There are several reasons why this can happen.

 The primary reason is usually that

such students set themselves too high a standard and then panic because they cannot
attain it. This may also be due to factors such as the fear of the expectations of others
or placing too high an expectation on themselves.

Whatever the reason, if you cannot write an assignment, you have to find a way out of
your panic.  If you find yourself in this position, do not allow the situation to drift; try to
act swiftly.  Discussing your worries with your tutor and/or peers, or simply writing them
down, will help you clarify why you might feel stuck.

Another trick is to dash off what you consider to be a 'bad' essay, hand it in and see
what happens, or decide to write the assignment in two hours without notes or
references and see how that goes. You can always come back to enter the references
later.

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