Homework Guidelines

Homework Guidelines

While the requirements for homework may vary by course, the following guidelines, modified from those of my undergraduate institution, Harvey Mudd College, are useful in producing quality work. As such I would strongly recommend adhering to the following:

  • Your handwriting should be legible.

  • Homework with multiple pages should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner.

  • Frills on the side of the paper should be removed.

  • In the upper right-hand corner you should write (in this order)

    • Your Name

    • Your Class and Section Number

    • The Homework Set Number

    • The Due Date of the Homework

  • Problems should be clearly labeled and numbered on the left side of the page. There should also be a visible separation between problems.

  • Each solution should begin with the original problem statement.

  • To ensure that problem are graded appropriately, problems should be written in the order they are assigned.

  • It is good practice to first work out the solutions to homework problems on scratch paper, and to then neatly write up your solutions. This will help you to turn in a clean finished product.

  • While you are free, and encouraged to collaborate on assignments, you should write up your solutions by yourself.

  • Also, you should always acknowledge any help received, at the top of the assignment or in the margin.

    (e.g. "I worked with <names of people>", "I worked with tutors in the MARC")

Here is a sample homework demonstrating one formatting and use of full sentences in solutions.