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I think that I am spending too long on each TMA due to my perfectionist tendencies. I think that I roughly spend around 30 hours actually writing each TMA (usually around 2000 words) and I'm a fast typist. I'm doing literature and this time excludes the reading. I think I spend more time writing and deleting stuff than anything else. In fact I have already written and deleted this post 3 times to get it right. Can someone give me some perspective because I'm trying to challenge myself to do things differently and I'm not sure this is getting me any more marks for alot more pressure.

30 hours, wow!

I've only done science subjects, so can't really compare.

Are you getting good marks? I mean, if you're aiming for a first, I wouldn't like to bring you down by sharing my rather more slapdash approach.

Does your course have an exam at the end?! Because that makes this a bit more of a problem...

I am averaging 85-90, so yes, I'm on track for a first. However, I think I'm putting huge amounts of pressure on myself to do this and I'm not sure its healthy at all. I need slapdash approaches to try!! There is no exam at the end of this module, its an email, but then I get worse! I'm more balanced with exams for some reason.

Trying to think what I do...

OK, I do an essay map with a pen and paper. Mr Google says it is a mind map style, this is news to me...!

I guess I do all the editing/rearranging at that stage, then just bash the writing bit out fairly rapidly. Then I print out, read for typos and let DH (not scientific but v pedantic ) have a look at it, we scrawl in pen any edits, back to the computer, edit and send send send.

Oh - the word count limit is usually quite tight so I assign word counts to each section when I do the plan; if I'm close to the word count and have all my points in, then that section's done, full stop.

I probably take about 5-6 hours total for a TMA essay like this, and I am a crappy typist. Usually score around the 2:1/1 borderline. <touches wood>

Definitely worth having a go at the essay-plan-then-dive-in, I reckon, esp if your course lets you substitute your lowest-scored TMA; you'd have very little to lose. And about 20 hours to gain

I take a very similar approach to Boulevard

- Print out the notes I've taken.

- Plan my sections (each paragraph about 200 words, so I plan about 7 paragraphs for 2000 words TMA and leave words for intro and conclusion)

- Number my notes, so I know who to reference etc as I write.

- Bash it out. I write about 500 words in an hour so takes about 5 hours to write 2000 words as I have 15 minutes break after doing 500 words (have to have incentives, this is my least favourite part of studying )

- Read it through myself, then email it to my sister for her to check and then she rings me and we alter/rearrange it on the phone.

- Done! I average 75-80 and only have 3 TMAs left so am nearly at a 1st (yay!).

I couldn't spare 30 hours for each one, am a LP (Dc are 6, 4 and 2) doing distance learning and have no childcare. But I can easily see how I could tart around to fill 30 hours if I had them to spare . That's not a criticism so please don't take it as such, just an observation that the task often swells to fill the time we allow for it.

Give yourself a time limit for writing a certain number of words. Or just type a paragraph and don't let yourself correct it til the end. Good luck!

Thanks for the further replies. My phone autocorrected EMA to email for my past post, in case that looked strange!

Its really useful to see how other people do it, I'm not able to make tutorials due to work commitments and I didn't want to post it on the tutor boards as I felt it might seem like a stealth boast IYSWIM. I think I got into this habit because I worked so hard on my very first OU essay that I have been afraid to let standards slip since. I'm going to try the suggestions here and see how much it affects my marks and enjoyment overall, especially as it is unlikely to affect my overall and as you say Boulevard, I have a lot to gain

Ismeyes, I think it probably takes me as long as you to complete a TMA - this time includes reading the question, selecting quotes, scanning coursebooks (I'm always behind, in fact to be honest I don't read the damn things really) thinking up my argument etc, writing the thing and doing the biblio. I got a first last year and I hope to get one this time too. I also average 85-90 on TMAs, so pretty similar to you really.

I don't think this is an excessive amount of time. We are supposed to spend a week writing the TMA, according to the course time table, no?

When I was at university I used to dash off an essay in an evening, but they didn't count towards the final result so I felt less pressure. I take longer now because I know I need to maximise my mark for each TMA as each one increases my final degree result.

Personally I wouldn't worry. But then, I am also a perfectionist with tendencies to procrastinate terribly and then blitz the TMA/reading in a week, so perhaps I am not the best adviser...