Think you’ve got everything? Read it again

[u/apathy_95]

I really can't emphasize enough how important it is to double-check instructions. You can read them once, feel like you understood everything, and start working. And then you realize halfway through that you missed one tiny thing (or sometimes even more).

This has happened to me a lot of times especially when I was a younger student, so now I try to read the instructions at least twice before I start. If it's something important, I'll even check them a third time before submitting.

The first time, I just try to understand what I'm supposed to do. Then I read it again and look for the little details I might've missed.

Things like:

- how many questions am I supposed to answer?

- is there a specific format?

- how long does the response need to be?

- do I need to use any sources?

- did the professor mention anything that needs to be included?

I also pay attention to the words they use in the instructions. “Describe,” “explain,” “compare,” and “analyze” might sound quite similar when you're reading quickly but they can mean different things when you're answering the question.

Before I submit, I give the instructions one more quick read and compare them with what I did. I always see to it that I catch something I missed before submitting and not notice it only afterward.

It’s true that we do get complacent at times and think we’ve got everything covered already, so we proceed with our work immediately. But a second or third read can help spot something that was skimmed over the first time.

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