Assessments
A big part of completing your course will be doing assessments. Find out about the types of assessments you're likely to get while studying in New Zealand. Also, get ahead by learning about referencing and how to avoid plagiarism (copying).
Assessments
Each type of course you take will be assessed in a different way.
When you start a course, make sure you understand how it will be assessed, how it will be graded (or 'marked') and when any important tests, assignments, essays or exams are due. If you’re not sure, ask your lecturers or tutors for more information.
Types of assessments
- For some courses you'll need to complete assignments by yourself or with other students (this is called 'group work'). For other courses you may need to write essays, do presentations, work in a laboratory (this is common for science courses), take a test or complete an exam.
- Most courses are graded (or 'marked') by a combination of these methods to work out your final grade (or 'mark'). The minimum pass grade (or 'mark') at most New Zealand universities and polytechnics is usually 50 percent, or a ‘C’ or 'C-' grade.
- Check with your tutor or lecturer to find out what the exact pass marks are where you're studying. ‘A’ grades ('A+', 'A' and 'A-') are awarded for exceptional work. Remember that attendance doesn’t mean you'll get a good grade. You need to do good work too!
Talk to your place of study about what support services they have. For example, many places offer classes or information about how to manage your time effectively, how to write essays, support for people with English as a second language, study skills and how to take exams.
Tip: To prepare well for your assessments, you need to know how to study and where. A place with a lot of distractions can be a bad study area. If you try and study in your room or flat, other things like your computer, TV or a flatmate may seem more interesting than what you're trying to learn.
Go to the library or a quiet café instead. Your place of study will usually have a library or quiet study areas you can use.
References
Referencing is the process of acknowledging sources used in your essay, assignment, or presentation. It allows teachers and lecturers to see your research efforts.
State the source of material with accurate references and footnotes.
To reference correctly: Note down the author, title, publisher, and publication date for printed materials. For web pages, e-journals, and e-books, record the web address (URL) and access date.
Check if your course requires a specific referencing or footnote style.
Seek guidance from teachers, tutors, lecturers, or the student learning centre if unsure.
Stick with trusted resources when referencing others' work.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism (or plagiarising) means copying written material from a classmate, a book or a website and pretending that it’s your own work. It's seen as cheating in New Zealand and it’s taken very seriously by our universities and polytechnics.
The most common forms of plagiarism are:
- copying a series of words without stating where those words came from.
- copying a series of words without putting them inside quotation marks ("").
- paraphrasing (re-writing from another source but only changing a few words).
- using facts or ideas from another source without stating where they came from.
- copying images, in whole or in part, without including captions or stating where they came from.
Many students who are accused of plagiarism often didn't mean to do this. Bad organisation, poor time management (rushing to finish something) or a lack of understanding that it's a serious issue are usually why it happens.
You can avoid plagiarising by:
- managing your time and planning your work so that you have enough time to research, read and write.
- using your own words and a sentence structure that is different from the original text.
- highlighting in colour or bold in your notes any direct quotations you want to use in your assignment to make sure you use quotation marks with an appropriate reference when you type it up.
- checking your final draft for any referencing mistakes or places where you've forgotten to reference.
- checking anything you're not sure about with your tutor, friends or other students – make sure you leave plenty of time for this so you can make any changes.
- saving all your notes, files and printouts until you receive your final mark or grade in case you need to show them as proof.
Tip: It’s normal to feel confused, tired and frustrated when you’re doing something new, especially in a foreign country. Go easy on yourself, this is all part of the process. Talk to other international students — sometimes it helps to talk with people who understand what you’re going through.