doing an assignment the night before

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How to Finish a Huge Assignment or Project Overnight

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The great American writer Mark Twain once said,

“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow just as well.”

When we live by that advice, though, we sometimes find ourselves chugging concentrated coffee at 2 a.m. in a valiant effort to stay awake and finish a huge project that’s due in 6 hours.

As productive as I’d like to think I am… I’ve been there.

If you’ve been there as well – or maybe if you’re there right now – this week’s video is for you. I’m not going to waste time lecturing you about the importance of planning, there are other videos for that – let’s just look at the best plan of attack when you find yourself in a time crunch.

Now, we’re going to look at some specific concepts related to planning and willpower in a minute – The Impact Effort Matrix, Ego Depletion – but let’s start with the foundation: location selection .

I think your location is vital when you’re working under pressure, and personally I like to pick my study locations based on their “vibe” – that is, what’s going on around me. I tend to favor coffee shops and libraries – I still go to my university library at times even though I’ve graduated – because I work well when I’m surrounded by other people who are also working. Also, close proximity to caffeine is helpful.

The most important part of location selection, though, is avoiding the “call of the pillow”. When you’re studying in a time crunch, it’s likely you’ll be doing it late into the night. That’s why you want to get as far away from your bed as possible.

The later it gets, the more you’ll start rationalizing how good a nap might be and the more you’ll start deciding that certain parts of your project don’t matter. So pick a place where going to bed would be more effort than finishing the next part of your project.

That piece of business taken care of, it’s now time to plan your efforts . Before you start working, take some time to break down your workload into individual parts. Then, it’s time to figure out which ones should get the bulk of your attention.

Dwight Eisenhower often remarked that,

“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”

In the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , Steven Covey popularized the “Eisenhower Decision Matrix”, which is based on this principle. In the matrix, tasks are categorized based on their importance and urgency.

When you’re in a time crunch, though, everything can seem urgent – so importance is the factor you should focus on in this case. To that end, let’s use a similar but more fitting tool – the Impact/Effort matrix .

Here, tasks in a project are given scores based on their impact to the overall success of the project and the effort it will take to implement them. To illustrate how this works, here’s an example from my life.

When I was a senior in college, one of my final projects was building a web app. My idea was called AMPanic, and it was an app that would require you to log in and tell if you’re awake before a certain time – otherwise it would send an embarrassing email to someone. This was actually the precursor to the early wake-up system I use now, which I detailed in this video .

With this project, though, I found myself in a time crunch trying to finish it. So I broke my project down into different parts that I’d have to code and prioritized them using this Impact/Effort matrix.

The core functionality – the code that would let you set an alarm and an email message, the code that would schedule and send the email on time, and the function to cancel the email if the user checked in on time in the morning – those required a lot of effort to build, but they also had the highest impact on the project.

On the other hand, some parts of the site – like the About, FAQ, and Contact pages – didn’t have as high of an impact, but they were low-effort tasks. Since they didn’t take much time to create, I made sure to include them to make the site look more complete.

The main element of the site that I chose NOT to focus on was the user registration and login system. A proper one needs functions for resetting passwords, but I decided that the core alarm setting functionality would be more important to my grade since that was the point of the whole project. So I used a login system I had written for an old project and didn’t bother creating a way to reset passwords.

In the end, it was a worthwhile decision; the alarm system was more advanced than most of the other projects in the class, so I ended up getting an A.

To assign Impact/Effort scores to each component of your project – or each assignment if you’re juggling multiple – consider the following factors:

• What the core deliverables are
• The grading criteria for the project, what which components count for the most points
• What percentage of your grade each assignment counts for
• How much each component will contribute to the knowledge you need to have for tests, which usually impact your grade the most

Once you’e assigned scores to each component, I think it’s a good idea to tackle the ones with the highest impact and highest effort first. This is due to Ego Depletion – a phenomenon explained in Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow . Citing research from the psychologist Roy Baumeister, he reveals that:

“…an effort of will or self-control is tiring; if you have had to force yourself to do something, you are less willing or less able to exert self-control when the next challenge comes around.”

Use the bulk of your willpower to complete the harder tasks first; that way, you’ll only have to deal with low-effort, high-impact tasks when you’re feeling drained.

That’s where we’re going to close for this week. If you select your location well, plan based on impact and effort, and tackle your tasks in a way that utilizes your willpower effectively, you’ll make if through your time crunch in one piece.

Need help finishing a personal project you’ve been procrastinating on? Read this next .

If you’re unable to see the video above, you can view it on YouTube .

Looking for More Study Tips?

You’ll find more tips on planning, study environments, and maintaining willpower in my free 100+ page book called 10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades (While Studying Less) .

The book covers topics like:

• Defeating procrastination
• Getting more out of your classes
• Taking great notes
• Reading your textbooks more efficiently

…and several more. It also has a lot of recommendations for tools and other resources that can make your studying easier.

If you’d like a free copy of the book, let me know where I should send it:

I’ll also keep you updated about new posts and videos that come out on this blog (they’ll be just as good as this one or better) 🙂

Video Notes

• Eisenhower Decision Matrix
• Impact/Effort Matrix
• Ego Depletion

What other topics related to working under tight deadlines would you like to see covered in the future?

Do you have any additional tips? Share them below 🙂

If you liked this video, subscribe on YouTube to stay updated and get notified when new ones are out!

Images: Eisenhower , Twain , Twain living room , James Cameron , ocean trench , Everest , wall of books , Big Ben , coffee shop

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The Emotional Turmoil Of Doing Your College Assignment The Night Before

It's been three weeks since the essay titles have been given out, but a student's life is hectic: we have social events to attend, work commitments and T.V to watch. So it's not our fault that we can't find time to start our college assignment until the very night before it's due. The hours that lie ahead of you as you sit finally open that 'new document' tab on your laptop will be a test of endurance, strength and sheer will power. You know deep down inside that you should have started this  weeks ago. But you also know this isn't the first, and certainly the last time you start your college assignment the night before...

I'll start any minute now...

Because thinking of starting that college assignment is practically the same as finishing that college assignment.

Oh! Look at that! It's ten past the hour, I'll start on the next one

It would just feel wrong starting at ten thirteen, it's an unlucky number anyway.

Advertisement

*50 minutes of buzzfeed/imgur/tumblr/reddit/internet banter & a cup of tea*.

Quizzes about what kind of pizza topping are you are, compilations of the best dog vines 2014 and good ole Netflix. So many distractions, curse you world wide web ... oh look! A quiz about which beard I should have...

Alright time to start...

*Quiet sighing*

UGH! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!

*LOUD SIGHING AND ARM FOLDING*

I'll do this question I suppose

This essay title probably has the one thing you've read in the past semester on it, don't lie.

Now just to read the text closely... Oh hey SparkNotes

<3 SparkNotes <3 or shmoop, Wikipedia, gravesaver, cliffnotes....

Now I'll just spend half an hour planning my essay.

"Once i've planned it, it's essentially done.",  sure. 

I've done so much work I totally deserve a break.

That frozen pizza isn't going to eat itself, and a cup of tea afterwards is totally in order... maybe even an episode of Archer.

What!?! How the fuck is it midnight already? Shit...

Why didn't i do this three weeks ago what have i been doing.

Yes, you've been out drinking, but realistically you've been spending more time in your bed, on the laptop, doing shit all apart from eating stale tortilla chips. After all, if you pretend college work doesn't exist, then it basically doesn't.

Why didn't I start this earlier?

Well, it's wasn't a priority until now.

Maybe I should ask for an extension?

It' would be really convenient if a family member died right now...

Must power through this tiredness...

