As college students, we all know one of the most stressful moments is to be late with school work. This can be a quiz, homework or project. If you have a ton to catch up with, this might even make you feel like giving up. Here are five preventive ways to avoid late work and how to strategically catch up when it happens.
1. Prepare early
Right at the beginning of the semester, look at the class syllabi and prepare your travels and programs accordingly. This is a good strategy because it will save you from school stress wherever you’ll be and also help you save money if, for example, you’re buying a plane ticket. You can also use this as an “advance excuse” – tell your professor that you will have an appointment on that date. This way they will save the date and accommodate your schedule in case of any major assignment on that day.
2. Start in chronological order
In case you can’t prevent this catastrophe, start working on what is due on a closing date. It doesn’t really matter if you have 1000 pages to read for that class or a lot of notes to take. Start by working on what is due soon. This is safe because it helps you have the minimum of points in every class instead of focusing on one class where there is not necessarily a guarantee that you’ll complete the assignment correctly or will finish on time.
3. Have “best friends” in classes
This might sound dumb, but it is helpful. You don’t necessarily need a tight bond but at least you are cool with each other. This person can serve as a reference because professors also expect you to ask classmates about classes you missed before coming to them. If you have to miss class, text that person right away so they can tell you what was covered, if any work needs to be done or if there are any expected assignments. If there were notes to be taken, ask them to send them to you so you can be on the same page for the next time you go to class.
4. Make time for the late work
When you have assignments due or ones that are already late, the worst thing is to keep being late. So, what you can definitely do is to make time for them. Don’t put the same amount of effort than usual – do more. This will help you go faster and get most of the things done quicker than at a normal pace.
5. Talk to your professor
Last but not least, ask your instructor for help! Things happen and they will understand. Ask them for more time to complete an assignment or if you can work to submit it later. Being strategic is key to being successful. Intelligence is helpful but it has to be guided in certain ways to make it through life.