus doctorate can lead to a high-level position in a number of different fields, from business administration to health care to quality control. The lengthy road to earning a doctorate can be shortened by at least several months through online study.

The doctorate degree requires two to five years of postgraduate work, the writing of a thesis, and the passing of oral and written examinations. Most doctoral degrees are the doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, although recipients of this degree may have studied a number of academic fields other than philosophy.

Doctorate degrees are now available in numerous fields, including:

• Business Administration
• Computer Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Health Administration
• Industrial Engineering
• International Business
• Quality Control

Admission to doctoral programs requires completion of an undergraduate degree program and typically, but not always, of a master’s degree program. Students earning a doctorate must take a specified number of advanced graduate-level courses, requiring at least two or three years of study beyond the master’s degree. Upon passing written or oral examinations, or a combination of both, doctoral students are granted the status of doctoral candidates. Then they must research and write a dissertation on an original topic, and then satisfactorily defend the dissertation before a committee of professors in the field.

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Include Relevant...

How to Include Relevant Coursework on a Resume (with Examples)

13 min read · Updated on September 11, 2023

If you are a recent graduate struggling with a lack of work experience, knowing how to include relevant coursework on a resume can be one of the best ways to create a more compelling resume narrative.

One thing that many recent college graduates have in common with one another is a general lack of work experience. That lack of experience can sometimes make it difficult for them to construct a resume that sells their potential to be the best candidate for a job. Fortunately, there are ways to still create a strong and compelling resume, even without experience. For example, did you take classes that might be relevant to the position? If so, including relevant coursework on your resume may be the perfect solution to your resume challenges.

In this post, we will explain how you can identify relevant coursework and where it should be listed in your resume. We will also include several examples of relevant coursework on a resume so that you can see the best options for using these details to strengthen your job search efforts.

What is relevant coursework?

Of course, when we talk about relevant coursework, we are talking about those classes and educational activities that have direct relevance to the position you are seeking. The first thing you need to recognize is that many of the classes you took during your college career will not need to be included in your resume. After all, most degrees require that students complete any number of basic foundational courses that will have little if any relation to their chosen job — at least from a resume standpoint. 

So, what types of classes, achievements, and activities should you focus on as you identify suitable courses to add to your resume? While this sounds like a simple question, it actually requires some serious thought and evaluation. Fortunately, there are some basic rules that you can follow as you make that determination. Below are just some of the potentially relevant things that you might want to include in your resume: 

Coursework that demonstrates that you have a foundation of knowledge in a required aspect of the job you are seeking. For example, if communication skills are needed for the position, you should include courses that focused on business communications, writing, etc.

Projects that are related to particular job skills. For a marketing position, you should include any marketing-related projects you completed during your studies. Or you could include research projects you engaged in if you are seeking a job where research skills are essential.

Academic achievements can also be included, including notably high GPA scores or awards you received. Also, be sure to include any related extracurricular activities. That could include everything from clubs to sporting activities if they helped you develop skills that would be useful for the job.

Again, do not include coursework that has no bearing on the job at hand. This will require you to carefully consider each course to determine its relevance. One way to do that is to read the job posting and select keywords and phrases of import that seem to be describing the skills or educational qualifications needed for the job. Then go through your coursework and try to match courses to those skills. As you do so, remember that some basic courses like those involving communication—both written and verbal—may be included, since communication is one of those soft skills that every company values .

You can learn more about the difference between hard and soft skills by reading our excellent article, Key Differences Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills . A better understanding of those critical soft skills can help to ensure that you don't underestimate the value of any of your classes. There's a great chance that you have more marketable soft skills than you realize! 

When should you include relevant courses on your resume?

Before you add your job-related classes to your resume, you should decide whether it is necessary. For example, you can almost certainly benefit from including your relevant coursework on your resume if: 

You recently graduated from school or are beginning the process of looking for a job because you are close to graduation. Students and recent graduates typically have little or no real job experience to highlight skills. Fortunately, their studies and project assignments will likely have helped them to develop important skills that they can highlight in their resumes.

Your educational achievements are necessary to qualify for the position you are seeking. In those instances, your prospective employer will be interested in knowing that you have fulfilled those requirements and have the basic knowledge needed for the position.

There may also be times when you need to include coursework even after you have been in the workforce for some time. For example, if you are switching careers and your current work experience does not include the skills needed for your new job, that may not matter as much if you can show that your studies prepared you for the role. 

Including coursework related to your minor

As you select relevant coursework for your resume, don't forget to consider courses of study related to your minor too. Hopefully, you will have selected a minor that is at least tangentially related to your desired career path. If so, then chances are that some of the courses you completed may have some relevance that can translate to a useful resume listing. For more information about minors and when they can be added to your resume, read How to Include a Minor on Your Resume .

When should I take coursework off my resume?

Obviously, there will be times when you should forgo any mention of your courses in your resume. Some examples of situations where you might not need to list your specific coursework include:

When your coursework is not really relevant to the position you seek. Including irrelevant coursework could actually distract from your important skills and experiences.

Situations in which coursework was completed so long ago that the information is no longer useful. For instance, many technology-related courses can lose their value over time. Other examples include old marketing courses and other educational achievements that involve skills that have evolved rapidly in recent years.

If your resume is already filled with enough work experience and skills that there is no need or room for specific course details. Remember, you want to add your courses to enhance your value as an employee. If adding a particular course does nothing more than add length to the resume, skip it. 

Where should relevant coursework be listed in your resume?

In most resumes, the coursework should be placed in the education section, with a subheading titled “Relevant Coursework.” When creating this part of the education section, you should insert the subheading under the name of your degree, with a list of the courses you studied. For example:

Bachelor's in [Name of Degree]

[College Name, City, Graduation Date]

Relevant Coursework: [Course 1], [Course 2], [Course 3], [Course 4], [Course 5]

Alternatively, you can also opt to show your courses in a bullet-point list if your resume is short and you need to fill more space. You can even elaborate on each course with a few words to describe the skills you learned in class. For example:

Relevant Coursework:

If you have no actual work experience, you may even want to consider using your education section as a substitute for that experience section. If you choose that option, you may want to place the education section closer to the top of your resume and flesh out each course in the same way you would detail a job listing in your work experience section. That means using detailed descriptions that include quantifiable results highlighting your achievements.

