How to Do an Assignment Cover Page

Introduction

Creating the cover page for a university assignment seems, at first, like a task that the author should spend the least time on. However, it’s a false perception and, sometimes, it ruins the work without even being read. In this article, we would like to introduce to you answers to the most probable questions on how to do a cover page in an assignment. Even though every academic work is assessed by the quality and elaboration of its content, the first impression always emerges with the visibility and attractiveness of a work. This function is performed by the cover page, which not only gives an assignment the desired look but also provides a reader with the most essential information that builds up expectations and longing for a paper yet to be discovered.

Understanding the Importance of a Cover Page

Before actually writing a title page, it is crucial to make sure that the frames of a task have not been changed during the process of writing the work. Therefore, review the materials you have been working with, along with web pages of your institution, where the standards of the task are advised. Sometimes, teachers like sending that tricky last-minute e-mail that contains information changing the course of your entire work. According to Smith (2020), the cover page acts as a gateway to the academic work, setting the tone and expectations for what is to follow.

Gathering Information

Get acquainted with all possible sources carefully and attentively. In case, if something is not clear try contacting your supervisor or the teacher directly. Every assignment is performed in a specific style of referencing, which includes APA, Chicago, or MLA (Johnson, 2019). Knowing which one you are going to use in the end of your work also changes the way you should format your cover page. Every cover page consists of a few important elements that function as eye-catchers and information-givers at the same time.

Designing the Cover Page

First of all, it’s necessary to get a hand with those fonts. Sometimes it seems seductive to use bold and big size letters to emphasize the assignment’s completion. However, it should be clear, visually attractive, and formal. Using Times New Roman is always a good choice, but Verdana, Arial, and Cambria may suit the work’s style as well. Colored backgrounds are a no-go when it comes to academic writing, as they give an impression of distaste and spoil the overall look (Brown, 2018). Fonts should be contrasting to the page’s color, therefore, the combination of black letters and a white background will definitely do, as they look official and proper. Normally, universities require 12 point fonts as a standard, so it’s better to keep it this way, unless required differently by the institution. Moreover, spacing should be in accordance with the school’s standards; however, normally it is 1.5 or 2 of distance between lines, since it gives the author or a supervisor some room to leave notes and remarks.

Essential Components of a Cover Page

There are certain parts of the research paper’s cover page that are essential and cannot be omitted. They include the following:

• Name of the task’s executor. If an article has a couple of authors, then their names are written in the sequence of their authorship disclosure. It’s preferable to use full names and avoid using initials to avoid confusion.
• Assignment’s topic. This part should always be clear and should always correspond to the assignment’s main idea. It’s important to manage to reflect the topic throughout the work and not misinterpret it.
• Curator’s name is normally written in the right bottom corner of a cover page, unless advised differently by the institution. It should preserve their full last name and, usually, initials starting with their first, then middle name/s.
• Location. This one implies the institution (school, college, university, institute etc.) where the work is elaborated and, most probably, will be presented.
• Academic details should reflect the current year, semester, subject and, if applicable, the code of a course. If an assignment is to be published on an online resource, then it should include main keywords by means of which your article will be easily found on the web.

Formatting Tips

Using bold or italic fonts in the title does not give a paper a good representation, thus it’s better to keep it casual. Sometimes a cover page may include a subtitle that specifies a topic or gives a reference important for the work. In this case, the subtitles are written down below the main title and can be of reduced size (one or two points). The choice of their size depends on the length of the main title and its self-explanation. Some assignments have a strict requirement on the word count. Therefore, the author should manage to optimize the number of words and put everything in the most concise way, avoiding compound sentences or tautology. It might be time-consuming to create a cover page from scratch. In this case, Microsoft Office Word gives options on how to prepare assignment cover pages with minimal effort.

Using Microsoft Office Word

There are two ways of doing it. Option #1 offers you ready cover pages built into the application by default. To access the menu you need to create a new Word file and choose the Insert tab in the upper left corner. This will open a list of up to 20 standard title pages. Selecting one of them and clicking on it will automatically insert a page into your document and highlight all gap places that you can fill up with the needed information. Moreover, you can rearrange the position of windows and fields, adjusting them to the most convenient look for you. Option #2 allows you to customize a cover page. By choosing a template, you will receive a window called Design, where you can play with formats and controls. There, you can change everything starting with the font and color, finishing with pictures, inserting hyperlinks or, even, deleting an old template and creating your own instead. In order to save a cover page, go to Insert, then choose the tab Cover Page, which will drop out a window Save Selection.

Conclusion

On the whole, the question ‘How to write an assignment cover page?’ shouldn’t be acute anymore. In order to create a good one you will need not more than 10 minutes, whereas the creation of a perfectly presenting cover may take a bit longer. In this case, just remember to: 1) follow the requirements of your institution; 2) reach for concision and minimalism; 3) try to be creative and bold. By adhering to these guidelines, you ensure that your assignment makes a strong first impression and reflects the academic standards expected by your institution.