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What is the difference between assignment due dates and availability dates?

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How strict should you be? A guide to assignment due dates.

Colleges typically require instructors to include a calendar of assignment due dates in every course syllabus. But most syllabi also include a disclaimer that assignment deadlines are subject to change.  

So, how flexible should deadlines really be in a college course? 

Be Flexible, or be Rigid, but Always be Consistent 

Be consistent in your approach to deadline flexibility, whether you never accept late work or are always willing to make an exception. Nothing irritates strong students more than their instructor announcing, “Since so many of you asked for more time on the assignment that was due today, I’m extending its deadline to next week.”  

Syllabi should always include a clearly stated policy about the circumstances under which late work might be accepted, if at all.  

But should this policy be applied equally to low-stakes and high-stakes assignments? 

Low-Stakes Assessments  

If a course has many low-stakes assessments, like quizzes or homework problems, those assignments are usually due on the same day each week.  

For example, if class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there might a reading quiz due every Monday, to ensure that students are prepared for the week’s in-class discussions, and a homework problem due every Friday, to verify understanding of the week’s concepts. 

Here are three solid approaches to deadline flexibility for low-stakes assessments: 

1. Not flexible: Late work is never accepted  

If a student misses a deadline, they receive zero points on that assignment. 

This approach works best in courses that have many low-stakes assignments, such as reading quizzes on every textbook chapter, where missing one or two deadlines will not jeopardize a student’s understanding of the core concepts nor greatly impact their final letter grade. 

2. Somewhat flexible: Late work is accepted, at a penalty  

If a student misses a deadline, they can submit the assignment late, but their score will be penalized a specified amount (e.g. -5 points). 

This approach works best in courses where content acquisition is scaffolded such that missing one assignment will negatively impact a student’s understanding of core concepts and successful completion of future assignments. In this case, students who miss deadlines should be permitted to complete the missed assignments, but with a small scoring penalty to encourage on-time submissions in future weeks. 

3. Very flexible: Late work is made up, with instructor permission 

If a student misses a deadline, they must contact the instructor and arrange an alternate way to complete the assignment (e.g. by taking a make-up quiz during the instructor’s office hours). 

This approach works best in courses where low-stakes assessments are considered part of a student’s participation grade. In this case, missing a deadline is like missing a class meeting. Students should be encouraged to initiate contact with the instructor to arrange a way to verify their understanding of the missed assignment’s concepts.  

High-Stakes Assessments  

Every course has one or more high-stakes assessments, such as exams or research papers. These assessments are weighted more heavily (worth more of the overall course grade) than lower-stakes assessments because these are higher-level demonstrations of students’ proficiency in the course outcomes. Failure to successfully complete high-stakes assessments generally leads to failure of the entire course. 

What kind of flexibility is appropriate then for key, high-stakes course assessments? 

1. Not flexible: Deadlines do not change, under any circumstances  

If a student misses a deadline, they receive zero points on that assessment. 

This is the most common approach to deadlines for high-stakes assessments. It is rare for a college instructor to permit students to make up a missed midterm or final exam because students making up an exam would receive the unfair advantage of more time to prepare for the exam. Also, many final exams are scheduled for the very end of term, when there is no time remaining for make-up testing before instructors must report course grades to the college. 

2. Somewhat flexible: Deadlines are extended, at a penalty 

If a student misses a deadline, they can submit the assessment late, but their score will be penalized a specified amount (e.g. one letter grade per day). 

This approach is more common for midterm assessments, or for courses with single high-stakes assessments, such as a research paper that students work on throughout the term. If students who miss the deadline for a high-stakes assessment can still submit their work, but their score is heavily penalized, the course grades will accurately reflect the students’ term-long proficiency in the course outcomes. For example, a student who earned “A” scores all term but submitted their final paper one day late could still finish the course with a “B” grade. 

Remember, flexibility around assignments should be geared towards what makes sense in your course and for your students. While there are a lot of possible variations in regards to policy, the most critical element is to be clear and upfront with your students early in the term. This will help avoid confusion and complaints – and help you keep your sanity at the end of the term when students come looking for extra chances to make up missed work! 

