Colleges are notorious for the number of written assignments students have to do. It can be quite challenging to keep up with all the deadlines and projects. Without a proper organizational system, one can get lost in all of the assignments.
In this guide, you’ll learn all the tips and tricks on how to always do your papers on time.
Evaluate your current approach.
Start by reflecting on how you approach things now. Think of how you manage your responsibilities and how you plan your time daily. You can track various activities for a couple of days to get exact data on that.
The questions to answer are:
- How do you plan your time?
- How do you prioritize your responsibilities?
- Do you find it easy to do everything on time?
- Are you inclined to procrastinate?
The chances are you spend a decent amount of time doing something unproductive. By analyzing your routine, you can find weak spots and possible improvements. For instance, if you tend to get distracted from your studies by your smartphone, the first step would be to turn it off.
Manage Available Resources
Another secret to doing assignments quickly is to make great use of available resources. Those are research databases, outline drafts, grammar-checking apps, and academic writing platforms. For example, buy essay go offers professional help with all types of college assignments for students in need. So if you are really late for the deadline and need immediate assistance, it is a place to go.
Expert authors assist with writing, editing, and proofreading college papers on the shortest notice. This can be a lifesaver if you miss the deadline or if you struggle with a particular subject.
- There is a multitude of online resources to make your study life easier, namely:
- Google Scholar for a fast search of only peer-reviewed academic sources;
- Online scientific databases to find any study you need for a paper,
- Grammar and spell-checking tools like Grammarly to help with proofreading;
- Use plagiarism checkers to make sure your paper is unique.
Keep a list of all the platforms that might come in handy.
To create a time management system
Without proper time management, it is almost impossible to get anything done in college. There are just too many things to keep in mind.
For such a system, you’ll need a good calendar application and a tool for to-do lists. Some solutions combine both. And there are plenty of free apps for that.
Set rules for yourself in terms of:
- Setting deadlines as soon as you receive an assignment
- Put a reminder two weeks before the deadline to start working on the paper.
- Create to-do lists daily and weekly;
- List goals for specific periods.
- Prioritize all the things you need to do with a specific system;
- Schedule time for breaks and relaxation.
Prioritization depends on individual needs. But usually, you can define things as urgent and important, urgent but not important, important but not urgent, and not important nor urgent. This will help you to figure out where to start with your responsibilities.
It is better to do the most daunting and complicated thing first. When deciding on how long something might take, add a buffer of time just in case. So if any unexpected circumstances occur, you can still meet the deadline.
Create a Plan of Action
Academic writing usually follows the same structure when it comes to the outline and general approach.
Develop a system that corresponds with your needs and keep up with it. For example, you can divide any work into several steps and do them one by one:
- Analyze the prompt.
- Do research.
- Outline the paper.
- Write the main body;
- Write an introduction and a conclusion;
- Proofread
- Edit and format.
It is simple, but having such a plan in your mind will help you to get instantly into working mode instead of wondering where you should start. You can also use a draft outline for the majority of papers.
Follow-Up Study Ethics
One of the major contributors to being late with projects is procrastination. Another one is all the distractions around you. To do everything fast, one has to be productive and concentrate on one thing at a time.
This means establishing ground rules for learning for yourself. Set a designated area for learning. It should have good lighting, a comfortable chair, and a desk. When you are studying, turn off your phone or notifications. There is nothing important happening on social media.
If you live with others, ask them not to disturb you while you are working. Do not work in bed. You’ll fall asleep, lose focus, and endanger your sleep patterns. The human brain thrives on habits and associations. So if you are using a specific place only for work, it will be easier to get into a work mode and stay focused.
Time Yourself
Another great technique is to time your activities. Set a timer for 15 minutes and do only writing during this period. You’ll be amazed at how much you can do without distractions.
You can use the Pomodoro technique or set timers for study and leisure periods. Usually, one needs to rest for 15 minutes after an hour of intellectual work.
Keep the motivation up
Internal motivation is a powerful resource to get things done. To keep it at a high level, you need to set goals and remember why you are doing this.
For instance, you can have huge goals like graduating, getting a degree in a specific field, or expanding your career options. Or the goals can be smaller, like passing the tests well, getting straight A’s, or being on top of the class. Small goals lead to big ones.
So when you do not feel motivated, remember that this paper leads you to passing the subject, which leads to following the desired field of science, which leads to graduating with honors and getting the job of your dreams. This is just an example, but the point is to remember that everything you do is a stepping stone to future success.
In Summary
To keep up with written assignment deadlines, students need to have a proper time management system, a comprehensive approach to tasks, and internal motivation.
