Working on a Deadline

We’ve all been there. Assignments, projects, and school work all piled up. Waiting in line to be done one by one with the dark shadows of deadlines right behind you. What makes the life of a student hard is balancing work and play. Personally, I’ve never been quite good at balancing. I either do too much of one thing, or too little, and I have absolutely no time management skills. It was so bad, it got to a point where I was just submitting things late on purpose. I had no sense of responsibility, motivation, or time when it came to work, but thanks to these simple tips, I’ve actually got the hang of it!

Of course, not everything you are assigned to is due all on the same day. This is where prioritizing helps out! Take a look at all of your tasks in your to-do list, check out all the dates, and rearrange them from the earliest deadline to the latest deadline. This will give you a sense of urgency and direction. You will be able to determine which ones you need to do first, and which ones can wait.

Prioritizing is not only based on the dates of the deadline, it can also depend on your preference. If you have a task that you actually like to do (which is super rare), prioritize that! If you want to work on the easier ones first, or even the hard ones first, prioritize those! These are your tasks, and you have the freedom of prioritizing your way.

I’m pretty sure you saw this one coming. Time management is a must when working on deadlines. So you have your priorities made, now it's time to execute them. Figure out a schedule that is good for you. If you prefer the “early grind” and doing your tasks as soon as you get them, go ahead and grind! Just remember it isn’t a race. If you like to split up the time you’re given, do that! Managing your time isn’t all about work though, make time for yourself and your social life too! It is super okay and normal if you want to take a break at times, breaks are much needed. Make a schedule that works for you, and is within the time frame given.

Now, this one seems quite complicated on the surface, but it totally works. Doing your tasks quickly will leave you a lot more time to relax and be done. No more creeping deadline shadows, but of course, don’t rush! Rushing work can lead to messy papers, cramming, and low-quality output.

Wow, the last tip already? See how easy the tips are to work on a deadline! Now this last tip is quite rewarding, literally. After dozens of work done, a much deserved reward is super important. Whether it be an all-nighter Netflix binge, a food cheat day, sleeping in on the weekends, anything really! Seeing all of your tasks done is already such a big reward for me because working on a deadline is not my forte.