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My assignment is due tomorrow and I haven't even started it yet!

English expert at Atomi

Well, if it really is due tomorrow, let’s do this and do it quick! You could have anything due tomorrow, so instead of a step-by-step guide let’s focus on some tips and tricks to pull off this craziness. Legions of students before you have done it and legions of students after you will do it so have faith—you can do it 💪.

1. Prioritise

This probably doesn’t need to be said but if it’s due tomorrow then clear your schedule tonight—this is absolutely your top priority right now! Normally we recommend getting plenty of sleep but if you have something due tomorrow, tonight's the night to push your bedtime back a little bit (still no all-nighters though!)

2. Get your head in the game

Okay, no matter how much of a mountain it seems, this has to be done tonight. Don’t let yourself even consider the option of handing it in late—just thinking that will make it even harder to finish in time.

It’s time to get your head in the game and focus on the task ahead. You want to grab some water and make sure you’ve eaten. Then, set yourself up in a clean, bright area, find a supportive chair and grab all of the resources you'll need to do your assignment.

You can check out our video on Study Spaces for everything you need to set up the perfect workspace.

3. Work out exactly what you need to do

To work as efficiently as possible you should first understand exactly what you need to do.

That means you need to think about exactly what ideas or topics you need to cover and what your approach should be. So, read the assignment and marking criteria carefully and identify any keywords. Also highlight any important details, like the word count or page limit, the submission format and any other info that will affect how you approach this task.

This will vary massively depending on the assignment. The point is basically just that you should make sure you know exactly what you need to do before you start. Trust me, it’ll make everything quicker if you do ⏰.

4. Do a brief plan

To make sure we can get this done properly in one night, the next step is to plan your answer. This will make it a lot easier to start writing and, if you have to do any research, you will know exactly what you’re looking for.

So, sketch out a brief plan onto a page. Work out what needs to go into your answer and how it’s going to be structured. It might feel difficult or pointless to plan at this point, but if you can get some of the hard work out of the way here it’ll become much easier to write!

5. Research efficiently

Now, this one is obviously only relevant if you need research for your answer. Gathering research for an essay or report can take time. By using the keywords from the syllabus and assessment notification, you’ll be able to focus on the resources that you actually need. As far as you can, drop your research straight into the plan and you’ll be moving much more efficiently.

Don’t forget to reference as you go! This will save you time and ensure you don’t make any mistakes 😅.

6. Quality over quantity

This is a seriously important tip. When you’re really under pressure, it can be tempting to just smash out as many words as possible so you can hit that word count—don’t do this! It’s just going to give you a whole lot of waffle and even worse marks.

Instead of waffling, stick to your answer plan, use your research and fall back on the ideas in our lessons . It will get you a much better result for not that much extra work ✅.

7. Do your final read over tomorrow morning

Once you’ve finally pulled off that answer, it’s time to go to bed. You’re probably going to be too tired, too stressed and too wrapped up in your answer to be able to give it a proper check and edit.

So, just get some sleep now, set the alarm 30mins earlier tomorrow and read over it again with fresh eyes and a clear mind. You should be able to pick up any little mistakes and make the whole thing read a lot better and generally end up with a stronger answer!

Even though this isn’t ideal, you can still pull it off! The secret is to be as efficient as possible. So, keep calm, find out exactly what you need to do, plan, research properly and don’t waffle.

Oh and next time, don’t leave your assignments to the last minute 😅. Instead, watch our lesson on Planning an Assignment and use the downloadable planner so you aren’t in this sticky situation again.

For more study tips, tricks and advice, keep reading the student blog or follow Atomi on Instagram . See you there 👋.

Published on

March 15, 2022

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What Assignment Due 11:59 PM Means: What Comes After

Assignment Due 1159 PM

Assignment due dates are part of the assignment itself. The instructor/teacher/professor wants to determine whether their students can adhere to simple instructions.