Sleepiness is beginning to overcome your ability to spell, or make any sense really. At this time you cannot afford to stop typing, but you can't help notice that the keyboard is getting more and more comfortable to sleep on. A solution pops into your head...

I NEED COFFEE!

Ah, good old reliable coffee. No doubt you'll be throwing a half the jar of Nescafè or whatever rip off into your mug, with a shit ton of sugar and no milk. This will definitely  keep you awake.

Accidentally get warped into 'Drunk In Love'/Or Any Catchy Tune, fuelled by sudden intake of caffeine.

The caffeine has hit you  hard.  That background music has now become your song which you are performing to the millions in Madison Square Gardens. All those screaming fans, your incredible singing voice, not to mention you totally wrote the song, how could you not get carried away?

Ok, ok, ok. Focus. You can do this.

Welcome back to reality! It's half two in the morning and you still have shit all done. You realise that if you're going to get ANY sleep tonight then you should probably get typing. Still pumped from your performance, you feel like you fucking own this essay. Nothing can stop you now! Time to really get stuck...

WHAT AM I EVEN TALKING ABOUT?

I wonder does this make sense to other people. Just keep writing words. Maybe a quote here and there. Pray it may be slightly relevant  to whatever the hell I'm talking about.

Am I even going to pass this?

Just keep writing, it'll be grand.

Ugh it's so late... I might as well just stay up and finish what I can.

No point in stopping now.

If I get this done in an hour I'll get three hours sleep

Wishful thinking seeps from desperation, and you are so desperate for a nap.

WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG!

Nothing is more of a pain in the ass than when you've been typing for what seems hours, and you are still.not. finished. 

*Onset of tears upon looking at word count*

How? Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow have I only written 874 words?

 Overwhelming sense of guilt and self-hatred

Coulda, woulda, shoulda.  Not only do you feel like a complete fuck up, but also a complete disappointment and an overall shit human being.

Monumental, Inspiration Pep Talk

You cannot let this stupid fucking assignment get the better of you. You cannot let a 4000 word essay TAKE YOU DOWN!  There's only one thing left to do to that will to get this done...

LET'S GET FUCKING 8 MILE ON THIS SHIT!

Since all emotions of happiness and content are no longer available for use, feelings of anger and resentment set in, accompanied by a  lot  of cursing. Still it's noting listening to 'Lose Yourself' on repeat won't fix.

Surge of passion mixed with determination driven by the need to sleep!

MUST NOT STOP TYPING! MUST COMPLETE ASSIGNMENT!

The point of completion, exhaustion or surrender.

Congratulations! You've reached the acceptable amount of word count, or perhaps not. Perhaps you've gone all "fuck this shit", or you're happy to chance your arm with the whatever the hell you've just written. The point is that this god awful process is  over.  Well, until the next deadline...

Can You Name The Fictional Tech Companies From These Well Known Films?

Tech is EVERYWHERE, and it's especially prevalent in the world of film.

If you want to get involved in the world of tech, why not apply for the Vodafone Graduate Programme? Applications are open for September 2022 and more information can be found here .

In Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr's lead character is the owner of what tech company?

Listen, we won't say anything if you don't....

Not to worry, this quiz isn't legally binding, you can still get involved in the world of tech.

It wasn't the worst showing in the world, but improvement is needed!

You're well on your way, keep going!

You are beauty, you are grace, you are MAGNIFICENT!

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What to do the night before an exam: 15 tips to ace your exams.

The night before an exam is crucial. You want to feel at your best and wake up energized on the morning of the exam, and the night before determines whether that will happen or not. Hence, we have gathered all the 15 tips you need to follow to have optimal performance on your exam day.

The crucial night before an exam comes with Dos and Don’ts. So, before we move on to the actions you should take, let’s first have a look at the things that you should avoid to set yourself up for success.

What Should You Avoid the Night Before an Exam?

Since you want to feel at your best the following day, there are some things that you should avoid to be at your peak:

Caffeine Intake at Night

Caffeine (usually in the form of coffee) taken 6 hours before sleeping seriously impacts the quality of your sleep, as shown by the study conducted in 2013 . So to get the best night’s rest possible, you shouldn’t drink coffee for a minimum of 6 hours before bed .

Excessive Fluid Intake

While you want to be hydrated the day before your exam (and on the exam day), excessive fluid intake before bed can wake you up during the night for a bathroom break, which is not ideal when you intend to rest well before your exam.

According to a survey conducted at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2014 , 99% of students have crammed for a test before, and 26% are cramming for all tests they are taking. And chances are, you may be thinking of joining the crowd.

Well, perhaps you should think again. Research accepted in 2005 involving 254 separate studies and 14811 participants has shown a significant difference in correct memorization between spaced and massed learning (the equivalent of cramming), with spaced learning having much higher statistics .

Pulling an all-nighter rather than sleeping

Similar to cramming, most students think that studying all night rather than sleeping will help them more in the upcoming test the next day.

Ironically, it is also not true. According to the study done on the first-year students of the Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay , sacrificing your sleep for studying is not the best idea since students who slept more hours the night before tend to do better on the test the next day.

Not eating dinner

We all know that the lack of nutritious food affects your cognitive abilities in a harmful way . So skipping dinner the night before a test is one of the crucial mistakes you should avoid.

You have probably experienced feeling tired after eating too much or not feeling rested the morning after a huge nighttime snack.

Turns out it is not only you! A study conducted in 2020 amongst University Students has shown that eating within three hours of going to bed increases the likelihood of nocturnal waking by 40%, which is a significant disturbance in sleep quality and the energy levels you’ll have the next day.

Overthinking

One of the most obvious reasons for not being able to sleep the night before a test is overthinking. Instead of getting lost in your head, pause to think about your accomplishments and memories; even if you fail the test, it will not define you ; take a deep breath, relax, and remember that the exam is only a small part of your path.

Join over 90% of students getting better grades!

That’s a pretty good statistic. Download our free all-in-one learning app and start your most successful learning journey yet. Let’s do it!

Top 8 Tips for the Night Before an Exam

Now that you have learned everything you should avoid, let’s focus on what you should be doing the night before your exam.

Solve exercise questions

While revising or studying on the night before the exam day can be harmful and cause you to confuse the answers, solving exercises and/or flashcards can do just the opposite.

Get your momentum for completing the questions from the night before to be at your best during the exam.

Stay Hydrated

One of the most important points to touch on while talking about cognitive performance is hydration. This is because even a 2% dehydration reduces performance in attention-demanding activities .

So do not forget to drink the daily amount required for adults. Though the amounts can vary depending on weight, height, and physical activity, the generally advised amounts are:

• 3.7 Liters a day for men
• 2.7 Liters a day for women

But keep in mind that you shouldn’t take on a challenge you’ve never done before on the night before your exam. K eep yourself hydrated at your own pace, and don’t drink too much before bed to ensure you don’t wake up in the middle of the night.

Get tip-top GCSE grades!

Excel in your exams with free explanations from our subject-matter experts on all your GCSE subjects.

Stick to your routine, nothing new!

You should be comfortable and relaxed before your exam. So instead of trying all the new things in your spare time, stick to your own routine and find calm and peace in it, which will be helpful when it is time for bed.

Meditate on Positive Outcomes

If you are having a hard time calming yourself down or having stable breathing, try meditating on the positive outcomes that can (and most likely will) happen after your exam.

Close your eyes, get in a comfortable position, and only think about the good that can happen after you get out of your exam . Recall your experiences and remember there is always more to life than just tomorrow’s problems .

Eat right and eat light

For motivation and mood purposes, cook or order something you enjoy . But make sure to keep it light since you don’t want to feel tired right after you eat , which can cause you to feel the same right after you wake up the next day.