Key tips to remember when listing relevant coursework

Before we show you some examples of how to list relevant coursework on your resume, there are a few tips that can help to ensure that your final product is as compelling as possible. By incorporating these ideas into your resume creation process, you can more effectively make that all-important great first impression on any hiring manager.

Only list relevant coursework if you lack sufficient work experience to meet the job requirements.

Always make sure that the courses you list highlight skills and knowledge needed for the position. If a course has nothing to do with your chosen line of work, it has no place in your resume.

Relevant courses may be related to hard and soft skills.

If you choose to use descriptions for each course, use that as an opportunity to insert relevant keywords from the job description. This can be a great way to ensure that your resume can get past any applicant tracking system .

Always proofread your entire resume to eliminate spelling mistakes, punctuation and grammar errors, and style or formatting discrepancies.

Make sure that you tailor your resume to fit the job you want. Since you will likely be applying for different jobs during your job search, you may need to modify your educational coursework details to align with the needs of each position.

Do not forget to include important skill information in your coursework descriptions. Again, try to use those job description keywords.

If you are maintaining an updated resume throughout your educational career, be sure to continually edit your resume as your coursework evolves over time. This can make it easier to keep it updated and can save you some time when your job search begins.

3 Examples of relevant coursework on a resume

In this final section, we will explore some different examples to show you how you can successfully incorporate relevant coursework into your resume. We have included a couple of examples of the most basic listing options, as well as an expanded sample that enables you to provide more details and skills. You can refer to these samples and use them as guides as you create your own relevant coursework section.

Example #1: The Basics

Bachelor's in Information Technology

My College, Anytown 2022

Relevant Coursework: Cyber Security 101, Business Intelligence, Application Development, Networking and Telecom, Artificial Intelligence

This simple listing would be a good option for anyone who has at least some relevant work experience but who still needs an additional boost to meet the job requirements. In this case, the job seeker's coursework listing is presented in a minimalist format, documenting the specific courses and areas of focus—but without any other information about those studies.

Example #2: Bulletpoint List of Courses

Cyber Security 101

Business Intelligence

Application Development

Networking and Telecom

Artificial Intelligence

This option is similar to the first example but presents the classes and areas of focus as separate bullet points. This provides additional emphasis for each area of study, while also taking up a bit more space in the resume. This can be a great option if your resume is a little short and you need to expand the content.

Example #3: Detailed Format

My College, Anytown

Completed in 2022

Certified Cyber Security Expert, skilled in protecting data, information, and infrastructure.

Coursework included training on risk analysis, threat mitigation, compliance assurance, and cloud security.

Completed multiple projects and research assignments designed to test knowledge and adaptability to various types of cyber threats.

 Business Intelligence

Business analytics certificate, training focused on data interpretation and communication to resolve business problems with a data mindset.

Course included 3 projects testing analytical skills using hypothetical business challenges based on real-world business scenarios.

 Application Development

Courses focused on the development of software coding skills used for web application creation, troubleshooting, and debugging.

Final course project involved the creation of an independent web app to streamline online sales processes for a test company.

Training focused on routing, packet switching, and cybersecurity needs.

Spent eight weeks as a volunteer networking intern for a local ISP, receiving hands-on training from experienced networking professionals.

AI and machine learning studies, emphasizing tech integration into business processes, impact on sales and marketing, and ethical concerns.

Conducted study for the course final, evaluating potential AI benefits for enhanced marketing in the digital age and impact on online sales.

This more detailed example is a superior option for those who have no work experience and need their educational credentials to highlight their skills. In this sample, each area of interest is accompanied by bullet point details describing the types of courses studied and the lessons or skills developed during those classes. In addition, bullet points are added to highlight specific achievements, describe studies and real-world application of skills, and demonstrate competency in the subject matter.

This type of format can enable your coursework section to serve as a replacement for work experience if you have never been employed. When used for that purpose, you can expand on each course listing to include additional skills and keywords from the job post. Simply add new bullet points where needed to flesh out each area of emphasis.

Again, if you choose to replace your work experience section with this relevant coursework section, make sure that you move this section closer to the top of your resume so that it receives more prominence. Basically, if your strongest selling point is your education, then make sure that your important courses are one of the first things that a prospective employer sees. Also, you may want to highlight your educational qualifications in your resume summary so that the reader expects to see those coursework details.

Don't underestimate the power of a well-crafted and compelling resume

Finally, it is important to reiterate just how vital it is that your resume makes the best possible impression. When you approach the labor market with little or no work experience, you are usually already at a competitive disadvantage. There will almost always be someone else who has a similar level of skill and educational background, as well as real-world experience. To compete against a qualified rival, you need a resume that can effectively sell you as the best candidate for the job.

For recent graduates and job seekers moving to entirely new careers, a lack of relevant work experience can be a major impediment to landing job interviews and employment offers. One way to overcome this obstacle is to learn how to use relevant educational coursework on your resume to highlight your qualifications and skills. Hopefully, this post and its resume examples can provide you with the inspiration and help you need to translate your educational experience into a compelling resume narrative. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that your resume effectively positions you to have the best chance at landing any interview and job. To make sure that your resume is up to par, get a  free resume review  today. And if you really want to be sure that your resume is ready for prime time, take a few moments to discover just how easy it is to get professional resume assistance from our team of experts!

Recommended Reading:

What Should I Say About My Education On My Resume?

Ask Amanda: What's the Best Way to List Education on a Resume?

14 Reasons This is a Perfect Recent College Grad Resume Example

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How to Create a Resume With No Education

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See how your resume stacks up.

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• Resume Help

How to List Relevant Coursework on a Resume [10+ Examples]

Our customers have been hired by:

As a student, you may find it challenging to fill up the experience section of your resume with relevant content. You even considered adding taming younger siblings to it, but your friends advised against it.

Fret not! Even though employers value previous work experience much, it’s not the only thing they’ll be looking at on your resume. Listing relevant coursework on a resume can give the recruiters a peek into the types of skills you’ve developed as a student, and effectively convince them you’re the person they’ve been looking for.

This article will show you:

• When you should (and shouldn’t) put relevant coursework on a resume.
• How to list relevant coursework on a resume for your benefit.
• Examples of relevant courses on a resume.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here .

Sample resume made with our builder— See more resume samples here .

