Time for your home exam

Before a home exam, you are expected to read a large amount of literature. You need to get an overview of the literature to be able to see connections and differences and draw conclusions. Sometimes the home exam consists of ready-made questions that you have to answer with the help of the literature and sometimes you have to choose your own theme or question to write about.

How do I read and work with material effectively?

In order to be able to assimilate large amounts of literature in a limited time, it is important to have good reading strategies This film gives you advice on what to do when dealing with a text before a home exam:

Film - Reading strategies (05:44)

Just as the film above mentions, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the text, before you start focused reading. One of the ways you can familiarize yourself with the text is to look up terms and concepts that you don’t understand in encyclopedias or dictionaries.

How do I write an academic text?

Now it is time for you to start formulating your own text within the framework of the home exam and you must adhere to the style and structure that applies to the academic text. You will find information about academic writing at The Structure of Academic Texts.

An introduction to academic writing and several examples of what to keep in mind when writing academically can be found at Writing and referencing.

Academic writing is objective and precise. The Manchester Phrasebank provides examples on how you can formulate sentences when you want to compare, analyze, express doubts etc.

How do I reference?

An important part of academic writing is to be able to reference and quote correctly. Using references is something that many students find difficult at first. In the video below, you will get an in-depth overview of why it is important to reference and how to avoid plagiarism.

The anti-plagiarism guide Refero, gives you an overview of how you can implement the texts of others in your own text.

You can find guides for the different reference styles at Writing references.

What can I do if I feel stuck in my studies?

Don’t hesitate to contact the University Library if you have any questions.

Good luck!