Step 11: Submit Your Assignment
You're done!
Now all that remains is to submit your assignment to your instructor. We consulted Laurier undergraduate and graduate students and instructors and asked them to tell us their wisdom learned from submitting and collecting academic assignments at the university level.
Tips to consider before submitting
Practical Issues
“Just in case: make sure that you have back-up printer ink or that you can easily access an alternate printer, whether you are printing at home or elsewhere. Same goes for blank printer paper.”
Identify Yourself and the Assignment as Clearly as Possible
“Instructors appreciate it when you include lots of identifying information on your assignment: full name, student ID, tutorial or section number, course number and name, instructor and TA names. This info makes it so much easier for me to efficiently mark and organize your paper amidst all my marking.”
“Names: Spell your instructor’s name correctly. Check it. Is your name on your work?”
Carefully Read the Instructions for Submission
“Take the time to pay attention to your professor’s instructions regarding the submission process. For example, make sure you know (and preferably before the due date) whether you need to submit a copy of your assignment electronically or if you need to hand in more than one hard copy.”
“Staple hard copy paper assignments unless your instructor tells you otherwise. Don’t go out of your way to put your assignment in a binder or folder when a staple will do just fine. As an instructor, I find it very hard to collect, carry around, and mark assignments submitted in folders or plastic sleeves.”
“Number printed pages and make sure they are in order.”
“Check that format requirements are followed – always look back at your assignment sheet to double-check what was specified.”
Keep Notes and Assignment Copies on Hand
“Always print a hard copy for yourself. Keep an electronic backup, too, either on an external hard drive, USB key, or email copy.”
“Keep all your notes on hand. Your instructor may need to see your hard copy notes or rough drafts of your work so don’t throw away anything.”
“Until my instructor hands back my assignment, I hang on to the printed articles, documents, and books that I have used during my research. I find that this is a good idea in case I need to quickly check or confirm a source at the last minute; some instructors have also asked me to confirm or clarify a point regarding source material, so I have found it really helpful to have all this material at my fingertips in the weeks following the submission of an assignment.”
Be Aware that Your Assignment will be Carefully Scrutinized
“Students often don’t realize how easy it is for their instructors to identify plagiarism in submitted work. A quick online search or anti-plagiarism software such as Turnitin.com can flag an instance of plagiarism within a few minutes. Students should keep in mind that their work may be scrutinized in this manner.”