How to Handle Technical Assignments and Amaze Your Professor!
I guess the happiest moment of your after-high-school life was when you received that admission letter to the best petroleum engineering school, to the medical school or any other noble profession out there. But, as naive as you were, your joy blinded you to the possibility of encountering a mountain of tasks ahead. Technical assignments as they call it, are those assignments that tend to give students headaches, making them gyrate on a single assignment for the longest time without ever seeing a possibility of light at the end of the tunnel. But did you know that technical assignments can be handled just like any other kind of an assignment that seem easy peasy? And, ironically, it is easy to score much higher in technical assignments than in easy ones if one follows the correct path.
So, which are some of the things that you should watch closely when handling technical assignments? First, you have to understand and interpret the topic at hand. Only then will you be in the best position to define an effective approach to the assignment. The assignment you have may turn really challenging if you opt for the wrong approach in the first place.
Here are important tips to guide you in handling a technical assignment:
i) Scrutinize and Understand the Topic
Like earlier stated, understanding the topic in question is the very first and the most important thing that you should do. At this stage, it is recommended that you take an in-depth study of the topic at hand before even working on it. Take your time in digging deep into the instructions provided and any additional materials that you have at hand. If necessary, re-read the project specifications over and over.
The essence of doing so is to understand and interpret all the requirements as laid down by your professor. Note that the progress of your assignment will heavily rely on your primary understanding of the same. It is from the basic understanding of the topic in question that you will establish a profound plan on how go about the entire task.
ii) Plain Language Works
First, we must acknowledge that technical topics are meant to discuss complex topics. As such, you must not make the topic even harder by using complex language. There is always a notion that the more complex language you use, the more you prove your professionalism. Of course not!
It might interest you to know complex language only makes things worse. In this regard, you should and must ensure that the language you use is plain. Avoid thick vocabularies that might otherwise make it hard for the professor to grasp your points. Plain language means simple terms and self-flowing phrases, clauses and sentences. It makes your assignment really easy.
iii) Explain Points First
It is necessary to note that some technical assignments may demand deep analysis and presentation. However, before you even get to that, it is absolutely important to ensure that you explain your points first. This means that you have to discuss lightly the points at hand to make sure that your professor understands where you are heading to.
Once you are convinced that your explanation is very clear and precise, then you should go ahead and make your presentation. This is where you should go a step deeper into the topic in effort to make the concept very clear.
iv) Research on the Best Analysis Method
In most cases, technical orders are always characterized by analysis. This may be done in the form of tables, charts, graphs, Powerpoint presentation, spreadsheets among other things. It is your sole obligation to select the analysis method that will dissect your topic in the most explicit way.
At this juncture, you have to consider the type of data you have been presented with. If the data is in figures, then you should opt for an analysis method that works well with figures. For instance, you can consider spreadsheets, graphs and charts for such an analysis. If the data provided is more of words than figures, then you should opt for analysis methods that use slide-presentation and the likes. The bottom line is that the analysis you do should be presentable and understandable.
v) Take Your Time to Research
This is actually the most important thing in handling technical assignments. Although other tasks may demand deep research, technical orders demand even deeper input in terms of research. Like earlier noted, technical assignments are meant to relay complex information in the simplest way possible. As such, it is very necessary to get the points right from the beginning.
You should and must invest a lot of time in researching your work. You must source the most reliable information to use in your assignment. Above all, you must ensure that the resources you use are easy for you to understand. The last thing you want is to work on your assignment when you are off the main course.
vi) No First Person!
This is not only applicable in technical assignments but also in any research work irrespective of discipline or subject. It must occur in your mind that research work is not about your personal opinion. Rather, it is all about substantiated information from reliable and accredited resources.
Now, this simply means that you must never use the first person perspective when composing your assignment. In other words, you should not use ‘I’ or ‘We’ in your assignment. Aim at communicating to your audience and not to yourself. It is highly recommended that you use third person in communicating your points. This is seen as the most effective way of relaying your points.
vii) Avoid Slang
You must note that you are not communicating to a particular industry only. Slang is basically the type of language that is directed to a certain audience of people. The language is not as widely known as other languages.
The use of slang in technical (and other types of research paper) assignments is something that is heavily discouraged. Instead of introducing such, you should consider using simple and plain language. The language should be understandable by everyone. As a matter of fact, any person in any discipline should be in the best position to understand what you are trying to say.
Conclusion
Technical orders are as simple as using the best approach. It is all about your understanding on the topic at hand. If you can let your professor understand your points from the first sentence of your paper then you got the hacks. Otherwise, your assignment should not be as complex as you perceive.