Looking for other resume writing resources? Check out our guides:

• How to Make a Resume
• What to Include in a Resume
• How to Put Your Education on a Resume
• How to Put Phi Beta Kappa on a Resume
• How to Put Athletics on a Resume
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• Best Examples of Resumes for Any Job

What Does Relevant Coursework Mean and How to Include It on Your Resume

Relevant coursework is a list of subjects and courses you took at school that are pertinent to the position you're applying for. You can include relevant coursework on your resume in the education section. Any courses, subjects, and projects you list have to be related to the job opening. 

This is a great addition to any  entry-level resumes or student resumes  alongside  projects , academic achievements, extracurriculars , and volunteer experience . It may also come in handy on an internship resume when you want to show the recruiter the skills that make you a perfect fit.

That being said—

Listing relevant courses on a resume isn’t really necessary if you can show more than a year of experience on your resume.

If that’s the case, focus on tailoring your resume's job description section and consider including other resume sections .

As the name suggests, relevant coursework should be... relevant . So, don’t force this section into a resume where adding coursework makes no sense.

At the end of the day, it’s what you can do that counts most, not the number of courses on a resume.

So, rather than populate your resume with fillers, focus on your skill set and put your skills in the spotlight.

Remember—

It’s relevant experience   that truly matters.

Pro Tip: Look at the job offer to judge whether or not you should include relevant coursework on a resume. For example, if the employer requires you to put GPA on a resume chances are they’d be interested in your relevant courses as well.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check . Start building a  professional resume template here for free .

When you’re done, our easy resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

How to List Relevant Coursework on a Resume

Once you decide that relevant coursework should be on your resume, you might start wondering where to put courses on a resume.

Most of the time, relevant coursework is a subsection of your resume education section.

Depending on how much work experience you have, the education section might either come first on your resume or follow the experience section.

You can add relevant coursework to your resume in several ways:

1. Put relevant coursework on your resume in an additional line in your education section .

Relevant Coursework on Resume—Example

2016 BA in Psychology

UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Relevant Coursework : Language and Cognitive Development, Psychology of Emotion, Psychological Statistics, Cognitive Linguistics

If you add the relevant courses to a resume in this way, you’ll have plenty of room for including other academic achievements on your resume .

2. List relevant coursework on your resume in bullet points to give it more prominence.

Relevant Coursework—Resume Example

Relevant Coursework :

• Language and Cognitive Development
• Psychology of Emotion
• Psychological Statistics
• Cognitive Linguistics

3. Finally, use detailed bullet points to explain the relevance of coursework to the position.

Relevant Courses on a Resume: Sample

• Language and Cognitive Development—wrote a semester paper on the influence of bilinguality on the perception of time and temporal relations
• Psychology of Emotion—explored the relation between language structures and human emotion
• Psychological Statistics—learned how to translate research results into statistically significant studies
• Cognitive Linguistics—analyzed semantic and grammatical aspects of language in the context of human cognitive abilities

If the candidate above applied for an SEO-related position all the coursework would be relevant.

In combination with some previous work experience (e.g. internship) and strong computer skills, their SEO resume would look very solid.

Finally—

If the position you’re pursuing requires strong academic background and credentials, you might want to consider allocating an entire resume section exclusively for your relevant coursework.

In such case, it would make sense to go for a bullet point, list and describe each course in detail.

Tips on Putting Relevant Courses on a Resume

When listing relevant coursework on a resume, remember:

• Always tailor your resume to the job offer. If the position requires a lot of relevant experience , putting relevant classes on a resume will not get you any points. In such cases, throw relevant coursework out of the window and focus on your skills.
• If your coursework is particularly relevant to the position, consider putting it closer to the top of your resume.
• If you decide to add relevant courses to your resume, it’s a good idea to include other relevant educational information as well (e.g. GPA scores, academic honors and awards, etc.).
• Think of the relevant coursework resume section as another opportunity to feed the ATS and include strong resume keywords to boost your chances.
• Don’t limit yourself to the coursework you did. Include the relevant academic projects and research to add value to your resume.
• If you completed some online courses, you’re free to list them as well.
• I said it before, but I’ll say it again: make sure that listing relevant coursework on your resume does make sense. Don’t put it there just to fill up white space. Relevance is key.

Pro Tip: Spend a lot of time editing your resume. Get rid of all typos and grammar errors. Make sure your punctuation is spotless and formatting is consistent throughout the entire document. Then read our guide on resume dos and don’ts .

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.  Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaways

Here's all you need to know about putting relevant coursework on a resume:

• Listing relevant courses on a resume is optional.
• It makes sense to put relevant coursework on student and entry-level resumes.
• If you have at least one year of experience, drop relevant courses from your resume entirely, and focus on tailoring the job description and key skills sections.
• Use the education section to present the relevant coursework. You can provide either general or detailed information regarding the courses you took.
• Consider making a dedicated relevant coursework section if the position you're applying for requires strong academic background.
• Last but not least, remember that relevance is the keyword. So don't list coursework when applying for positions that don't require it.

Still not sure whether or not you should put relevant coursework on a resume? Give us a shout out in the comments below! Always happy to help.

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Canvas Site Spotlight: Thomas Nechyba’s Econ 101 Course

At the end of Fall 2023, we asked students to share the names of any instructors they thought had used Canvas particularly well. We were thrilled to see dozens of instructors recommended, and are pleased to share with you a selection of these student-approved Canvas course sites. We hope this series provides inspiration for instructors who are either just starting out with Canvas or are reimagining how they organize their course sites.

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• Use the Modules tool to present information and links to all needed content and tools.

In addition to adhering to these basics, Thomas Nechyba ’s Econ 101 course site had a few other unique features that may work well for others – using an app to take attendance, using Speedgrader to grade short writing assignments, and posting class recordings.

In this post, we will explore some of these features of Nechyba’s course in detail, but for a short, student-facing tour of his course site, watch the video below:

Staying consistent using Modules

A common theme across the students’ comments was praise for the organization of Nechyba’s Canvas course site and his use of Modules:

• “Used Canvas well, with the modules and the quizzes.”
• “The organization of quizzes and discussion sections on Canvas for this class was exquisite.”
• “He really understood how to use Canvas to help us learn the best in a very structured and organized way. It was easy to navigate in the course and easily access resources we needed to study.”

As you can see from his demo video above, Nechyba followed a very consistent structure for his course site: every class session had its own module, which began with the recording of the previous class, followed by assignments for the students to complete before the next class, and ended with a quiz. 