Prepare all materials for tomorrow

You don’t want to keep thinking about everything you’ll need to bring to the exam tomorrow, you don’t want to be late looking for them in the morning, and you definitely don’t want to show up to your exam with important materials missing.

Because all of these can cause anxiety and work against you during the exam. So do yourself a favour, and prepare everything you’ll need the night before . These may include:

• Ruler/Geometry Set
• Bottle of Water

Get enough sleep

All the points we have discussed are connected to getting enough sleep. Following all the tips, you shouldn’t have any problem falling asleep.

But make sure to go to bed at a time that allows you to have 7-8 hours of sleep (depending on how much you sleep regularly) to make sure you get the needed sleep hours in.

Ensure you wake up in the best way tomorrow

A typical sleep cycle is divided into two stages : REM sleep and NREM sleep. Your body switches between these two stages approximately every 90 minutes .

And the best time to wake up to feel the most energetic is at the end of a cycle. So if you’d like to wake up without a struggle , make sure you set an alarm that will wake you after X number of multiples of 90 minutes . (e.g. 7.5 (5×90 mins) hours or 9 (6×90 mins) hours after you went to sleep)

And more importantly, you want to make sure you wake up, so either try setting two alarms or asking a friend or a family member to give you a call the following morning to make sure you get up .

Did you know that StudySmarter was rated best study app worldwide!

Frequently Asked Questions About The Night Before an Exam

Should you drink coffee before an exam, should i pull an all-nighter the night before an exam, what is the best brain food before exams, what time should you go to bed the night before a test, how much damage does an all-nighter do.

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How to Avoid Doing Your Assignment the Night Before

Positive Psychology Author Supporting Happy Youth Transitions

Procrastination. Reading this word alone brings on feelings of guilt. Memories are brought up of the too many times I left an assignment to the night before. Overestimating my ability to nut out a 2000 word essay in 24 hours. The feat would always be followed with a moment of handing it in thinking, "if only I had a few more days - I could've done ok on that". (I guess anything would’ve been better than a 24-hour attempt!)

Let's not lie. It's not just at uni. I can think of many examples of parking my productivity for whatever reason I found at the time. Whether I should've been writing, working or doing something as simple as sending out a single email. But why?

Procrastinating somewhere along my path between San Francisco & Los Angeles, California. It happens at the best of times.

What makes us procrastinate and how can we overcome it?

Here are the insights I wish I knew in school (And still need to work on today):

What is procrastination?

Google tells us it's "the action of delaying or postponing something." Fair enough, we've all been there.

Why do we do it?

Mostly, it's a task that we're not that excited about. Other times we might delay doing something because we don't have the confidence or the skill level that we expect of ourselves to sit down and get it done effortlessly. Usually a little more energy, whether it is emotional or technical, is required on these tasks.

We make up excuses for why we should be doing other things before doing the task at hand. Whether the other things we do are productive or not, is up to the individual procrastinator.

High guilt procrastinators might decide to clean their house, while the complete avoidant procrastinator will put the task completely out of their mind and get along with their day as if it doesn't even exist. It's actually quite fascinating when you break it down. The human phenomenon of avoiding doing something that we know is in our best interest to just get started, and get done.

Tim Urban takes us even further inside the mind of the procrastinator in his awesome Ted talk below, (my favourite piece on this subject).

What are 3 ways we can overcome it?

1. Change the way you look at it.

When you notice you're procrastinating on a certain task, stop. Take the weight off. This isn't the biggest task in the world, and it surely doesn't deserve all the anxiety its being given. Even if it is a large task - it can always be broken down and completed. Most importantly, your first step must be to shift your mind set from "How am I ever going to do it?" to "I can get this done".

2. Make a plan. Next, write down your plan. A realistic and manageable way that you can get this task done. Be specific and include when, where and how you'll do it. Write it somewhere you can pick up and look at each day.

3. Hold yourself accountable.

It's all very well and good to have these great intentions, but how do we ensure we'll follow through? My tip - tell someone else. Find a buddy to tell when you'll have the task done by (either certain parts of the task or the whole thing if it's smaller) and let them know when you’ve completed it.

If you're more of a solo task setter - you can always create your own reward that you'll be allowed once the task is done. For example, once I finish the introduction for my essay I can check my phone, and once I finish the whole essay I can catch up with my friends. Whatever driver you can find to keep you motivated to just get the thing ..... done.

Happy non-procrastinating! (if that's a thing...)

For more ‘Finding Your Path’ Tips see findingyourpathbooks.com

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• Nov 30, 2017

How to avoid doing your assignment the night before

Updated: Mar 26, 2021

Procrastination. Reading this word alone brings on feelings of guilt. Memories are brought up of the too many times I left an assignment to the night before. Overestimating my ability to nut out a 2000 word essay in 24 hours. The feat would always be followed with a moment of handing it in thinking, “if only I had a few more days – I could’ve done ok”. After all, anything would’ve been better than a 24-hour attempt!

Let’s not lie. I’m not only guilty of this at university. I can think of many examples of parking my productivity for whatever reason I found at the time. Whether I should’ve been writing, working or doing something as simple as sending out a single email. But why?

What makes us procrastinate and how can we overcome it?

Here are the insights I wish I knew in school (and still need to work on today):

What is procrastination?

Google tells us it’s “the action of delaying or postponing something.” Fair enough, we’ve all been there.

Why do we do it?

Mostly, it’s a task that we’re not that excited about. Other times we might delay doing something because we don’t have the confidence or the skill level that we expect of ourselves to sit down and get it done effortlessly. Usually a little more energy, whether it be emotional or technical, is required on these tasks.

We make up excuses for why we should be doing other things before doing the task at hand. Whether the other things we do are productive or not is up to the individual procrastinator.

High guilt procrastinators might decide to clean their house, while the complete avoidant procrastinator will put the task completely out of their mind and get on with their day as if it doesn’t even exist! It’s actually quite fascinating when you break it down. The human phenomenon of avoiding doing something that we know is in our best interest to get started, and something we need to get done.

Tim Urban takes us even further inside the mind of the procrastinator in his awesome Ted talk below, (my favourite piece on this topic).

So, what are 3 ways we can overcome procrastination?

1. Change the way you look at it.

When you notice you’re procrastinating on a certain task, stop. Take the weight off. This isn’t the biggest task in the world, and it surely doesn’t deserve all the anxiety its being given. Even if it is a large task – it can always be broken down and completed. Most importantly, your first step must be to shift your mind set from “How am I ever going to do it?” to “I can get this done”.

2. Make a plan.

Next, write down your plan. A realistic and manageable way that you can get the task done. Be specific and include when, where and how you’ll do it. Write it somewhere you can it pick up and look at each day.

3. Hold yourself accountable.

It’s all very well and good to have these great intentions, but how do we ensure we’ll follow through? My tip – tell someone else. Find a buddy to tell when you’ll have the task done by (either certain parts of the task or the whole thing if it’s smaller) and let them know when you’ve completed it.

If you’re more of a solo task setter – you can always create your own reward that you’ll be allowed once the task is complete. For example, once I finish the introduction for my essay I can check my phone, and once I finish the whole essay I can catch up with friends. Whatever the driver is that you find to keep motivated and to just get the thing….. done.

Happy non-procrastinating! (If that’s a thing…)

Amba is an Australian author, and writer of Finding Your Path Books , a happiness series for youth transitions. She has also spoken at TEDx on supporting students through graduation and beyond. Follow Amba on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .

• Organisation

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A student protester's guide to last-minute essay writing

I f those trips down to the demos in Westminster have left you behind schedule for your end-of-term assignment, you may well be forced to write in the small hours this week. Here's how to pull it off safely and successfully.