This is the reason why assignments that are delivered late attract fines in terms of deduction in marks or even rejection.

Yes, some of the instructors are very strict when it comes to assignment due dates and they can reject your assignment even when it is a few minutes late!

Now, instructors can give students various due dates that determine the date, hour, and minute in which they are required to submit their completed work.

They may decide to set those due dates or let the plagiarism-checking platforms such as Turnitin or Blackboard set default deadlines. 

Note that some institutions only allow their students to submit their work through such platforms so that the assignments can be automatically checked for plagiarism. 

That being said, let us explore what the most common due dates and times mean for students and the submission of assignments. 

Also Read: How to Write a PEEL Paragraph Essay: with Examples

What does Due 11:59 PM Mean

11:59 PM is one of the most common assignments’ due time (deadline) given to students. I know you may be wondering why this is the case. Why not any other time of the day?

Well, the reason is that in the contemporary world, institutions of learning may have students from different time zones who may be attending online classes or are required to submit their homework at the same time. 

In assignment submission, 11:59 PM means that the paper or essay is due at the very last minute of that day and not even a second or a minute late. If as a student you upload a file one minute after 11:59 PM, will have submitted on the next day 00:00 AM, and not the previous day, which is a minute earlier.

For example, if the instructor states that the assignment is due, let’s say, on Friday the 16th, students should deliver their work by 11:59 PM on Friday the 16th. If you upload it on Saturday the 17th then you are late because the time will be 00:00 hours, a new day.

To coordinate the due time, a specific due date has to be set in which the final day to submit the assignments is set.

A complete day is made up of 24 hours with the start of the day being at midnight.

Midnight is written in 24hrs clock as 00:00 hours.

What this means is that when the clock reads 00:00 hours, we have entered another day.

Therefore, if students were required to submit on the previous day, it means that they are late. 

Also Read: Types of Paragraphs in Essay or Academic Writing: With Examples

Is 11:59 Pm Morning or Night?

To some of us, determining whether 11:59 PM is morning or night can be confusing.

Some of the genuine reasons for this confusion are that the “PM” initials signify nighttime and most of the time zones in the world are within the dark side of the earth; meaning that they are experiencing night.

However, 00:00 hours or midnight is considered to be part of the morning because it is the start of a new day.

The problem is that 11:59 PM and 00:00 hours are separated by less than 1 minute (59 seconds) and the former is considered night while the latter is considered morning. Well, all the factors held constant, 11:59 PM should be considered night.

Don’t be confused by the aforementioned technicalities. What matters is the time of day. If it is 11:59 PM, the day has ended and a new day will begin at 00:00 hours midnight. 

What Comes After 11:59 PM?

As aforementioned, 11:59 PM signifies the end of a complete day. A complete day is made up of 24 hours and 11:59 PM in 24 hours style clock is written as 23:59 hours.

This indicates that only less than a minute is left for the 24 hour-day to end. Therefore, when 11:59 PM passes, a new day comes when the clock indicates 00:00 hours or midnight. 

What Does “Due Tomorrow At 11:59 PM” Mean?

As we have noted, a complete day is made up of 24 hours. What this means is that for us to experience a complete “today”, we must experience it from midnight (00:00 hours/midnight) to 23:59 hours/11:59 PM.

Therefore, when someone tells you that they expect something tomorrow, it means that today must pass; or rather we must pass 11:59 PM and transition to 12 AM or 00:00 hours because that would be a new day (tomorrow). 

Now, if your instructor tells you that your assignment is due tomorrow at 11:59 PM, it means that they expect the assignment the next day one minute before midnight.

For example, if today is Friday the 16th and the instructor has told students that their assignment is due tomorrow at 11:59 PM, they will have to submit their work by Saturday the 17th at 11:59 PM. If students submit their work one minute after that, they will have delivered on a Sunday morning (12 AM or 00:00 hours). 

What Happens when you Submit an Assignment at 11:59 Pm?