“They really get used to the rhythm of the class. Two weeks into it, you don’t even have to remind them. When I used Sakai, I used a similar system but I would send out reminders every time – here’s what’s going up now, here’s what you need to do. None of that’s necessary any more once you’re clear on how you structure these modules,” Nechyba said.

Taking attendance with Qwickly

Ensuring students actually attended his class was important to Nechyba, but because the course was so large with approximately 500 students, he needed a simple and elegant solution to track attendance. Enter Qwickly , an app that integrates with Canvas to automatically record student attendance. 

At a random time during the class, Nechyba used the app to display a QR code on the board that changed every three seconds. The students then used their phones to scan the code and be checked in.

“It worked beautifully in several senses. First, it worked for everybody. Second, it directly transfers the attendance score into the gradebook in Canvas. We actually expanded its use in the department. We bought a license and now I think four or five of our large courses are using it without any issues emerging, so it’s been a really good experience,” Nechyba said.

Qwickly is not available to everyone at Duke at this time, but individual or departmental licenses may be purchased.

Saving time with Speedgrader

For a large class with over 30 sections that may do different activities on different days of the week, finding a way for teaching assistants to quickly and easily grade student assignments such as discussion forum postings or weekly reflection write-ups posed a challenge. 

“It was actually the TAs who figured out that the Speedgrader option really is a fairly efficient way of quickly going through and making sure that everybody has put in the effort that they needed to. It just seemed to be more efficient than what we had done previously in other systems,” Nechyba said.

Posting class recordings

Many instructors fear that posting class recordings to Canvas will discourage regular attendance, but Nechyba starts every semester giving students a choice between two options to avoid this.

“I talked to my class upfront. I say, look, if I gave you a choice between not having to attend but no recordings of the class, or having to attend, and you get a score that’s part of your grade, and I post the videos, which one would you choose? And essentially, unanimously, they chose to have the recordings and be required to attend,” Nechyba said. “The whole class is about participating and engaging with the ideas.”

Nechyba has found providing recordings of his classes to have multiple benefits:

• The class content is readily available for students with excused absences.
• Students are more engaged in the class activities and discussion rather than obsessing over meticulous note-taking.
• The videos are a useful study tool for students to review to prepare for exams.

LILE consultants are available to help with your course site

Whether you are just starting out with Canvas or are re-thinking how you might set up your course sites for the next term, our teaching consultants are available to help. We invite you to drop into one of our twice-weekly office hours , book a 25-minute one-on-one consultation , or send us an email at [email protected] with your course design questions.

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5 Best Online Course Platforms for 2024

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• Best for access to a wide variety of courses: Coursera
• Best for access to traditional universities: edX
• Best for beginners: freeCodeCamp
• Best for rigorous technical courses: Udacity
• Best for making a portfolio: W3Schools

Online courses can be stepping stones to successful tech careers. Many let learners set their own hours, opening up opportunities for people who are working full time at the same time as they seek to gain more skills or a new certification.

When looking for the best online course platforms for people seeking tech or business skills, we assessed platforms based on the following:

• Criteria : Popularity, positive reviews and word-of-mouth.
• Practicality : May include a certification or specific tech skills, which can be included on a resume.
• Versatility : Offers courses for a variety of skill levels.
• Instructors : Who is teaching them? Is that person associated with a well-regarded university, corporation or organization? What has that person contributed to the field?
• Trustworthiness : Do users report problems with payment or false advertising?

SEE: Amazon offers AI and machine learning courses as part of its “AI Ready” initiative. (TechRepublic)

Coursera: Best for access to a wide variety of courses

Coursera is usually on lists of the best online course platforms for good reason: it offers a wide variety of courses for people at various stages of their careers and on many different subject areas of interest. Coursera partners with leading universities and corporations, and the courses are often taught by industry professionals and well-regarded academics. Coursera offers a wide variety of technology-focused courses, including on data analysis, IT and generative AI.

Some Coursera courses can be completed within the 7-day free trial. After that time period, individual Coursera courses cost between $49 and $79, depending on the course, billed monthly. A Coursera Plus subscription provides access to all courses, specializations and certificates on the site and costs $59 per month. The annual plan, Coursera Plus Annual, provides the same access for $399 per year. Businesses, universities and governments can inquire about relevant plans.

• Wide variety of courses.
• Content translated into multiple languages depending on the individual course.
• Career certificates for some courses.
• Job search guides for some courses.
• Self-paced or supervised courses.
• Degree programs from participating colleges and universities.
• Some users report problems with being over-charged or incorrectly charged for a subscription.
• Does not specialize in one field.

edX: Best for access to traditional universities

While some of the classes edX hosts, like Harvard’s well-known Introduction to Computer Science, are available for free elsewhere , the edX platform provides certifications and an extensive catalog of courses across industries affiliated with universities. edX’s tech-focused courses include artificial intelligence programming and business strategy related to AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing and more.

Many courses provided through edX are free but require payment for a certification, which can cost $50 – $300 ; prices for more advanced courses may be higher. Verizon provides one year of free access, which learners can register for with or without a Verizon account. Businesses can contact edX for information about a corporate account .

• Boot camps.
• Degree programs.
• Resume writing help.
• Some affiliated colleges are moving away from edX and shifting online classes to their own websites.
• Some users report hidden fees .

freeCodeCamp: Best for beginners

freeCodeCamp provides tutorials and courses on thousands of topics and a proprietary certification program. Beginners just learning to write code will find a wide array of tips for learning programming languages as well as more advanced instructions for applying that knowledge. freeCodeCamp’s text and video tutorials are relatively easy to access and use, even for people with little tech background. Their more advanced tech certifications include Data Analysis With Python, Information Security, Back End Development and APIs and more.

freeCodeCamp is a nonprofit and funds itself through donations. All of its offerings are free.

• All courses are free.
• Certification programs, which require five projects and associated exams to complete.
• English for Developers certification (for developers for whom English is a second language).
• Interview and job search resources.
• freeCodeCamp is a relatively small platform. This may be preferable to some learners or be underwhelming.

Udacity: Best for rigorous technical courses

Udacity sets itself apart with its nanodegree programs, which are months-long courses that mimic traditional college degrees and may result in certificates of achievement. Udacity is known for its relatively rigorous courses and hands-on components. Tech topics available as courses from Udacity include data science, programming, development, autonomous systems, product management, artificial intelligence and more.