12am: Get as far away from your bed as possible

Before you begin, avoid warmth and soft furnishings. Propped up on pillows in the glow of a laptop may feel like savvy ergonomics, but your keyboard will start to look pillow-like by midnight, and 418 pages of the word "gf64444444444444444444" will detract from the force of your argument. You could try the kitchen. Or Krakow. But your industrially lit 24-hour campus library should do the trick.

12:25am: Take a catnap

Thomas Edison used to catnap through the night with a steel ball in his hand. As he relaxed and the ball dropped, he would wake up, usually with fresh ideas. "Caffeine and a short nap make a very effective combination," says Jim Horne, director of the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre. "Have the coffee first. This takes about 20 minutes to work, so take a 15-minute nap. Use an alarm to wake up and avoid deep sleep kicking in. Do this twice throughout the night."

12.56am: Reduce your internet options

Temporarily block Twitter, Spotify, Group Hug, YouTube, 4od and anything else that distracts you. Constantly updating your word count on Facebook may feel like fun, but to everyone else you'll look like you're constantly updating your word count on Facebook.

1-3am: Now write your essay. No, really

You've widened your margins, subtly enlarged your font and filled your bibliography with references of such profound obscurity that no one will notice you're missing 3,000 words. It's time to brainstorm, outline, carve words, followed by more words, into that milk-white oblivion that taunts you. Speed-read articles. Key-word Google Books. Remember texts you love and draw comparisons. Reword. Expound. Invent. Neologise. Get excited. Find a problem you can relish and keep writing. While others flit from point to point, your impassioned and meticulous analysis of a single contention is music to a marker's eyes.

3-5am: Get lost in your analysis, your characters, your world Write like you're trying to convince the most stubborn grammarian about truth, or heartless alien invaders about love. Don't overload with examples – be creative with the ones you have. Detail will save your life, but don't waste time perfecting sentences – get the bulk down first and clean up later. "The progress of any writer," said Ted Hughes, "is marked by those moments when he manages to outwit his own inner police system." Outwit your own inner police system. Expect progress. Ted says so.

5:01am: Don't cheat

It's about now that websites such as easyessay.co.uk will start to look tempting. And you may sleep easier knowing that a dubiously accredited Italian yoga instructor is writing about Joyce instead of you. But the guilt will keep you up between now and results day. And you'll toss and turn the night before graduation, job interviews, promotions, dinner parties, children's birthdays, family funerals . . . you get the idea.

5.17am: Don't die

Sounds obvious, but dying at your computer is definitely trending. And however uncool it may seem to "pass on" during a five-day stint at World of Warcraft, it will be much more embarrassing to die explaining perspectivism to no one in particular. So be careful. Stay hydrated. Blink occasionally. And keep writing.

5.45am: Eat something simple

"There are no foods that are particularly good at promoting alertness," says Horne. "But avoid heavy and fatty meals in the small hours. Avoid very sugary drinks that don't contain caffeine, too. Sugar is not very effective in combating sleepiness." Fun fact: an apple provides you with more energy than a cup of coffee. Now stick the kettle on.

5.46am: Delight in being a piece of living research

If you happen to be "fatigue resistant" you should now be enjoying the enhanced concentration, creative upwelling and euphoric oneness that sleep deprivation can bring. If not, try talking yourself into it. "Conversation keeps you awake," says Horne. "So talk to a friend or even to yourself – no one will hear you."

6am: Console yourself with lists of writers who stuck it out

Robert Frost was acquainted with the night. Dumas, Kafka, Dickens, Coleridge, Sartre, Poe and Breton night-walked and trance-wrote their way to literary distinction. John and Paul wrote A Hard Day's Night in the small hours. Herman the Recluse, atoning for broken monastic vows, is said to have written the Codex Gigas on 320 sheets of calfskin during a single night in 1229. True, he'd sold his soul to the Devil, but you're missing out on a live Twitter feed, so it's swings and roundabouts.

7am: Remember – art is never finished, only abandoned

Once you accept there's no more you can do, print it off and get to the submissions office quick. Horne: "You're not fit to drive if you've had less than five hours sleep, so don't risk it. Grab some exercise." Pop it in with the breeziness that comes from being top of your marker's pile. Back home, unblock Facebook and start buffering The Inbetweeners. And then sleep. Get as near to your bed as you can. Euphoric oneness doesn't come close.

Matt Shoard teaches creative writing at the University of Kent.

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10 steps to finishing an assignment the night before

By Abby Claridge

Look, we’ve all been there. It’s the night before your assignment is due and you’ve been putting it off for the (let’s just say) 5 weeks that you’ve had it for and it’s dawned on you that it’s due at 9am tomorrow morning.

I know what you’re thinking: f#@$!

Well fear no more! Here is your step-to-step guide to finishing your assignment the night before…

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How to Stay Up All Night Doing Homework

Last Updated: March 7, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jeremy Bartz, PhD . Dr. Jeremy Bartz is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice based in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Bartz specializes in treating depression, anxiety, OCD, mind-body syndromes, chronic pain, insomnia, relationship difficulties, attachment trauma, and resolving the effects of narcissistic trauma. He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Brigham Young University and completed a fellowship In Pain Psychology at Stanford's premier pain management clinic. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 221,332 times.

Staying up all night to do homework is not advised, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. If your homework has piled up to the point that the only way to complete it is to pull an all-nighter, then make some preparations and get your head in the game. You’re in for a long night.

Getting Organized Before Your All-Nighter

• Make sure you have all the resources you’ll need –all your books, assignments and stationery.
• If it helps you to have music playing as you work, work near a speaker. But choose instrumental music to avoid being distracted by focusing on the song lyrics instead of your assignments.

• Feed your body protein rich foods, like peanut butter sandwiches, turkey sandwiches or hummus and carrots.
• Stay away from sweets; the sugar will cause you to crash.

• Put the biggest assignments that are due first near the top of the list.
• Put smaller assignments that you can complete quickly and easily near the bottom of the list. Try to do these towards the end of your night when you’re exhausted.
• Any assignment that isn’t due the next day should be completed on another night.

• Approximate how long each assignment will take you and then block off an appropriate amount of time in your night to do the work.
• Schedule high priority assignments early in the evening, when you’re still at your best.
• Schedule in a ten minute break every two hours. Use this time to get up and walk around and give your brain a break.

• Don’t nap for longer than 30 minutes. If you nap for longer than 30, you risk entering into REM sleep cycle.
• If you don’t have time for a nap, take a fifteen-minute walk outside. It will accomplish the same thing.

• Make a concrete plan of what time you’re going to begin working and stick to it. Set an alarm, if you have to.
• Turn off your phone and any other distractions that might impede you from beginning your work.

Executing Your All-Nighter

• For every caffeinated beverage you drink, drink a cup of water.
• As the night goes on, increase the time between caffeinated beverages.
• If you feel yourself falling into a slump, take a multivitamin.

• A quick workout can boost your brain's ability to learn and retain information, which will help you break through your slump.
• Don’t do a full workout – instead, do some quick exercise in the form of 10 pushups, 10 jumping jacks or 10 sit ups.

• If pinching isn’t cutting it, splash cold water on your face for an added boost.
• Lower the thermostat in your house or study area to keep your body alert.
• Take a cold shower to freeze yourself awake.

• The closer the light is to your eyes, the better, so try to work near a desk lamp or computer screen.
• Change rooms every couple of hours so your eyes don’t have time to fully adjust to the bright lights.

• Keep a stash close to your desk and dip into it whenever you feel yourself slowing down.
• Drinking mint tea is also a great way to get some added caffeine.

Staying Motivated During Your All-Nighter

• Don’t invite over a friend who only wants to talk and hang out. You need someone who will motivate you, not distract you.

• If you know you can’t go all night without checking Facebook, deactivate your account for the night. You can reactivate it as soon as all your work is done.
• Give your social media passwords to a friend or parent for the evening so you can’t break in to check your accounts.

