By Are you starting your PGCE journey? Well, good choice! But be prepared to face the assignment challenges like meeting tight deadlines, complex topics, etc.
Trust me! When I say that they are a nightmare for every student.
While PGCE Assignments are a crucial part of your academic journey, tackling them can be a bit tricky. For beginners, it is like entering an unknown territory without any prior knowledge. This just increases the problems.
The good news is that you can easily overcome your assignment challenges once you have mastered some tricks.
Curious to know what they are?
Then read this blog. Here I will explore the common PGCE assignment challenges you can encounter along with expert advice on combating them.
Top 7 Common PGCE Assignment Challenges
Challenge 1: Tight Deadlines
If you are studying PGCE, be ready to face the hectic schedules and assignment deadlines. You will get multiple tasks to work on.
Well, for most students it can be a bit problematic as they have no clue how to manage their work along with personal commitments.
Whether procrastination or lack of time management skills, meeting deadlines can become a struggle.
However, don’t be scared. You can easily overcome this challenge through these tips:
Expert Advice
I swear by these expert pieces of advice for meeting tight deadlines. Hence you can too. They include:
- Create a schedule and make sure to stick to it.
- Furthermore, prioritize your assignments and work on them as soon as possible.
- Eliminate distractions.
- Focus on one task at a time and don’t try to multitask.
Challenge 2: Complex Topics
Doing PGCE is not a walk in the park especially if you are starting. You have to deal with overly complex topics and PGCE assignments. Sometimes they are so difficult that you won’t know where to start from or what to write. (I’m not scaring you; I’m just stating the truth.) I went through the same challenge. That’s when I found these expert tips that helped me.
They include:
Expert Advice
According to expert PGCE tutors, it can be tricky for you to understand complex PGCE topics. However, it’s not impossible. Here is what they suggest:
- Break your assignment into different parts.
- Additionally, read the guidelines and try to understand them.
- If something is unclear, don’t hesitate to contact the teacher. Ask them to explain it.
Challenge 3: Trouble With Research
When working on a PGCE assignment, you will face trouble with research. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I am sure you must be wondering why.
It can be because researching complex topics is not a piece of cake. It requires proper skills and understanding. Additionally, sometimes you struggle to find the right sources. In that case, master these expert tips:
Expert Advice
- Understand the guidelines and brainstorm what you will write.
- Review your lecture notes and see if something connects with the topic.
- Additionally, use sources like case studies, research papers, and scholarly articles.
- Also, consider using information from digital libraries like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate.
- You can even check PGCE books and journals.
Challenge 4: Balancing Teaching Practices
PGCE is not a theoretical field. You must do many teaching practices and placements to gain experience when studying.
Well, managing them along with academic work and assignments is not easy. In fact, many students struggle with it.
Additionally, the demanding schedule leaves little to no time for research or writing, leading to poor-quality work.
PGCE experts are well aware of this. Therefore they offer their advice on how to tackle this challenge so don’t worry.
Expert Advice
If you ever struggle to balance the teaching placements with assignment deadlines, simply do this:
- Create your schedule, prioritize your tasks, and stick to it.
- Keep track of your progress.
- Seek mentorship from your professors and see if they can help you in any way.
- Allocate a timeline for each assignment so you don’t have to worry about missing deadlines.
Challenge 5: Applying Theoretical Frameworks
Regarding the PGCE assignment, getting words on paper is not enough. You have to apply the theoretical frameworks in practice. I warn you that this is one of the biggest challenges you can face, especially if you have no experience in the field.
Hence be ready for this.
The good news is that you can effectively overcome it by following expert advice.
Expert Advice
- Carefully read and analyze your topic. Furthermore, identify the main theme.
- Next, evaluate different theories and determine which one fits your assignment best.
- You should also use different case studies and research papers to support your work and incorporate them into real-world scenarios.
- Discuss your theories in detail and tell the reasons for choosing them.
- If you face any additional problems, consider asking your professor for help. Moreover, you can even connect with the expert PGCE Assignment Writers and ask them to help you apply theoretical frameworks into the practice.
Challenge 6: Problem In Referencing
Another big writing challenge you can face when writing assignments is referencing external sources using the relevant citation styles.
Sometimes, students don’t know how to identify the right sources and add references to the assignment. Do you know this can even lead to plagiarism?
Yup! Hence you have to overcome this challenge at any cost.
Here is what you must do, according to experts.
Expert Advice
- Understand the guidelines properly.
- Also familiarise yourself with different referencing styles including APA, MLA, Harvard, etc. See which one you have to use in the assignment.
- Additionally, cross-check the information to ensure it is right and will add value to the work.
- Use tools like Zotero and Endnote to add in-text citations.
Challenge 7: Dealing With Stress
Believe me when I say that while PGCE is fruitful, it is also stressful. Balancing tight deadlines or managing personal commitments can be draining on your health.
Do some students even consider dropping out? It even hinders their progress and affects their grades.
Well, by following these tips you can easily overcome them:
Expert Advice
- Don’t hesitate to take breaks when you need it.
- Furthermore, if you can’t manage your deadlines, communicate with your professor instead of overworking yourself.
- Take care of your physical and mental health.
Wrapping Up!
So that is a wrap! While the PGCE journey is exciting and offers opportunities, it is also filled with challenges especially when working on the assignments. From tight deadlines to research problems, dealing with stress, and struggling to apply theoretical frameworks, you will face many problems. However, that doesn’t mean you can give up. Simply follow the expert advice and you can overcome the challenges. So what are you waiting for? Embark on the journey towards success with confidence. Good Luck!