Accessing any content on Udacity requires a subscription. A subscription costs $249 per month, or $846 for four months. A team plan for companies with 50 to 1,000 employees costs $249 per user per month. Enterprises and governments can inquire for pricing information.

• Courses in tech including AI, project management, executive leadership and more.
• Guided student projects.
• Hands-on assignments.
• Relatively expensive.
• Some reviews say the teacher-to-student ratio and quality of teachers has declined in recent years.

W3Schools: Best for making a portfolio

W3Schools provides straightforward, beginner-friendly classes focused entirely on programming, data analytics and website building. In addition, W3Schools provides services such as reference pages and website hosting, which may be useful if a learner wants to demonstrate their skills on their own website.

Pricing for W3Schools depends on the class, certification or service being used; many of the tutorials are free. An ad-free subscription costs $14.99 per month. Pricing for certification exams vary .

• Text tutorials.
• Hands-on exercises.
• Catalog of certification exams.
• Optional gamified “MyLearning” points system.
• Goal-setting tool.
• Website creation.
• HTML color code generator.
• May not be relevant to an audience already familiar with programming and the basics of data analytics or web design.
• Tutorials may be sparse and not add a lot of context about what each programming language is used for.

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Ready to implement AI at work? Google has a new course for that

Generative artificial intelligence (AI)  can positively impact most people's workflows, regardless of their industry. However, despite many generative AI tools being readily accessible, most people don't know how to apply them to their work. That's where Google's new AI course can help. 

On Friday, Google launched its new AI Essentials course, which teaches working professionals how to implement generative AI in their day-to-day to boost productivity. 

Also: Google releases two new free resources to help you optimize your AI prompts

The course takes less than ten hours to complete and includes videos, readings, and exercises. Once users complete the course, they will earn a certificate from Google that can be shared with employers, networks, social platforms, and more. 

The full course is available on Coursera for $49. If you are hesitant about spending the money, ZDNET plans on taking the course in the upcoming week and will share our review of its effectiveness soon.  

Google said it will also make the course available through nonprofits, schools, and companies. For example, Miami Dade College is providing the course to all its AI degree program students, and Google and CitiGroup will offer the course to their employees to help upskill them in AI. 

If you are an educator interested in learning more about how you can implement AI in your workflow, Google recently launched a free Generative AI Educators course in partnership with MIT. The course is intended to help educators learn how to use generative AI to save time, enhance lessons, and more. 

Also:  7 reasons I use Copilot instead of ChatGPT

In addition to launching the new course, Google also announced a $75 million AI Opportunity Fund intended to help Americans learn essential AI skills through grants given to workforce development and education organizations. Those organizations will then provide AI training to "rural and underserved communities, educators and students, public sector, nonprofit leaders and small businesses at no cost," according to the release. 

AI literacy is a critical part of successfully deploying AI tools because it allows people to get the most out of the technology. Courses like these not only help users become more competitive in the job market but also help them learn how to apply AI elsewhere in their lives.  Interested in a free AI course? Check out  ZDNET's list of best free AI courses.

Artificial Intelligence

Google releases two new free resources to help you optimize your ai prompts, vyond's video generator adds ai that businesses will love. try it for yourself, the best free ai courses (and whether ai 'micro-degrees' and certificates are worth it).

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Should You Retire at Age 70? Here Are 2 Pros and 1 Pretty Big Con

April 27, 2024 — 07:18 am EDT

Written by Maurie Backman for The Motley Fool  ->

The decision to retire is a pretty big one, and you'll no doubt put a lot of thought into things before ending your career for good. And in the course of contemplating your retirement, you may flip-flop between different ages until you find the right one.

Age 70 is one age you may be considering in the context of your retirement. Working until 70 could benefit you in a couple of really big ways. But there's also a giant pitfall you might encounter if you don't retire until age 70.

Image source: Getty Images.

Pro No. 1: You can grow your savings

The longer you work, the more opportunity you have to boost your personal savings. Northwestern Mutual reports that baby boomers have an average retirement savings balance of $120,300. You may have a lot more than that going into retirement. But if your savings aren't so robust, it could definitely pay to work until your 70th birthday and boost your cash reserves as much as you can.

In fact, let's say you're 60 years old with $120,000 in your IRA . You may finally be in a position to max out at $8,000 per year (the current limit for workers 50 and over).

If you do so until age 70, all the while generating a pretty conservative average annual 5% return on your money, you'll end up with about $296,000 in savings. If you only contribute $8,000 a year for another six years to retire at 66, at that same return, you're looking at retiring with $215,000.

Pro No. 2: You can lock in a higher Social Security benefit

You're entitled to your complete monthly Social Security benefit based on your earnings record at full retirement age , which is 66, 67, or somewhere in the middle, depending on your year of birth. But if you delay your filing past full retirement age, your monthly benefit will get an 8% boost for each year you do, up until age 70.

For some people, it is possible to retire without claiming Social Security right away. But if you want the maximum monthly benefit you're personally entitled to, you may want to plan to work until age 70 and then sign up for Social Security at that point in time.

The big con: You might deny yourself more "good years" of retirement

Maybe you'll be blessed with great health all the way into your 80s. Or maybe your health will start to decline around your 70th birthday. Without a crystal ball, it's impossible to know.

However, if you retire at age 70, you could end up in a situation where your health has started to falter by the time your career has ended. That could mean losing out on the opportunity to do some of the things you've always wanted to do as a retiree.

Let's say hiking different trails throughout the country is a big goal of yours. If you're in good shape to do that at age 66, there's no guarantee the same will really hold true four years later. So in this example, waiting until age 70 to retire could mean denying yourself that chance to check a life objective off your list.

Of course, you can use your health as a guidance point when making your decision. If you're still in great shape by the time your mid- or late 60s arrive, you can think about postponing retirement. If you're starting to struggle or lose energy by that point, then you can pull the plug on your career sooner. But either way, do keep in mind that retiring a bit later could put you at risk of missing out on some "good years" of retirement that you may not be able to get back.

All told, retiring at 70 is a mixed bag. Consider the benefits and drawbacks very carefully in the course of making your decision.