If you submit your assignment at exactly 11:59 PM, you are okay because you have not breached the deadline.

An important thing you should note as students is that when your instructors ask you to submit your assignment, they tell you to do so via plagiarism-checking tools such as Turnitin or Blackboard. Such tools set their default deadlines at 11:59 PM because it is the end of a complete day.

They do not count the seconds between 11:59 PM and 12 AM. According to such tools, you only need to submit your work before the clock in your time zone reads 00:00 hours or midnight.

Also Read: Essay Reading: Practice and Importance of Reading Essays

Tips on how to Submit an Assignment at 11:59 PM

1. upload one file.

As noted, students should make sure that they upload their assignments before midnight because the assignments will be past due.

If you are submitting your assignment at 11:59 PM, it means that you only have less than 1 minute (60 seconds) to upload your assignment files.

To ensure that your assignment is successfully uploaded within a few seconds, it is best to upload it as one file to avoid wasting time. It takes more time to upload several files, meaning that you will be late. 

2. Use Fast Internet

Bearing in mind that you only have a few seconds to upload your assignment files, you should use fast internet. Fast internet will allow you to upload your files within a short time and beat the deadline.

Slow internet is not only annoying but it can make you submit your work past the deadline because by the time it uploads the complete file, the 59-second window will have passed. 

3. Ensure the Computer is Plugged

This should be an obvious thing to do. Your computer should be plugged in to ensure that there are no disruptions when uploading your assignment files. 

4. Upload a Small Size File

Small file sizes can be uploaded faster compared to larger files. Additionally, if your internet is slow, the process of uploading a small-size file will be faster.

Larger files will take more time even when there is moderate-speed internet. 

5. Do not Close the Window/tab

It is also very important to not close the window or tab of your browser as you are uploading your assignment. This is because if you close, the window or tab will take more time to reload the content and this will make you late. 

6. Wait until the Upload is Confirmed

Finally, it is important to wait until the uploaded assignment has been confirmed.

Do not be in a hurry to close the browser window/tab before confirming that the file upload has been successful.

This is because it might not be successful at times and you may be required to retry uploading the file again. 

Therefore, to avoid submitting your assignments late and consequently being penalized, take note of the explanations and tips in this article. 

With over 10 years in academia and academic assistance, Alicia Smart is the epitome of excellence in the writing industry. She is our chief editor and in charge of the writing department at Grade Bees.

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View due dates and events in a calendar

This article is for students. Teachers  go here .

For each class, you share a Classroom calendar and a Google Calendar with your teacher and classmates. Only items with due dates appear in these calendars. If you can’t access Google Calendar, your Google Workspace administrator might have turned it off for your account.

What can you do with each calendar?

View items in your calendars.

You can see your items in the Classroom calendar and your Google Calendar on the dates that they’re due.

View due dates in your Classroom calendar

In the Classroom calendar, you can see classwork due dates from all your classes for the week. You can't add any items. Guardians who get email summaries can’t see your Classroom calendar.

Go to classroom.google.com  and click Sign In.

Sign in with your Google Account. For example,  [email protected] or [email protected] .  Learn more .

Choose an option:

• Optional: To open classwork, click an assignment or question.

View due dates and events in your Google Calendar

• For details, click an item.
• Optional: To see or hide other class calendars, on the left, under Other calendars , check or uncheck the box next to a class.

Add items to your Google Calendar

Add a personal reminder.

• For more instructions, go to Add reminders in Google Calendar .

Add an event

• For more instructions, go to Create an event .

Related articles 

• View your day, week, or month
• Show shared calendars
• Fix sync problems with the Google Calendar app
• Share a calendar

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Need more help, try these next steps:.

Due On, Due By, Or Due For? Difference Explained (+18 Examples)

Prepositions come after many words in English, and it’s important to understand how the meaning of words changes based on which preposition follows it. Let’s look at whether we use due on, due by, or due for, and what each one means.

What Is The Difference Between Due On, Due By, And Due For?