• Use your priority list from earlier, cross each item off the list when it’s completed, then move on to the next one.

• Every time you finish an assignment, throw a five minute dance party. You’ll get some exercise in and you can listen to your favorite song.
• Give yourself five minutes to check your phone after completing an item on your to-do list.

• Take 10 - 15 minutes every two hours to grab a snack or take a walk.
• If you feel overwhelmed, take a 10 minute break to meditate.

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Expert Q&A

Tips from our Readers

• Since you'll be using them for a prolonged period, make sure to charge up all of your electronics! If your laptop or phone dies halfway through your study sesh, it can take up some of your valuable time to re-charge them.
• If there are certain foods you know make you tired or sluggish, try to avoid them while you study. Choose food items you know for sure won't make you want to take a nap.
• If you can get any sleep at all, do so. Even if it's just a half hour to an hour, your brain can really use that time to regenerate!
• Staying up for too long can be dangerous. Do not stay awake for longer than 36 hours consecutively. Disregarding this advice can lead to sickness and possible death. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you know you have this much homework, start it as early as possible or during lunch or other down times at school. Starting the homework at 4:00 PM is better than doing it at 4:00 AM! Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/find-a-quiet-place-to-study/
• ↑ https://au.reachout.com/articles/foods-that-help-our-brain-study
• ↑ https://www.fnu.edu/7-techniques-improve-study-habits/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
• ↑ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/
• ↑ https://www.apu.edu/articles/6-crucial-study-habits-for-college-students/
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/how-to-start-exercising-and-stick-to-it.htm
• ↑ https://students.ubc.ca/ubclife/pull-all-nighter-if-you-have
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/201905/chew-or-not-chew-gum-when-studying
• ↑ https://www.fnu.edu/10-reasons-form-study-group/
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/psychology-rewarding-yourself-with-treats
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-future-self/201804/giving-yourself-break

About This Article

If you need to stay up all night doing homework, there are a few ways to help you stay as productive as possible. First, break down your work into smaller tasks and write a schedule to cover everything. Make sure you take regular breaks to walk around and refresh yourself. You should also turn off your phone, log out of your social media accounts, and avoid any other distractions to help you focus. Keep the main lights on in your room and open a window, which will help you stay awake. You’ll probably need caffeine and some healthy snacks, like fruit and nuts, to keep you going. Just make sure you spread them out over the night so you don’t crash after a few hours. For more study tips, including how to do a coffee nap to wake yourself up, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Solving Procrastination

Student Syndrome: Why People Delay Until Right Before Deadlines

The student syndrome is a phenomenon where people delay doing things until right before the deadline. For example, a student who postpones working on an assignment until the night before it’s due is displaying the student syndrome.

This behavior is called the “student syndrome” because of how common it is among  students . However, people other than students often also display it, for example when it comes to workplace projects .

Because the student syndrome is common, and because it can lead to various issues, such as worse performance and increased stress, it’s important to understand it. As such, in the following article you will learn more about this phenomenon and its causes, and see what you can do to deal with it in practice.

Procrastination and the student syndrome

The student syndrome is a form of procrastination , because it involves unnecessary delay, which is often unintentional, and which can be expected to cause negative outcomes for those who display it.

Accordingly, and because this behavior is highly characteristic of procrastinators, questionnaires that are used to diagnose procrastination often contain statements that reflect the student syndrome. This includes, for example, “When I have a deadline, I wait till the last minute ” and “I do not do assignments until just before they are to be handed in ”.

Examples of the student syndrome

A classic example of the student syndrome is a student who has a week to do a homework assignment, but delays getting started until hours before they have to hand it in.

Similarly, another example of the student syndrome is a student who postpones getting started on an important class project for an entire semester, and then rushes to complete it all the day before it’s due.

In addition, people other than students can also display the student syndrome. For example, a college professor might postpone grading papers until a few hours before the grades are due. Similarly, a manager who has to write an important workplace report might postpone working on it until right before the deadline for completing it.

Note : The student syndrome is often discussed in the context of project management, and the name for this phenomenon was coined in a 1997 book on the topic (“Critical Chain”, by Eliyahu Goldratt).

Dangers of the student syndrome

The student syndrome can lead to various issues, such as:

• Missed deadlines and opportunities. Waiting until right before the deadline to get started can cause people to miss the deadline, especially if the work takes longer to complete than they expected. This is because people who display the student syndrome often wait until they have the minimum amount of time left to complete tasks, which means that they have no safety margin if they misjudge how long it will take to complete the task, or if they experience any unexpected delays occur.
• Worse performance. Even in cases when people manage to complete their work on time despite the student syndrome, they often produce lower-quality work than they would otherwise, due to their rush to get things done under time pressure, or due to issues such as not having enough time to ask clarifying questions.
• Increased emotional, mental, and physical issues. For example, delaying until right before the deadline despite intending to get started earlier can cause people to feel frustrated and stressed. Similarly, staying up late in order to finish tasks the night before they’re due can lead to issues such as lack of sleep and exhaustion.
• Increased interpersonal issues. For example, if someone waits until right before the deadline to complete their part of a group project, their team members might get angry at them. Similarly, if someone always delays until the last possible moment before taking care of household chores, their partner might be frustrated with them.

In addition, note that procrastination is, in general, associated with various related issues , such as worse academic outcomes , worse employment and financial status , worse emotional wellbeing, worse mental and physical health, and a delay in getting treatment for one’s problems.

Prevalence of the student syndrome

There are no statistics regarding the prevalence of the student syndrome in particular. However, given that the student syndrome represents a common form of procrastination (involving an unnecessary delay in getting started on tasks), its prevalence can be estimated based on that of procrastination.

Studies show that procrastination is a very common phenomenon among students, as approximately 80%–95% of college students engage in procrastination to some degree, approximately 75% consider themselves to be procrastinators, and approximately 50% say that they procrastinate in a consistent and problematic manner. Furthermore, additional studies have found procrastination in various other student populations , including those in  elementary school ,  middle school , and  graduate school .

In addition, procrastination is also common in other populations, and it  chronically affects around 20% of adults.

Psychology and causes of the student syndrome

The student syndrome has many potential causes, which have to do with why people procrastinate in general. Most of these involve the following:

• Motivational problems. These can include issues such as abstract goals, discounting of future outcomes , difficulty in associating tasks with outcomes, and prioritization of enjoyable activities.
• Psychological obstacles. These can include issues such as anxiety , fear of failure , fear of negative feedback, uncertainty, and task aversion, as well as associated issues such as self-handicapping and resentment.

These issues can lead people to delay unnecessarily, even in cases where they intend and want to get started on their work. However, in the case of the student syndrome, as the deadline for a task approaches, people’s mental state changes in a way that prompts them to finally get to work.

For example, as the deadline for a school project approaches, the value of the future outcomes that are associated with it becomes clearer, whether it’s the reward of getting a good grade or the punishment of getting a bad one, which can push students to get started. Similarly, while a person’s aversiveness toward a task may cause them to procrastinate on it initially, the increased time pressure that they experience as the deadline approaches (e.g., due to the increased valuation of the associated outcomes) can become substantial enough that it pushes them to start working on the task, even if their aversion to it hasn’t changed.

Note that a person can display the student syndrome due to a combination of these causes. For example, this can happen if someone suffers both from task aversion and abstract goals.

Furthermore, some of these issues may be caused or exacerbated by other underlying issues. For example, a person’s anxiety may be exacerbated by sleep deprivation. Similarly, a person’s depression may lead them to discount future outcomes and consequently to feel entirely unmotivated.

