So, you have got a case study assignment. That’s good news, as case studies are the most interesting tasks ever. The bad news is, however, that you always have a limited amount of time and barely manage to enjoy the process. We’ve heard a student once say, “I have only 1.5 hours left to do my case study!” While that sounds like a mission impossible, there is a way you could fit into your time constraints. Of course, this depends on your topic too, but here are 7 general tips to follow if you need a case study written in the shortest time.
1. Research the Topic (15 min)
At first, you need to get familiar with the topic of your case study. Read the case itself and think of the sources which can help you analyze it. The answers might be right in your textbook or in yesterday’s lecture — if that’s true, then you’ll complete this step even earlier. Otherwise, you can google the material.
2. Make a List of Sources You Are Going to Use (10 min)
After finding the sources you are going to use, you need to do a list of them. This task can be really boring and take a lot of time. But once you write down the first of your sources in a proper format, the rest will be easy. What’s also good, students often don’t need too many sources for a case study.
3. Write an Outline (10 min)
After you did a research and got the sources listed, you can write an outline. That’s a very important step that you need to do carefully. Although it won’t take much time, your outline will define the entire process of writing a case study. Start with writing down the thesis statement and drafting main arguments, and then do the rest.
4. Note Facts You Will Use in Each Part (10 min)
After you have your outline, it’s important to state the facts you will use in your case study. They will be the support points for the rest of your paper. Talking about the facts, we mean the ones associated with the case itself and the ones that serve as evidence for your arguments and conclusions.
5. Write the Case Study (30 min)
Now you have your outline with the thesis statement and main statements for each part of the paper. You also have the facts on which you base the analysis and conclusions. If you have done them properly, you can easily write the text of your case study paper. What’s best, it won’t take much time — 30 minutes or even less for an average-sized case study.
6. Leave It to “Stew” (5 min)
You’re almost done. Before finalizing the case study, just leave it as it is. Make a short break, during which you might do a brief exercise or listen to your favorite song.
7. Change the Font and Size of the Letters and Proofread (10 min)
At the final stage, which normally takes about 10 minutes, you need to revise your paper. Change the font of your paper to make it unfamiliar to your eyes (then you’ll be able to spot more mistakes). Make sure that the quotes are properly formatted, that the final font size and style are proper, and that your writing has no mistakes and typos.
You can use a timer when working on each of those steps. You should stick to the time you have till your deadline. It can also happen that you will need more time or less to complete certain parts of your case study, which is absolutely normal. The main point is that, by optimizing your writing process, you save loads of the precious time.