Due on should be used when something must be submitted on a given date and no other time. Due by should be used when something can be submitted on a given date or before. Due for should be used when something is submitted to a person, rather than a time.

When Is The Deadline Day Included?

When you want to announce the deadline day, it always comes after the preposition. That means you can say “due on Friday” or “due by Tuesday next week.”

You can only put the deadline day after the preposition to indicate the urgency of the submission to the people you’re talking to. “Due on Friday” shows the urgency of getting it completed by Friday, while “due by Friday” shows that you can do it by Friday or before.

Does Due By Friday Mean On Friday Or Before Friday?

“Due by Friday” means both on and before Friday. It’s up to you how you want to interpret the message. Usually, you will start to work on the submission early and see how long it takes you to complete.

When something is “due by Friday,” it means you have until Friday to complete it. If you work on it earlier than that and complete it before Friday, you can hand it in whenever it’s ready.

Usually, tasks that are “due by” aren’t as urgent as ones that are “due on,” and there’s no given time frame for how long that task might take somebody to complete. Some people like to leave “due by” tasks until the last minute and hand it in on the last day, but this isn’t always a wise decision.

Is Completing A Task On The Due Date Considered Overdue?

Depending on what was asked of you, completing a task on the due date may be considered overdue. Typically, you want to finish the task before the due date to make sure that you can hand it in on time, ready for the due date.

Due dates usually include a day and a time. If you decide to complete your task on the expected day, you may often be overdue, as many people choose to finish their tasks earlier in the week to make sure they have something to hand in.

Of course, the time you hand something in and the time you complete it depends on the task in question. Some school assignments might take less time than a data-entry assignment would at your workplace. It’s dependent on what someone asked you to do, just as much as it’s dependent on your own work ethic.

Generally, make sure you get your task completed before the due date. That way, you’ll never hand in work that’s overdue.

6 Examples Of How To Use “Due On” In A Sentence

Let’s look through some examples now of when “due on” is used. We use this when we’re setting a specific time to hand in work. There’s no leeway or wiggle room with this time either. We typically tell them that the day is final, meaning no submissions before or after.

• This essay is due on Friday the 14th; otherwise, you will fail.
• This assignment is due on Monday next week.
• It’s due on Thursday, and I haven’t even started working on it yet!
• We’re due on Wednesday to hand this in.
• What day is the work assignment due on, sir?
• This is due on Saturday, no earlier, no later.

6 Examples Of How To Use “Due By” In A Sentence

Let’s see how “due by” is used next. There’s a lot more wiggle room and leniency when someone uses “due by.” They don’t want you to hand in the assignment later than mentioned, but they’re more than happy to accept it earlier than that if you complete it. Often, they’ll reward you for completing it quicker.

• The homework is due by Friday, okay?
• I’ve set you an assignment that’s due by Sunday.
• This piece is due by next weekend, right?
• I’ve got to finish my essay that’s due by tomorrow morning.
• The article is due by tomorrow evening.
• You have to complete the document for me. It’s due by noon!

6 Examples Of How To Use “Due For” In A Sentence

Finally, “due for” is used when the intended thing is a person or place rather than a time frame. Also, if you use the word “when” to start a question, you will finish it with “due for.”

• When is this due for again?
• Is that due for Mr. Robinson’s class?
• That’s due for Tom, isn’t it?
• That’s due for the class at six, right?
• When is our homework due for?
• When is this due for?

Is It Ever Correct To Use “Due At”?

When we want to be even more specific with our due date, we can include “due at.”

If we’re already on the day that the work was due and want to specify a time, that’s when we use “due at.” It keeps things even more specific than previously mentioned.

• This is due at six o’clock.
• This is due at two.

Quiz: Have You Mastered The Due On Vs Due By Vs Due For Grammar?

Now we’ll run you through a quick quiz to see what you’ve learned from this article! We’ll include the answers at the end for you to compare with as well.

