Identifying the task

Knowing what you are being asked to do is fundamental, but it's all too easy to focus on one word in the question or assignment and think, "Oh, molluscs [or whatever] I'll write down everything I know about molluscs."

The reason teachers say "Read the question" is the same reason why parents say, "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times." It's because they have, and nobody listened.

Consider all parts of the question before you decide what it is you have been assigned to do. Let’s find out a bit more about this.

Students chatting around a laptop screen

Read the question

This might seem obvious, but it's easy to overlook crucial information. Make sure you:

Really understand what you are being asked to do.
Know how flexible your approach to the answer can be.
Understand the basics of the task set: how many written words? How much presentation time? The deadline? The required format?
Plan ahead so you know when and how you are going to approach the task.

General questions

Sometimes questions are so broad that they are almost laughable. Take these real examples of final degree exam questions: in geography, "Where is Europe?" In philosophy, "Is this a question?" How do you deal with these? Ask yourself:

"In the context of what I have studied, what is the questioner actually looking for?"
"In the context of my own knowledge, what angle of this question might be interesting to answer?"
"What should I focus on?" The questioner is challenging you to make an intelligent choice. All you need to do is justify (in your introduction) why you chose one out of a million options.

Specific questions

Some questions can be specific: "Compare A and B and explain why you think one is better than the other." A and B could be anything from French poets to medical procedures:

Stick to the specifics: A and B. Don't go wandering off into C and D. That won't help.
Spend a lot of thought and time on A and B. How are they similar? How are they different? What do the authorities say about them?
What's your own opinion? Who do you agree with? On what basis - fact or rumour?
Come to your own conclusion, but make sure that your reasons for doing so are sound.

Your point of view

Don't underestimate the value of your own experience. When Frank McCourt went to writing classes in New York City he had nothing to write about except his own experience of poverty in Ireland. He went on to write three brilliant memoirs and receive a Pulitzer Prize about an experience that hardly any of his readers had shared.

Remember you are a partner in your own learning. What you have to say is invaluable.
Weave the general and the specific together. Tie general theory into specific examples that you know something about.
If your own experience and your own research have told you something that sheds light on the question - use it.