9 Letting go

This is the point where you have to make the decision that the assignment is complete and ready to be sent off. It is not always an easy decision to make. Perhaps you feel that there is always room for further improvement or there is something more that you could have done.

At a certain stage, the potential gain from further refinement is not sufficient to warrant delaying submission or to risk impeding progress with your course. Remember, you should be aiming for what is ‘good enough’, bearing in mind all your other commitments and circumstances.

If you do harbour any residual anxiety, is there anything you can do about it? Yes.

• You can make notes for your own use on:

  • (a) what I did well in this assignment

  • (b) what I would have liked to improve.

• You can ask your tutor if he or she is willing to look at the particular aspect of the assignment that has given you concern, and provide feedback on that point.

• You can make a note to yourself for next time: what I'd like to do better in the next assignment.

This will help you to develop an action plan for future improvement; then put it to one side until next time.

Finally, don't forget to keep a copy of your assignment, just in case it gets lost in the post.