• The homework is (A. due on / B. due by / C. due for) Friday and no earlier.
• The sooner you get it done, the better. It’s (A. due on / B. due by / C. due for) Tuesday.
• When is our essay (A. due on / B. due by / C. due for)?
• Is that (A. due on / B. due by / C. due for) Tuesday or Wednesday?
• This assignment is (A. due on / B. due by / C. due for) next week.

Quiz Answers

You might also like: “By Tomorrow” – Learn What It Actually Means! (Examples & Facts)

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

• “Next Friday” vs. “This Friday”: 8 Helpful Examples (Complete Guide)
• 15 Best Replies to “Happy Friday”
• What Does “By Friday” Mean? (Does It Include “Friday”?)
• 10 Better Ways To Write “In This Essay, I Will…”

Assignment due next week: what do I do now?

I’m not going to do well in this assignment, I don’t have enough time.

What if: you have an upcoming assignment deadline due soon, say in a week.

Now that you’ve started unpacking the question, and looking at the reading material, you realise it might take longer than a week to plan, research and write out the assignment.

What are you going to about it?

If this sounds familiar, you might want to take a step back to evaluate how you have come to this position. It might feel as though you have left things too late, but the situation might not be as bad as you think. 

Rationalising your thoughts will help you to take the next step.

Are you spending time worrying about your deadline instead of doing the work? 

It’s okay to worry a little bit about your work. But you have to start doing something towards your goals otherwise you risk overthinking and delivering nothing. Do the smallest possible task related to your assignment, start with just half an hour of focused work. As you see yourself achieving this mini goal, you will feel more encouraged to continue. 

• Do you have other commitments that are taking up potential studying time? 

Where can you delegate or let go of some commitments this week, just until your deadline is over?

That can help free up some time during your week.  

• Do you find some elements of this assignment much more challenging than others?
• Are you put-off doing any parts of your assignment? 
• Can you be more accountable to yourself in making sure your assignment is progressing? 

You don’t want to let the lack of discipline compromise the quality of your overall work. Not everyone will enjoy all parts of the assignments they are given, but that doesn’t mean you should give less attention to parts that you don't enjoy doing.

Try giving yourself something to look forward to at the end of the session, or the day, to keep you motivated. Break up your work into achievable, mini-tasks, or ask a friend to work with you where you can.

Look for the little things that will keep you motivated and focused towards completing these smaller tasks.

• Do you feel that it is unrealistic to complete this task within the time you have been given? 
• Or, have you left it late, and now have to work with the time you’ve got left? 

If you are unclear, speaking to your tutor might help you come to terms with the expectations of this assignment. This might also help you understand whether you need to refine the way you set goals leading up to your deadlines.

What can you do next time to avoid being in this situation again? 

If you really want to do well, you can with commitment.

Doubts and negative thoughts may arise, but how you choose to respond to them will determine how they impact your work.  

It’s up to you to decide what you do with the time you have left.  

Further resources

Refer to the  Time management  module and practice some of the tips in the resource:  

Applying time management techniques 

More support

Use some of the tips provided by NHS England in moments of stress:

Self-help guide to reduce stress  

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How To Keep Track of College Homework (10 Methods)

Talk to several students about college, and one issue will always rise to the top, which is that keeping up with the assignments is a pain. Unfortunately, assignments make up most of your grades, so you have no choice but to do them if you want to pass. But how do you manage all that college homework and still have time to study and have a life?

Here’s how to keep track of college homework:

• Write everything down.
• Have a calendar.
• Use a planner.
• Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.
• Set reminders.
• Digitize your notes.
• Divide complex assignments into small tasks.
• Eliminate distractions.
• Stick to the schedule.
• Have a homework accountability team.

Read on as I will explain how these tips will help you in keeping track of your college homework.

1. Write Everything Down

In the words of David Allen, “Your brain is for having ideas, not storing them” ( source ). 

If you’ve ever wondered why you forget so many things, it’s because your mind wasn’t meant for storing loads of information, and you shouldn’t try to force it. Instead, write down everything the lecturer says you should do later, so your brain has room to process what you learned that day and be creative.