The $ 22,924 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook

If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $ 22,924 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

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The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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Tom Doak isn’t your typical golf-course designer. Ask Tom Doak | GOLF Originals

You don’t hang with Tom Doak looking for party-time chit-chat about the loveliness of a certain Donald Ross tabletop green you played on a golfing holiday. Doak doesn’t do chit-chat, or cocktails parties for that matter. And while he understands the concept of vacation, it’s not his thing. A vacation for him is looking at golf courses he has not seen before. He has seen thousands.

Doak is a golf-course architect who doesn’t romanticize his profession. All good course architects are, at some level artists, just as all good hair stylists and magazine designers are. But if you really pay attention to his words — in his books, at his course openings, in the video we present here — what you realize is that he’s a builder, a soup-to-nuts builder, seeing a big picture but getting there one obsessive detail at a time.

The tools of his trade are topo maps, bulldozers, shovels, golf carts suitable for a safari, grass seed in its many varieties and an understanding of hydrology. As a golf-course architect, Doak says often and in this new  GOLF Originals  presentation, he claims he is overrated and that the people he works with — his “band” — are underrated. “They almost don’t need me,” he says. This Tom Doak is not an ordinary guy.

Doak is our second  GOLF Originals  subject in this new monthly series .  Our first was the golf broadcaster David Feherty . Doak and Feherty are nothing alike. Feherty is witty, talkative, warm. Doak, in his language and manner, is almost painfully unadorned. But they are similar in a most significant way. They are both originals. Nobody can say, “Oh, I know somebody just like that Tom Doak.” Because that person does not exist.

I met Doak in the early 1990s, when he was building the first of two courses at a golf club called Stonewall, on farmland about an hour or so from downtown Philadelphia. The courses are rolling and natural, with some hilltops here and there, and play on the two Stonewall courses can be gentle and manageable from one set of tees and get-me-out-of-here difficult from another. Doak’s deputy, when he started at Stonewall, was Gil Hanse, a kid out of college then. I can still see his L.L. Bean boots as he sat on an open-air bulldozer. They were starting out. Now they are legends in their fields. Both have been go-to sources for me on questions related to course architecture ever since. Sometimes the questions get far afield. Here, Doak is asked, “Do you have any post-partem plans, and do they involve golf courses?” Doak thought, chortled and answered.

Here, Doak tells you his unvarnished opinions of Augusta National (he admires the course but there’s more to his answer), Jack Nicklaus (he admires the golfer but there’s more to his answer) and Pete Dye, Doak’s first boss. You’ll see Pete Dye in this mini-doc, for a second or two. There’s a signature on his cap. It’s telling.

David Feherty on life, loss and his new gig at LIV Golf | GOLF Originals

Doak talks about his first trip, as a kid, to Dye’s Harbour Town Golf Links, on Hilton Head Island, and how it made him fall in love with golf-course design. He talks about working with Nicklaus at Sebonack Golf Club on Long Island. You’ll hear him talk about, and see, a work-in-progress called Sandglass, off Bridge Road in Martin County, in South Florida, on the St. Lucie Canal and a dozen or so miles from Jupiter Island. Golf-course architects are drawn to islands.

For about 40 years now Doak has been drawn to the British Isles. He worked one summer as a caddie in St. Andrews. He has read, and written about, the early architects with U.K. roots: Old Tom Morris, Donald Ross, Harry Colt, Alister MacKenzie. Their starting point was simplicity. The courses those men built are in Doak’s head from the time he wakes up until the time he goes to sleep. There are costs, to leading such an obsessive life. Doak talks about those costs here, movingly.

Fifty and 100 years from now, it’s possible that some Doak courses —  Pacific Dunes in coastal Oregon and Cape Kidnappers in coastal New Zealand and Streamsong Blue in central Florida are three of his best-known courses — will continue to grow in stature. Good golf courses have long lives and are always evolving, long after the architect is dead. Dead, but not gone. As Doak says here, “I’ve left myself in some of these places.”

His fingers go up. His eyes go right. He goes silent. This is his life. The work is the work, and the work is his life.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at  [email protected]

Latest In Lifestyle

10 yard-care mistakes to avoid this spring, according to a superintendent, 7 ways to clean your favorite golf shoes, inside a celeb-filled weekend of golf at the 8am invitational | rogers report, zurich classic betting guide: 5 picks our expert loves this week, michael bamberger.

Michael Bamberger writes for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. Before that, he spent nearly 23 years as senior writer for Sports Illustrated . After college, he worked as a newspaper reporter, first for the (Martha’s) Vineyard Gazette, later for The Philadelphia Inquirer . He has written a variety of books about golf and other subjects, the most recent of which is The Second Life of Tiger Woods . His magazine work has been featured in multiple editions of The Best American Sports Writing. He holds a U.S. patent on The E-Club, a utility golf club. In 2016, he was given the Donald Ross Award by the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the organization’s highest honor.

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The most underrated course designers, according to tom doak, the surprising reason why david feherty couldn’t win majors, what drove david feherty to liv golf not just the money, he says, te arai links unveils tom doak's highly anticipated north course, with tom doak design in works, scotland's cabot highlands gathering steam, pinehurst resort adding tom doak course. here's what will set it apart.

Professional Scrum Master - Advanced

Live Virtual Class, May 4-5, 2024

Class Overview

The Professional Scrum Master™ level II (PSM II) course is an Advanced Scrum Master class focused on helping Scrum Masters to improve their skills to be more effective. This course enables Scrum Masters to gain in-depth understanding of how to use Scrum Framework, apply the right stances of a Scrum Master to enable effectiveness within the Scrum Team. The course is intended for practicing Scrum Masters who have atleast one year experience (albeit this is not mandatory) and want to grow their abilities as Scrum Master.

Those that pass the assessment will receive the industry recognized PSM II Certification as an indication of their advanced knowledge and abilities pertaining to Scrum and the role of the Scrum Master.

Anyone attempting the PSM II should have advanced Scrum knowledge, in-depth Scrum experience and/or have taken the Professional Scrum Master course prior to taking this assessment. However, attending a course is neither necessary nor sufficient for certification. The PSM II assessment is  difficult, and consists of multiple-choice questions based on your knowledge of Scrum and how you would handle real-world situations.

Who Should Attend

The Professional Scrum Master II course is an advanced course specifically designed for experienced Scrum Masters who have a thorough understanding of the Scrum framework.  It is particularly beneficial for those people with at least one year of Scrum Master experience.