Finally, some people display the student syndrome, at least in part, due to a preference for working under pressure. For example, this can involve someone deliberately putting off a task until right before the deadline because they feel that they concentrate better when they work under intense time pressure. This type of behavior has been conceptualized in various ways , some of which are controversial, including sensation seeking , arousal procrastination , arousal delay , and active procrastination .

Related concepts

A key phenomenon that underlies the student syndrome is temporal discounting , whereby people tend to discount outcomes that involve a delay. For example, people generally care less about rewards they’ll get in a week, than about rewards they’ll get in a day.

Since, as the deadline for a task approaches, generally so do outcomes that are associated with it (i.e., related rewards and punishments), people generally value task outcomes more strongly closer to the deadline, and consequently become more motivated. This can lead , at least partially, to preference reversal , and consequently to transition from procrastination to action.

Furthermore, people generally display hyperbolic discounting  in particular , which means that the further into the future an outcome is, the less the additional increase in time matters (e.g., the difference between an immediate outcome and one with a day’s delay is greater than between an outcome with a year’s delay and an outcome with a delay of a year and a day). Accordingly, the effects of discounting are more pronounced the shorter the remaining delay is, and this is most important when an outcome is expected to be achieved close to the deadline.

In addition, another related concept is purposeful delay , which in this context involves deliberately delaying until a deadline because doing so is expected to be more beneficial than not. This can happen, for example, when someone knows that a task might be canceled, so they believe it’s more efficient to wait until the deadline before committing resources to it. However, this type of behavior is not generally considered to be a form of procrastination, and would generally also not be considered a cause of the student syndrome.

Finally, the student syndrome and procrastination are also strongly related to the concept of a deadline action pacing style. This style involves completing most or all of the work in a short period of time just before deadlines, as opposed, for example, to completing them early or in a steady manner.

How to avoid the student syndrome

To avoid the student syndrome (i.e., to stop postponing things until right before the deadline), you should figure out what’s causing you  to delay in the first place, and then use relevant anti-procrastination techniques , which will help you address the issue and take action in a timely manner.

The following are some of the anti-procrastination techniques that you can use.

Improve your planning:

• Set concrete goals for yourself. For example, instead of a vague goal, such as “study for my upcoming exam”, set a concrete goal, such as “on the week of my upcoming exam, go to the library every day after I finish my last class for the day, and spend at least 2 hours studying”.
• Break your tasks into small and manageable steps. For example, if you need to write an essay, you can start with steps such as figuring out the title, creating a rough outline, and finding five appropriate academic sources. Note that if the project in question is large, then you generally shouldn’t worry about figuring out all the steps to it from the start. Instead, start by identifying only the first few steps that you need to take, and then identify new steps as you make progress, to avoid feeling overwhelmed and getting stuck.
• Set intermediate milestones and deadlines for yourself. For example, if you have a single deadline for completing a large research paper, assign yourself additional deadlines along the way for completing specific parts of it.
• Identify your productivity cycles. People’s ability to handle certain tasks varies based on factors such as the time of day. For example, it may be the case that you’re best able to concentrate on difficult tasks early in the morning, before you’ve started dealing with emails or minor administrative aspects of your job. You should take this into account as much as possible when planning and scheduling your work.

Improve your environment:

• Change your environment to make it harder for yourself to procrastinate. For example, if you tend to procrastinate on writing essays because you keep browsing social media , turn off the internet connection on your computer before you get to work.
• Change your environment to make it easier for yourself to get started. For example, if you know that you’ll need to study for an exam tomorrow morning, organize all the relevant study material on your desk or in your bag before you go to bed.
• Change your environment to make it easier for you to keep going. For example, if you know that you’re likely to lose concentration if you get distracted while studying, go study in a quiet room and leave your phone outside.

Change your approach:

• Start with a tiny step. For example, if you need to write a paper, help yourself get started by committing to only write a single sentence at first. This can help you push yourself to get started on tasks, and often, once you do so, you’ll find it easy to keep going.
• Start with the best or worst part first. Some people find that starting with the most enjoyable or easiest task of the day helps them get going, while others find that getting the worst task out of the way first helps them avoid procrastinating over time. You can use either approach if you find that it works for you.
• Add a time delay before you procrastinate. If you can’t avoid procrastinating entirely, try committing to having a time delay before you indulge your impulse to do so. For example, this can involve counting to 10 before you’re allowed to open a new tab on the social media website that you usually use to procrastinate.
• Use the Pomodoro technique. This involves alternating between scheduled periods of study and rest. For example, you can study for 25-minute long stretches, with 5-minute breaks in between, and a longer 30-minute break after every 4 study sets that you complete.

Increase your motivation:

• Make your progress feel more rewarding. For example, you can gamify your work and try to achieve a streak of days on which you successfully manage to clear your to-do list, and potentially also give yourself some reward once you reach a sufficiently long streak.
• Make your work feel more enjoyable. For example, you can listen to music that you like while you work.
• Visualize your future self. For example, imagine yourself being rewarded with a good grade on a project that you completed on time, or conversely, imagine yourself having to handle the issues associated with missing the project’s deadline.
• Focus on your goals instead of on your tasks. For example, if you need to work on a task that you find boring, then instead of focusing on the task, try thinking about your goals for completing it, such as that you want to get a good grade.

Change your mindset:

• Give yourself permission to make mistakes. For example, if you’re working on an essay, accept the fact that your work likely won’t be perfect , especially at first. Furthermore, you can start by just writing a rough initial draft, and then go over it later to make improvements.
• Address your fears. If you’re procrastinating because you’re afraid of something, try to identify your fears and resolve them. For example, if you’re afraid that your writing won’t be good enough, you can say to yourself that your goal is to just start by getting something written down, and that you can always improve it later.
• Develop self-compassion.   Self-compassion can help reduce your procrastination, as well as various issues that are associated with it, such as stress. It consists of three components that you should promote: self-kindness , which involves being nice to yourself, common humanity , which involves recognizing that everyone experiences challenges, and mindfulness , which involves accepting your emotions in a non-judgmental manner.
• Develop self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief in your ability to perform the actions needed to achieve your goals. It can help you reduce your procrastination, as well as associated issues, such as anxiety. To develop self-efficacy, try to identify the various strategies that you can use to successfully complete your tasks on time, and think about your ability to execute those strategies successfully.

In addition, keep the following in mind:

• If you experience the student syndrome due to underlying issues such as ADHD , depression , or lack of sleep , you will likely need to resolve these issues first, using professional help if necessary, in order to avoid the student syndrome.
• You will likely need to use more than one anti-procrastination technique to completely avoid the student syndrome, but even just a few of them could make a huge difference when it comes to your ability to get things done on time.
• Different techniques work better for different people in different circumstances, so just because a certain technique works well for others, that doesn’t also mean that it will work well for you (and vice versa).

Overall, to avoid the student syndrome, you should figure out what’s causing you to delay in the first place, and then use relevant anti-procrastination techniques to address these causes. Such techniques include, for example, breaking large tasks into manageable steps, setting intermediate deadlines for yourself, visualizing your future self, and addressing your fears.

How to reduce the student syndrome in others

When it comes to helping other people avoid the student syndrome, for example if you’re a project manager, a teacher, or a parent, there are three main approaches you can use:

• An externally guided approach. This involves implementing relevant anti-procrastination techniques to reduce people’s student syndrome, without actively involving them in the process. For example, this can involve setting a series of intermediate project deadlines for all students in a course.
• An internally guided approach. This involves helping people avoid the student syndrome by themselves, with little to no external guidance. External guidance in this case might include something as minimal as mentioning the problem of student syndrome and telling people about a relevant resource such as this article.
• A joint approach. This involves giving people external guidance while also encouraging them to play an active role in reducing their student syndrome. For example, this can involve going over relevant anti-procrastination techniques with people, and helping them choose and implement their preferred ones.

