Insider Info: Assignment tips from a marker

I have marked close to 1000 university assignments in the past few years, so I wanted to share some small tips for you assignments! Some potentially will seem very obvious, but trust me I see these mistakes frequently. 

1. Include a heading- If your assignment is an essay where you choose from a list of essay questions. Include the question as a heading at the top of the document. If you don’t, it makes it difficult for your marker to work out what question you are answering.
2. Stick to simple font- Don’t use colour and fancy font types unless you have been instructed to do so.
3. Take time with your referencing- Referencing is tedious. I know, I have pages and pages of references in my PhD. But they are easy marks! Taking the time to use the required referencing style could be the difference between a D and HD
4. Less is best- Don’t include unnecessary words for the sake of it. For example ‘understanding psychology is quite important’ can just be ‘understanding psychology is important’. 
5. Avoid long sentences- I read so many assignments with 70+ word sentences. They are difficult to read and often make the information less clear. 

Good luck!!