How to Meet Academic Deadlines

There's something about the word "deadline" that strikes fear in our hearts. But don't fret: A few simple steps can put a smile where that frown was.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Academic Counselings
• Palm Handheld Organizers
• Post-it Notes
• Calendars
• Personal Organizers

1. Make the deadline real to yourself by writing it on a calendar and imagining what changes will take place before that date. For instance, will the leaves still be on the trees?

2. Promise yourself that you'll get the job done before that date.

3. Look carefully over the assignment for anything that's the slightest bit unclear. Ask your teacher or professor for clarification right away.

4. Waste no time in getting started. With so many tasks to manage in school, a seemingly distant deadline can easily be forgotten.

5. Keep a running list of different projects and deadlines; prioritize according to what's due on the earliest date.

6. Work steadily, putting in a little time each day. This will avoid the dreaded "all-nighter" and will result in much better work overall.

7. Ask questions of your teachers and professors as they arise. Stay in dialogue with those who will be grading your work.

8. Consult with your fellow students, who often have useful insights and a sympathetic ear.

Tips & Warnings

• Reward yourself after each day's work with something fun and relaxing. This will give you an incentive to keep working when you're feeling distracted.
• Tell your teacher or professor early if you think you can't make a deadline. Usually he or she will work with you to find a solution.

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on 11/22/2005 If you're tempted to put it off, think about what the consequences will be. Picture the worst-case scenario and you'll scare yourself into doing it! This does not just mean the headache of the all-nighter, or the sleepiness and lack of concentration during a test you only studied for the night before. It could even mean having time to work around an unexpected computer virus or forgetting to buy more printer paper. For a course this summer, I often did my lab reports the day before they were due. This meant I couldn't ask my teaching assistant for clarification on the harder questions. I also often had to rely on the internet to find structures of chemicals, which is very frustrating when you can't find the chemical online [and the internet isn't always the best source of scientific information in the first place].

on 11/22/2005 It's a good idea to save your projects on more than one disc, but it would be more useful if you can put these two in different locations. I had 4 copies of my VB program and put them in my disc holder only to find my disc holder missing the next day. :-(

on 11/22/2005 Yes, you need to do the assignment to pass it in, but while you're doing your assignment, save it in a number of locations. On two disks will work, and always have a paper copy. You will thank me later!

on 11/22/2005 Working on a project for little bits every day is so much easier than trying to do it all at once! Start the day you get the assignment -- it doesn't mean you need to finish that day.