None of these approaches is inherently superior to the others. Accordingly, you should decide which one to use based on factors such as the number of people that you’re trying to help and the type of relationship that you have with them. For example, if you’re a teacher trying to help 200 students in a college course, then you will likely need to use a different approach than if you’re a parent trying to help just your kid.

In this regard, an important factor to keep in mind is how independent the people in question are. In general, the more independent they are, the more involved they should be in the process of avoiding the student syndrome, since this can increase their motivation and make the process more effective, while potentially also leading to more self-development and growth over time. Furthermore, giving people a sense of control can also help reduce other issues that may lead to the student syndrome, such as resentment and rebellion.

Note that almost any type of relationship can be beneficial when it comes to helping people avoid the student syndrome. For example, a teacher will likely be in a good situation to influence a student’s academic situation, while a parent will likely be in a good situation to influence the student’s home life.

Furthermore, it can sometimes be beneficial to reach out to other stakeholders who can help. For example, if you’re a teacher, and you think that a student’s parents might be able to help them stop procrastinating, you might be able to reach out to them and explain the situation.

Finally, the following is a list of specific things that you can do to help people avoid the student syndrome:

• Explain what the student syndrome is.
• Help them understand that they display the student syndrome, for example by asking them guiding questions about their past behavior.
• Show them that this pattern of behavior can cause issues for them, for example when it comes to their academic performance, their career prospects, and their mental health.
• Explain what causes the student syndrome, and help them identify the specific causes of this behavior in their case.
• Point them in the direction of resources that can help them deal with the student syndrome, such as this article, or the guide to avoiding procrastination .
• Implement anti-procrastination techniques on their behalf, for example by breaking apart large tasks into manageable steps and setting intermediate deadlines.
• When setting general deadlines for people, understand that giving people more time to complete a task will not necessarily make it more likely that they will complete it in a timely manner, and it may even be counterproductive in some cases. This is associated with the concept of Parkinson’s law , which is the adage that “work expands so as to fill the time which is available for its completion”, and which signifies that the more time people dedicate in advance to a certain task, the longer it will take to complete it, even if it could have been completed in less time.

Overall, you can reduce people’s student syndrome in various ways, such as by helping them understand the causes of their behavior and helping them implement relevant anti-procrastination techniques. The specific approach that you should use depends on factors such as how autonomous the people in question are, how many people you’re trying to help, and what kind of relationship you have with them.

Summary and conclusions

• The student syndrome is a phenomenon where people delay doing things until right before the deadline.
• The student syndrome can lead to various issues, such as missed deadlines, low-quality work, interpersonal conflicts, and worse emotional wellbeing.
• People can display this type of behavior due to various causes, including a preference for working under pressure, motivational problems (e.g., discounting future outcomes), and psychological obstacles (e.g., anxiety), and some of these, in turn, may be caused or exacerbated by underlying issues, such as depression and lack of sleep.
• To avoid the student syndrome, you should figure out what’s causing you to delay in the first place, and then use relevant anti-procrastination techniques to address these causes, for example by breaking large tasks into manageable steps, setting intermediate deadlines for yourself, visualizing your future self, and addressing your fears.
• You can use a similar approach to reduce other people’s student syndrome, for example by helping them understand the causes of their behavior and helping them implement relevant anti-procrastination techniques.

Put a stop to deadline pressure, and have your homework done by an expert.

What To Do Night Before Exam? Tips For Students

Ever been in a situation where exams are pressuring you? The school exams terrify almost everyone, since nobody wants to fail. Some students can’t sleep before exams due to the anxiety they get. The night before exam is often hectic.

There are various tactics you could use on how to prepare for an examination. Being attentive in class contributes to better understanding while revising for the exams. You could try to test yourself after revising several topics. As a student, you should be well aware that taking various tests helps you understand the concept better as you challenge yourself.

You should have a good night’s sleep the night before the exam. This article will guide you on how to study for exams.

Why Is It Important To Prepare For An Exam?

Exams are very essential in the education sector since they are to test a student’s understanding of a given concept. They are also used to sharpen your skills theoretically to apply them practically.

A clever student drafts a timetable to guide him or her on how to study the different subjects. Students should understand that there are many ways of approaching different types of questions.

The different formats of exam questions include:

• Multiple-choice questions
• True or false questions
• Application questions
• Essay questions
• Fill in the blanks questions
• Computational questions
• Short answer questions
• Physical skill questions

When a student prepares well for exams, their confidence, and self-esteem increase. This is because he or she has covered all the topics and researched thoroughly in the topics they are not perfect in.

It is important to prepare for exams to be able to visualize the concept to answer questions appropriately. This happens when you are asked an essay question or a question that requires you to write steps on something. You could take the question as a real-life situation and try to solve it practically in your way according to how you understood the question’s topic.

Exams are to motivate students to study now and then. Students are also able to understand topics better when they have exams frequently. This will help sharpen their thinking and figure out how to apply things practically.

Why Do We Take Exams?

Ever thought about why exams exist? “Why am I supposed to take my online test ?” Well, exams are used to test students’ understanding of various topics and how they could apply them in real life.

• Tutor To Evaluate The Students. This is the main reason why there are different types of questions in exams. Exams are also supposed to show the tutor the topics students are not good at and how he or she can help. Doing exams helps students know their weak points too. Through this, they will sharpen their understanding of their weak points to avoid failing again.
• Test Students Strengths And Weaknesses. Is the school affected in any way by exams? The school is meant to test the students’ strengths and weaknesses to be able to help them. When students are given more attention to their weak points, it is best if they are tested on them. This is to make them understand more as they try to apply them in real-life situations.
• Motivate Students To Do Better. In most countries, schools compete among other schools in terms of tests. The rewards are given to the best school and most improved school are to motivate students to do better. This gives students the urge to be better and emerge as the victors.
• Help Students To Get Interpersonal Skills. Exams are also used to test how you can converse with people and relate with them. This is applied in English essays and etiquette topics. For example, in etiquette, students are taught how to behave when around new people or people they are fond of. The three principles of etiquette are respect, consideration, and honesty.
• To Help Students Know How To Face Real Life Situations. In exams, students can be asked how they can negotiate with a trader on the price of an item. The student is expected to write how he or she could negotiate to make it a win-win situation. Students could also be asked questions regarding interviews. They could be asked how one prepares for an interview, what someone should do when in an interview, and things someone should not do in an interview. These things are applied in real-life situations, thus making them important for students to know.

Some topics are meant to prepare students socially that will help them interact with people appropriately. Hence, it is really essential to know how to study last minute.

Tips On How To Study For A Test

Do you know how to study for exams in one day or the night before the examination? People are built differently in the sense that if something works for individual A might not work the same for individual B.

There are various study methods students could use to be able to study for exams well. These can also guide you on how to study for finals the night before.

• Drafting A Timetable A clever student would create a timetable that has all the subjects/units in it. The tough subjects/units should be given more time compared to those they are strong in. You should differentiate the difference between giving a tough subject more time and studying a tough subject only. These tips to study for a test should help you be on the frontline.You should not ignore any subject at any point. All subjects are important. Additionally, a timetable helps you manage your study time well as you change subjects from time to time. Note that you should not put one subject per day in the timetable. It may become too monotonous, leading to boredom and less understanding. You should blend at least 2- 3 subjects in a day.

Studying five flow charts in a day. Watching two to three tutorials to understand a certain topic. Working out 10 equations and confirming answers. Covering one or two topics within a given period. Doing one past paper per day.

