You probably have deadlines knocking on your door as you’re reading this and you’re thinking of leaving that work until a bit later to do, but you will end up regretting that decision soon as your deadline looms. To avoid such a downfall, I have listed a few tips and pointers to deal with your impending deadlines.

1. Get an early start

 However tempting it may be to leave your work until the few days before the due date, or worse, the night before, chances are that what you submit will not be your very best. It may sound obvious but getting an early start on that essay will help keep your stress levels at minimum. With an early start, you also allow yourself time to ask teaching staff any concerns or queries you may have. Again, don’t leave it to last minute!

2.Make a schedule

With multiple deadlines, it’s easy to lose track of which assignment is due on which day and time. Making a schedule will give you a clear idea of the things you need to do for each assignment in order to submit it on time and avoid any last-minute rush. Concentrating on one project for too long may tire you so while scheduling, it’s also a good idea to alternate your work throughout your allocated study time, all the while keeping in mind the deadline for each one.

3.Leave some buffer time

Especially for longer assignments, I would recommend leaving at least one day of buffer time in case an unexpected last-minute issue arises and you need to make important changes to your work. Thus, you could mark the deadline on your schedule slightly earlier but also remember to note the actual deadline.

4.Allocate specific times

 Allocating specific times to individual tasks can ensure your work meets the deadline as well as help you get into the “zone” so you can focus better. Although this is a good method in dealing with deadlines, ultimately, the most important thing is that you follow the schedule and allocated times you have set. Otherwise, you will still end up with piled-up work and additional stress.

5.Prioritize your tasks

 Ideally, you would want to complete the work for the deadline that is nearest and most urgent so you should schedule your work accordingly. While prioritizing your tasks, you should think about which ones will take you longer to do and make your schedule accordingly.

It’s no big surprise that deadlines are one of the things students stress out about most. However, with an early start and thorough planning, you can be that person enjoying weekend nights out instead of being cooped up in your room, doing last-minute assignments.

 

Mary Yeh

Image: Expartus