Course Topics:

Understanding the Accountability of the Scrum Master:

Often Scrum Masters start their journey considering Scrum as a toolkit that comes with various practices and metrics. Their focus is not on the principles, values or purpose of scrum elements. Result an ineffective implementation of Scrum. In this course, we explore how to get the real benefit of Scrum by diving into the accountability of Scrum Master.

Service to the Developers:

Scrum Masters work day-in and day-out with the Developers on the Scrum Team. This course enables Scrum Master to understand how to improve the effectiveness of the Developers by helpin them to focus on creating DONE increments, focusing on quality and facilitating them in decision making and overcoming conflicts.

Service to the Product Owner:

Ensuring a valuable product is created and maintaining the flow of value is essential responsibility of the Product Owner. Scrum Master is accountable to help the Product Owner do just that effectively. This course will enable Scrum Masters to identify the opportunities to coach Product Owner and also pick up few techniques that would help them to support Product Owners.

Service to the Organization:

Implementing Scrum at an organization level is no easy task. There are various challenges and impediments that will block the smooth transition. As a Scrum Master it is important to understand the impact of change on individuals, teams and the organization. This course highlights common challenges and also helps to Scrum Masters to prepare on how to address these challenges. The course also explores the factors that are needed to create an environment where Scrum Teams can thrive.

Class Details

• Website for Piyush Rahate
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• Twitter for Piyush Rahate
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Delivery Method

Class format, registration, more information, course objectives:.

• What practices, tools, skills and stances make an effective Scrum Master
• How the Scrum principles and values help guide Scrum Masters in the decisions they make
• How the Scrum Master acts as a servant-leader and improve their ability in this role
• What the Scrum Master can do to support Developers and Product Owners to become more effective
• Ways that the Scrum Master can help to change the environment making it more conducive for Scrum Teams to be successful with greater agility
• Provide tips and techniques for the Scrum Master to work with the rest of the organization in support of their Scrum Teams
• Dealing with Team conflicts
• Understanding various levels of impediments
• How to support Scrum teams and foster environments where Scrum Teams thrive.
• Working within organizational constructs and helping management to embrace and apply Scrum.

Prerequisites:

Although there are no mandatory prerequisites for this class but attendees make the most of it, if they : 

• Have atleast one year experience as a Scrum Master
• Have read and understood the Scrum Guide.
• Have taken the Professional Scrum Master I course and assessment.
• Have been part of a team that is applying and implementing Scrum.
• Have been actively practicing Scrum as a Scrum Master

Certification Assessments:

All participants completing the Professional Scrum Master II course will receive a password to attempt the  Professional Scrum Master II  (PSM II) assessment. 

In case the passing score of 85% is not achieved and the first attempt was taken within 14 days of the class then a 2nd attempt at no additional cost will be granted.

A 40% discount on the  PSM III  assessment. 

Official course material from Scrum.org will be shared with participants post the commencement of workshop.

PMI PDU Credits:

Students of Scrum.org courses are able to claim Project Management Institute (PMI) PDU credit: 14 PDUs after attending a two-day Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) class. Please note that PMI PDUs are earned for course attendance and not for passing a Scrum.org assessment. Students can claim PDUs under PMI's "Education courses provided by other third party providers” category. You can claim your PDUs online at  https://ccrs.pmi.org .

Agilemania  is a reputed name in agile coaching, consulting, and training in India, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries in the Asia Pacific. Our public mentoring program for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Agile coaches is a well-known program among professionals. We are an equally known name for running coach-the-coach programs within corporates adopting an agile way of working. We have been delivering live virtual classes for a long and have started all certification training through live virtual mode. We have been collecting feedback since beginning to serve our participants in a better way. We have been rated 4.9 out of 5 at Trustpilot. You can read more here.

We bring a few unique benefits to maximize your value for choosing us

• 99.99% assurance to meet your expectations based on a 4.9/5 rating for our online agile & Scrum training. Get a full refund if you happen to be in .01%
• Lifetime access to our contents in the form of regular videos, blogs, tutorials, and webinars
• Comprehensive support to kickstart your career in a selected role to support agility in your organization
• Feel 100% confident to pass the exam with our unique approach to teaching
• 1:1 coaching with our coaches after training on a need basis

Our Coaches:

We believe that every learner must see who the coach is and not the framework, content, or certification. Teaching is an essential skill for agile coaches, and our coaches demonstrate the same while teaching. To retain our values, we don't engage 3rd party or outside trainers to do business. Teaching is a way to communicate the values that we bring to an organization.  We are a group of 6 coaches, and all have unique skills and share a shared vision and goal. You can read more about them on our website.

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Scottie Scheffler sees course record broken by Korn Ferry Tour’s Frankie Capan III

Frankie Capan III, a 24-year-old who played collegiately at Florida Gulf Coast, set a new course record on the Korn Ferry Tour.

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Move over, Scottie Scheffler . Frankie Capan III has taken one of your records.

On Thursday, at the Veritex Bank Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour , Capan III recorded the second-lowest score in tour history with a 13-under 58.

His 58 set a new course record at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, Texas, which Scheffler previously held. The reigning Masters champion shot a 59 on this course on May 3, 2020, while playing with friends, as the PGA Tour was on hiatus due to COVID-19 at the time.

Meanwhile, Capan III bested Scheffler during the first round of an event on the Korn Ferry Tour, which has seen six different players card sub-60 rounds since the beginning of the 2023 season.

“It was a lot of fun out there. After the first four, five holes, I just felt really comfortable with my game and where I was at,” Capan III said.

“I’ve been putting in a lot of work in the last few weeks and really the last few months just trying to dial a few things in. I think it all came together, which was nice. And then whenever you’re out there playing well and going low, I really just wanted to keep going as much as I could.”

Capan III rattled off four birdies over his first five holes and then capped off the front nine with an eagle three to shoot a 6-under 29.

By the time he made the turn, he knew his round had the potential to enter rare territory.

Seven consecutive birdies followed on holes 10 through 16, and suddenly, Capan III sat at 13-under par through 16 holes.

But he did not realize that this course played as a par-71. He thought it was a par-72.

“When I got to [13-under], I knew that, okay, there’s 59,” Capan III added.

