How to Organize Your Notes into an Effective Assignment Outline

student studying assignment at university

Your assignment notes are grouped and organized so the next step is to create an outline. This outline gives you the structure of the final assignment and is therefore very important.

The outline can then act as a framework that you can add. For example, you may have an outline with an introduction, conclusion, references and a body of paragraphs.

The size of your assignment determines if you need to use sections and subsections. You may need to create an outline of headings and sub-headings. This is totally dependent on your field and the nature of the assignment.

The structure of the suggested outline seen below has three main points with subtopics and supporting details (evidence). The strcuture depends on the content so we start with a simple outline as follows:

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
    • 2.1 Location
    • 2.2 General details
    • 2.3 Why famous?
  3. What to do
    • 3.1 Scenery
    • 3.2 Activities
    • 3.3 Fun to do
    • 3.4 Relaxing
  4. Conclusion

References

assignment outline

Considerations

  • how am I going to write this?
  • how am I going to order this?
  • what parts do I have?
  • check your graphic organizer
    • 1.scenery, relax
    • 2.activities, fun

Example Chiang Mai

  • story
  • tourist musts
  • unknown / less known
  • cover both
    • 1.scenery, relax
    • 2.activities, fun

Chiang Mai

  • planning
  • relative visit
  • how I chose the hotel
  • arrangements e.g. from airport

tourist visit

  • 1.places – mountain, night bazaar, walking street
    • travel by grab, bolt, red car, tuk tuk, taxi
  • 2.food – loved Khao Soi
  • 3.activities – elephants
  • 4.activities – Thai boxing

summary

  • Thai people are so friendly
  • lots to do, e.g. festivals, more places to visit
  • when is the best time to visit?
  • not too hot, what is on

How to complete an outline

The outline should contain the

  • Introduction
  • Body
  • Conclusion
  • bibliography
    • with references

The body should:

  • be interesting, like a story
  • have an order of information
  • have paragraphs
  • with main points and supporting material

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