So, what should you write down? Every little thing, including time and dates, and the following:

• Daily homework
• Long-term assignments
• Upcoming quizzes
• Books to be read
• Appointments
• Weekend and after school activities
• Random things you want to remember later, like asking your teacher something or borrowing a certain book.

The only efficient way to do this is to write down everything immediately when it’s assigned or when it comes to mind. Don’t tell yourself that you will write later, because you may not. 

If you don’t have a physical planner on hand, set a reminder on your phone to write it down later ( source ).

2. Have a Calendar

The next step to tracking your homework is to have a working calendar system, which can be paper, digital, or a combination of both. I recommend using both but go with what works better for you.

The sole purpose is to give you structure so you know what time to do what, instead of guessing. It also frees up space in your head so you can think about other things. Instead of having to remember classes, due dates, and assignments, you have a visual cue of what to do next so you can stay organized and on track.

If you have a digital calendar such as Google Calendar , you can get automatic reminders of important events and things you need to do before time. The type of calendar you use doesn’t matter as long as you can easily dump all the important events and tasks there. 

Some of the things to include in your calendar are:

• Assignments due dates
• Exam dates and term papers.
• Clubs or extracurricular meeting times
• Your work schedule if you have a part-time job.
• Important appointments with doctors, dentists, or professors.
• Group meetings

Ideally, you should be able to see the entire semester’s calendar at a glance. This will let you see what you have for this week and next week and possibly any long-term assignments whose deadlines are drawing near. 

You will also be able to slot in long-term homework on days when you are not so busy.

3. Use a Planner

The difference between a planner and an organization calendar is that you can have daily to-do lists with a planner, not monthly or weekly. This will help you stay organized, prioritize what is most important and stay away from distractions. To make a planner work for you, look at your list of things to do as well as your calendar, then plan your day accordingly.

Do you have an assignment due on Thursday? Schedule it on Monday and Tuesday so you can edit and hand it in before the due date. Schedule daily homework in the morning to be done before attending that class. 

It’s important to slot out at least an hour daily for homework, even if nothing is urgent.

You will also include your classes, study time, cleaning, extracurricular activities, and any appointments you have that day. You should do this daily and tick off an activity once you are done with it. 

Again, you can use a digital or paper planner or both as long as you do it daily and follow it.

Schedule your assignments during slots where you don’t have a class, the 2 hour period before classes start, and the evening if you don’t have other mandatory activities. You can also utilize your lunch break for eating and finishing one homework.

Some of the best digital planners for college students include:

• Class Timetable
• My Study Life

4. Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize

You have your calendar and your planner on hand. How do you ensure they work for you? It’s all about knowing how to prioritize. If you count classes, games, time with friends, and study time, you have very limited time to do your homework during the day.

This means you have to make the best of the little time you have by picking one or two assignments you can do. 

Look at your calendar and your to-do list and see what is more urgent. Do you have homework that is due today or tomorrow? That should be number one on your list. Number two should be the next most urgent thing.

That said, it’s important to avoid holding off things until the last minute unless the time frame to do your homework is only one day. This is why making time for homework every day is crucial.

5. Set Reminders

Even with a planner, it’s possible to have things fall off the cracks with all you have to do in college. 

You can ensure you don’t miss homework deadlines by setting a reminder on your phone, which should ring during a period when you are usually free and not when you are busy in class or a club.

But there is one more thing you need to consider when setting reminders. Don’t set it to ring on the due date. Set a reminder for two to three days before the due date so you have time to complete the homework. If it’s a short deadline homework, set the reminder for that evening before the due date or the morning of, so you don’t forget.

In addition to using a digital reminder, be sure to include several reminders on your physical planner. The simple act of seeing something you need to do that day when you look at your planner in the morning will keep you on your toes all day.

6. Digitize Your Notes

Have you ever started to do your assignment and realized you left the notes you need for it in school? Or perhaps you have the books with you, but it’s taking forever to find exactly where those specific notes are. 

Taking notes digitally and saving them on your computer eliminates these problems.

