Don't - forget to wash all your tools and buckets once you are finished otherwise you will make it harder for yourself the next time.
As soon as you have mixed the plaster you should empty it out of the bucket onto a wet board which should be lifted off the ground high enough to enable you to get your plaster onto your hand board (hawk) easily.
Contaminated plaster can't be used and will need to be disposed of costing time and money.
Within the building trades, plastering is one of the oldest crafts.
If you are a novice plasterer then you might prefer to start in a spare bedroom with an existing poor finish that can only be made better which will greatly reduce the stress on you. Remember, you can plaster skim the walls as many times as you like so you can always go over a not so perfect job later as you get better.
Plastering requires very few tools and materials compared to other trades.
Mixing skim plaster for the first time is difficult and can cause people problems if they haven't done it before.
Plastering cannot be improvised. You should not try and improve or simplify the processes of plastering demonstrated in your plastering course (at least until you are a true master of the trade).
Plastering is both a skilled craft and an art.
To achieve the best results from your plaster you should add plaster and water in equal measurements this should be done in a clean bucket using clean water and should be mixed until the plaster is a creamy constituency.