Navigating the Assessment Period: Top tips from peer mentors

Navigating the Assessment Period: Top tips from peer mentors

Manage stress, keep healthy and ace your assessments with these tips from fellow students!

With the assessment period approaching, peer mentors from RMIT share their top tips on how to effectively navigate this challenging period.


Start early and stay organised

Supriya Bajaj, who is studying Masters of Analytics, says that for students approaching assessments, her advice would be to start early, stay organised, and reach out for help if needed.

“Break down your tasks into manageable chunks, prioritize effectively, and utilize resources such as peer mentors, academic support services, and study groups.” 

“Remember to take breaks and practice self-care to maintain balance and reduce stress.”
 

Focus on small portions

When writing an assignment, Law student Meg Whittaker says breaking up everything into small portions helps her from becoming overwhelmed. 

“If I have a 1000-word assignment with 1 section worth 30% and one section worth 70%, I write myself a note that the first section should only be 300 words and the second part should be around 700 words,” she said.  

“For exams – try to do something similar with your timing. Break down the weight of 1 mark into how many minutes to spend on that section.”
 

Look after your basic needs

When it comes to planning for assessments, self-care should be a top priority according to Bachelor of Social Sciences student Alex Ashton.

"I think it's really important for students to make sure they're looking after their most basic needs."

“Have ingredients in the house for easy meals, drink some water and schedule time for walks.”

Alex says that simplifying tasks can help students feel a sense of reward in the build up to their assessments.

“When things become really overwhelming, I find it helpful to plan for the week, just writing down one or two tasks to achieve each day.”

“It gives me a sense of achievement when I do get the things done.”
 

Use library resources

Bachelor of Business student Ananya Sadana has a simple message for students thinking about their assessments.

“Start timely and don’t leave things for the last minute.”

“Use the various resources that RMIT provides to help with assignments."

From one-on-one consultations to referencing tips, students have never been more prepared for their assessments. Plus, the Library will be open longer hours to give you more time to study.

Check out some of the other hints and tips below to see how you can best prepare for upcoming assessments.

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Studiosity

Studiosity is a 24/7 online study support service; all RMIT students studying higher education, vocational education or higher degree by research at an Australian campus have free access to Studiosity.

Through Studiosity, students can access up to 15 sessions of:

  • Connect Live – get help from an expert in writing, English, referencing, study skills, maths, biology, chemistry, physics and more
  • Writing Feedback – upload your draft and get expert feedback and Citation Assist in just a few hours. This service cannot edit or proofread your work.

Assignment planner

Get a step-by-step plan with tips and advice for completing your presentations and written assignments. You can save, print, or import plans into your personal calendar.

Referencing tips

Easy Cite lets you look up referencing tips and examples in a selection of common styles used at RMIT.

The styles included are RMIT Harvard, AGLC4, APA, Chicago A: footnotes and bibliography, Chicago B: author-date, IEEE, and Vancouver.

Easy Cite includes as many examples of reference types as possible. If the style guides shown here do not include your specific reference or citation type, consider applying the format from similar types within Easy Cite for your reference and citation, or check the relevant style manual.

One-on-one consultations

One-on-one study support consultations can help with research, referencing, academic English, writing skills, math and science queries, or study techniques.

A team of RMIT academic skills advisors and librarians can help you either in-person or online.

Peer mentoring

Peer mentoring allows you to connect with peers who have recent experience with course content and studying at RMIT.

It’s a casual, friendly, and student-led service. You can ask a couple of quick questions or build an ongoing connection both online and face-to-face.

Peer mentors are current student volunteers that are happy to help other students build their own academic confidence by sharing their own experiences. Mentors for academic courses have completed the course within the previous 12 months and received a grade of 75% or above.

Ask the library

Get help from a librarian or an academic skills advisor. They can assist you with your studies, coursework, assessment, finding information and using the Library. 

Get an immediate response during business hours. 

Semester hours:

  • Monday to Thursday: 9am-8pm
  • Weekends: 12pm-5pm
  • Public holidays: closed
15 May 2024

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