You have easy access to your notes, especially if you save them on Google Docs, and it’s easier to organize them for easy access. If you cannot take notes digitally in class using a computer keyboard or smart pen, you can transfer them in your own time from paper to computer. 

Alternatively, use an app to photograph your hand-written notes and transcribe them into digital copies.

When you have all your notes with you all the time, it’s easy to do your homework wherever you are. It will also take less time to find the resources you need to do your assignments.

7. Divide Complex Assignments Into Small Tasks

Some college assignments are long, hard, and complicated. You have to do research, write the projects and add other stuff to make your homework the best. Doing this every day can be overwhelming, especially since you have other things to attend to.

The best way to handle such complex work is to divide it into small manageable tasks you can do every day. For example, if you have a writing project, take 1-3 days just for research and jotting down what stands out from your research. 

You can block one hour or even 45 minutes every day for that.

After that, go through your rough notes and develop an outline and a good heading, which should take one day slot. Take another day to do the actual writing and another day to edit.

The important thing is to dig into this homework every day and give yourself a deadline for completing it. In the end, it won’t feel so overwhelming anymore, and you will not struggle to finish in time ( source ).

8. Eliminate Distractions

A big reason college students fail to complete assignments on time is distractions. Social media, television, hanging out with friends and spending too much time on extracurricular activities. 

While all those things are important for a young person, they have to be given their own time.

Slot these activities for evenings when you are free and after you have completed your daily to-do list. Alternatively, you can set a timer for things like social media and stop immediately the timer goes off. If your distraction is notifications on your phone, switch off the phone or put it on airplane mode while doing your homework or studying.

For most college students, avoiding distraction means going to a secluded place where their friends won’t find them. You can try the library basement or a hidden corner in the basement, where no one will find you. 

Another great tip is to wake up earlier than everyone else and take an hour to do some homework before the day starts.

9. Stick to the Schedule

A planner and a calendar will not help you if you can’t stick to a schedule. 

You will still slack behind on your homework if you choose to hang out with your friends or sleep during sessions where you don’t have classes instead of doing homework.

It will also not work if your schedule is not realistic. 

For example, if you’ve scheduled homework time from 5 am to 6 am, but you are not a morning person, that will likely not work. The same applies if you are too tired in the evening and can’t focus on homework.

The best way to stick to a homework schedule is to slot it when you are most productive. If that is before the first class starts, go ahead and put it there. The second period is also a great slot because you are not tired yet, and the first class of the day has already stimulated your brain.

All said and done, though, sticking to a schedule is all about discipline. Train yourself to do things when you say you will do them, even if you don’t feel like it. 

The planner will only work if you follow it.

10. Have a Homework Accountability Team

I don’t know about you, but having a support team comes in handy for me. Find a mastermind group to do everything study-related, including homework. This will make things easier and fun, especially if you throw in some competition.

The secret to making this successful is finding people on the same wavelength as you. 

If your accountability partners couldn’t be bothered to finish their homework on time, they will only pull you behind. Find people who are accountable, responsible, and who can help you with homework as much as you can help them.

The top students in the class are a good place to find these people because they don’t become top by luck. Once you have that, pull your weight and try to teach as much as you learn from them.

Final Thoughts

The last thing in keeping track of your college homework is reviewing your daily planner and calendar. At the end of each day, have a quick look at your planner and see if you ticked off everything you need to do.

If you completed the homework, make sure you put it in your bag or set a reminder to send the digital format first thing in the morning. If there is homework you didn’t manage to do, slot it as number one on your next day list. This will ensure everything is done and on time.

Recommended Reading:

• How To Keep Up With College Assignments (Ultimate Guide)
• Late Assignments – A Complete College Student’s Guide

Emily is an engineer at a Fortune 100 company. Her degree is in Chemical Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. She completed 4 internships in college and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020. She is from Texas and currently lives in Seattle, WA. Emily loves hiking, traveling, and playing guitar. She is a very proud dog mom to her fur baby, Oliver.

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