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.

Where is your time going?
Have you given enough attention to this task?
Are you being honest with how you arrived at this situation?

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?