“But very seldom are you that far under par. I shot 59 before, so I thought I might as well break that. Then, I didn’t know it was par 71, but I was really just trying to birdie 17 and 18. Unfortunately, I didn’t get either one. I made an eight-foot slider on 18 to shoot 58. It was pretty cool.”

His tee shot on the par-5 18th found the fairway bunker, forcing him to lay up on the 524-yard par-5. He then found the green with his third shot and two-putted from 39 feet away, including that slider, for par.

“I still thought it was for 59,” Capan III added.

“When someone said it was for 58, I was excited because I know Scottie Scheffler shot 59, so whenever you can beat that guy, especially nowadays, I mean, you’ve got to take advantage.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

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Phlebotomist Salary and Career Guide

Discover the career path and professional development skills of a phlebotomist and phlebotomist salary, phlebotomy opportunities in venipuncture and more.

Phlebotomy is a growing health care field with competitive salaries and opportunities for advancement. As the Canadian population ages and medical professionals are more in demand than ever, phlebotomists can find full- and part-time employment in various medical settings or as travelling professionals.

In this article, you'll learn about phlebotomists, what they do, and their job outlook. You'll also find common certificates and information on how to enter this important health care career.

What is a phlebotomist?

A phlebotomist, or phlebotomy technician, is a health care professional who draws blood from patients for laboratory testing, transfusions, and research. As a phlebotomist, you’ll have opportunities to work one-on-one with patients of all ages or as a specialist with pediatric or geriatric patients.

Typical duties and tasks

As a phlebotomist, you’ll meet with patients and sometimes need to talk with them to ease their anxiety. You may encounter a nervous patient who fears needles, so you’ll want to be comfortable talking with people of all ages and walks of life. 

Before a blood draw, you’ll verify the patient’s identity and confirm the required number of specimens ordered. If your patient is ambulatory, you’ll want to ask them if they’ve ever fainted during a blood draw and have any adverse reactions to latex. You can also ask if they have an arm preference.    

After cleaning the injection site with an antiseptic, you’ll place an elastic band above it to add pressure. You'll then insert the needle into the vein and collect the blood in an airtight vial attached to the needle. When you collect the proper amount, you'll remove the needle and cover the punctured area with a bandage. 

Before the patient leaves, you'll advise them of immediate aftercare instructions to prevent bleeding, such as no heavy lifting or placing a wet, cold pack on the puncture site to avoid bruising.

You’ll then label the vials and enter the information into a database. The blood samples are delivered to a specified laboratory for examination by a lab technician. 

As a phlebotomist, you also ensure the equipment is sterile and properly dispose of any contaminated material.  

Common work environment

Phlebotomists work in various health care environments in full- and part-time positions. Some of the most common work environments include:

Research facilities

Post-secondary educational institutions 

Government and private research laboratories 

Blood donation centres

Private medical centres

Diagnostic laboratories

Nursing homes

Doctor's offices 

Long-care term homes 

Retirement homes

Insurance companies

There are also many employment opportunities for travelling phlebotomists. Insurance and home health companies have positions requiring in-home and in-facility visits. If you're not seeking permanent employment, temporary agencies hire phlebotomists to fill short—and long-term assignments.

Job outlook

The Government of Canada Job Bank predicts that the need for phlebotomists will be “Good” to “Very Good” in most provinces and territories through 2027 [ 1 ]. The need will likely be strongest in Alberta and Saskatchewan. One of the main reasons for this is Canada's aging population. 

A career as a phlebotomist typically offers job security, competitive pay, and flexible work hours. Job opportunities exist in many health care environments and allow you to work with and meet people from various walks of life. 

What is the average phlebotomist's salary?

Glassdoor reports that the average annual salary for phlebotomists in Canada is $ 44,432 [ 2 ]. The Government of Canada Job Bank reports that the median pay nationwide is $26.00 per hour, but wages can vary by location, experience, and more, ranging from $19.98 to $40 per hour [ 1 ]. 

Factors that affect salary outlook 

Several factors impact a phlebotomist’s salary, such as location, educational and experiential level, and employer's industry.

Location is a particularly critical factor in determining the salary of a phlebotomist.  Wages tend to be higher than the national median in certain provinces, including: 

Newfoundland and Labrador 

Saskatchewan 

Tips for increasing earning potential 

A career in phlebotomy offers opportunities for increased earning potential. Some ways to potentially increase your phlebotomist salary include:  

Working in provinces and territories where phlebotomists receive higher wages 

Becoming fluent in English and French, as there are many parts of Canada where a person who speaks both may be required for a job 

Gaining as much work experience as possible 

Becoming a Certified Phlebotomy Technician and maintaining that certification 

Seeking additional certifications and skills that may make you more appealing to prospective employers 

How to become a phlebotomist

For many people, part of the appeal of phlebotomy is that it doesn't take long to reach your career goals, especially when compared to other health care jobs. Here's what you need to do to become a phlebotomist in Canada. 

First, you must finish secondary school. If you want to work as a phlebotomist or in the health care field, take as much science as possible, including courses like biology and chemistry. Some secondary schools may even offer a phlebotomy course. 

Next, you must enrol in a Canadian Medical Association (CMA) approved phlebotomy program. These programs typically include a mix of traditional courses and lab work. You'll learn about topics like 

Venipuncture techniques

Infection prevention

Ethics and professionalism 

Blood collecting and handling

Medical terminology 

Post-puncture care

Client and specimen identification 

Most programs like this take a year or less and require you to pass an exam at the end. 

Upon completing the phlebotomy program, the next steps will vary based on the province or territory in which you want to work. For example, British Columbia requires you to earn a Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science certificate. 

Even if your province or territory doesn't require you to become certified, you may consider getting certified by an organization like the Canadian Phlebotomy Technician Group. This can make you more appealing to potential employers. You'll need to be fluent in French and English in some areas. 

The more you learn about the human body and the health care field, the better you'll be at your job and the more marketable you'll be when searching for a job. Consider taking a course like The University of Pennsylvania's Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us , which explores the anatomy and physiology underlying vital signs in just 14 hours, or George Washington University's Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety .

Article sources

Government of Canada Job Bank. “ Wages Phlebotomist in Canada , https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/4220/ca" Accessed April 23, 2024. 

Glassdoor. “ Phlebotomist Salaries in Canada , https://www.glassdoor.ca/Salaries/canada-phlebotomist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN3_KO7,19.htm?clickSource=searchBtn." Accessed April 23, 2024.

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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.