• Visualize As You Study Were you aware that most things taught in school are practical in real-life situations? While studying different topics, you should try to come up with practical questions. This will help you understand the concept well since you will try to apply them.One can use past papers to test whether he or she has understood well. Past papers also show students how questions are brought, and they try to answer them in the best ways possible. You could also search for questions online and other tests to be able to gather more information on various topics.
• Getting A Good Study Environment Since people are different, one should go for the most appropriate study environment. To avoid distractions, you should go to a well-lit and quiet place. Having a good seat and study table also contributes to how well you will study.

Enhance memory Serves as a stress reduction exercise Boost one’s energy Boosts one’s creative thinking

• Getting Enough Sleep Sleep is essential for your brain’s health. After studying enough on the night before exams, try to sleep as early as possible. This helps you wake up fresh and stay focused on exam day. Sleep promotes your thinking speed. A wise student would have made a good timetable months before the exam to be able to study topics well after being taught in class.

This would then make the student study lightly the night before the exam and sleep early. These are great sleep study tricks. Do you at times feel like you can’t sleep before an exam? Then opt to study at night? That might not be the best decision. Sleep is equally essential.

How To Prepare Quickly For An Exam The Day Before

Can a student study effectively for an exam the night before the exam? Students have different levels of understanding, but it is possible to study well the night before the examination. There are various tips on how to study for a test to prepare yourself on the night before the exam.

• Using Diagrams, Illustrations, And Charts. While studying, try to look for diagrams, charts, and other graphic illustrations. One understands such things quickly since they are summarized and short. As you go through them, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the content and have visual remembrance.
• Going Through Subject/Course Outline. This helps you figure out all the topics a subject has. As a student, you will be able to know the topics he or she is strong and weak at. The weak points are supposed to be revised well. The course outline also helps you to know what has already been covered and what hasn’t. You can then revise on your own.
• Doing Old Exam Questions. If you want to know how questions are phrased, try doing old past papers. You will be able to practice how to approach different questions correctly. You will also be able to familiarize yourself with various topics at a go.
• Engaging In Discussion Groups. While discussing with other students, you will be able to learn more things than when studying alone. You could ask one another questions as well as discuss the difficult topics.
• Watching Tutorials. Watching a topic film or tutorial could make you understand and capture the content quickly. This will work very well if you have a good photographic memory. You are supposed to replay the important parts or parts that are not understood frequently.
• Practice Makes Perfect. For practical subjects, you are supposed to practice as much as possible. On the night before the exam, try doing the practical questions, since they are not bulky.
• Use Assignment Materials. At times, you may get confused about what to do before an exam or the best way to study for exams. You can use your assignment materials to revise. This is one of the best assignment hacks. At times, the final exam or test is based on an assignment.

While on it, try to prepare thoroughly and have a study plan. If you have been assigned a test and don’t have enough time, you can consult us to get the best assignment writing service through the “take my test” service.

Get Secure Exam Help

Students should know that they are in school to learn and not just to study for tests. Learning helps you apply things practically in the real world. Remember to stay hydrated while studying for your exams. As a college student, you should know how to study last minute. Remember that you are not supposed to cheat on your exams. Being genuine helps you figure out your strong points and where you have to work on them.

In case you need any test or assignment assistance, we are here for you. Need someone to take your test or do math homework ? We are reliable, quick, and affordable. Our service is secure with great, 24/7 customer support. We will provide high-quality work online that will ensure your professor or teacher gives you high grades. Get your custom work at an affordable price.

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Howard Aldrich

Kenan professor of sociology, dept of sociology @ unc chapel hill.

Setting Assignment Due Dates: Early, Late, or In-Between?

Students often complain that they can’t get enough sleep because they have too much work to do (Hershner and Chervin 2014 ). My first response has been to suggest that they are just not managing their time well. I seemed to have found evidence for my view when I taught a first-year honors seminar in the fall of 2016 with 24 students. Because I had the students submit their assignments through Sakai, each two-page paper came with a timestamp and I could see exactly when they were submitted. Following my customary practice, the papers were due at 9 AM in the morning, right before class met at 9:30 AM. Most of the assignments were turned in after midnight: 71%, on average, across the four assignments. Some students clearly stayed up most of the night, as for example with paper three, when seven assignments came in between midnight and 2 AM and three came in between 2 AM and 5 AM! For the last paper, eight came in between 2 AM and 5 AM. I was stunned, but what could I do?

Ghosts in the trees

In the fall of 2017, for the same course, I tried a simple modification: papers were “ due ” at 9 PM the night before and then “ accepted ” until 9 AM the next morning, before class. Papers that came in “ late ” were not penalized. The difference between the two semesters was dramatic: across the four papers, only 15% on average came in after midnight. And that number was inflated because on the fourth paper, six of the students chose to review their papers once more before turning them in, and so they came in between 8 AM and 9 AM, not during the midnight hours. For the first three papers, 85% of the papers, on average, were turned in by 9 PM the night before.

With this simple modification in the due dates and times, students stopped “ maniacal binging ” ( Boice 2000 ), completed their work well before midnight, and presumably got a good night’s sleep in the bargain. Using a simple tactic of signaling that papers were “ due ” at 9 PM, I gave the students a hard constraint that they used in planning how they allocated their time. They didn’t want to be “ late ,” even though “ late ” carried no penalty. (And no one ever asked me if there would be a penalty.)

I now use this technique on all my assignments, whether they are graded or just checked off when submitted. Having assignments due the night before not only gives students the opportunity for a good night’s sleep but also, if I so desire, gives me an opportunity to review their work and to make modifications in my lesson plan, if the submitted papers reveal any misunderstandings that I need to clear up. What is particularly attractive about this technique is that it works without the imposition of any penalties for “ late ” assignments. Following Lowman’s ( 2000 ) lead, I behave as if there will no such a thing as a “ late ” assignment and the students make my words come true.

Interested in learning more about late assignments? See this post .

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4 thoughts on “ setting assignment due dates: early, late, or in-between ”.

What a great idea. As always, this is my first stop for teaching ideas. Thanks!

Julie, thanks so much for your supportive comment! I’m delighted to learn that these blog posts are useful for you.

This technique applies not only to teaching. I applied a similar approach in my work as a startup accelerator manager and it worked out great! We were getting applications at the last possible moment, which was straining our resources (we strive to review and respond to applicants within 1-2 days). By moving the deadline a couple of weeks earlier, we managed to give ourselves more time to review the applications and make the entire process smoother.

Ted, thanks for this example of applying the principle I wrote about. Looks like it has wide applicability!

Comments are closed.

How To Write an Essay the Night Before

While it isn’t something we recommend, sometimes you find yourself writing an essay the night before it’s due. You won’t be the first or the last, believe us. But if you want to know how to get the most out of your essay then this article is for you. Just because you’re writing it last minute it doesn’t mean it can’t still be good! Here’s how to do it:

Take a breath

There’s nothing worse than going into writing an essay stressed and disorganised. Especially when you’re doing it at last minute, you might feel like you’re running out of time but that isn’t always true. It doesn’t take too long to write an essay (depending on the length and how well you know the subject of course!) so, don’t panic! It isn’t going to help you if you’re freaking out so instead take a deep breath before you start and relax. If you want to produce a good piece of work then it’s best to do it with a clear mind. Be confident in yourself because you can do it!

Write an essay plan

If there’s anything that can really help you get it done quick, it’s a plan. You might be wondering how to write an essay plan, so one way would be to plan your essay out paragraph by paragraph. You can plan your overall point for each paragraph with the examples and references you want to include to back up each point. Alternatively, you could use a mind map to develop your essay ideas. You can use your first point and branch off in more detail. Whichever way you decide to do it, it will give you a clear idea of what you want to write. Plus, it will avoid any waffling when you actually get down to writing, as you’ll know what you want to say in advance. Follow it step by step and you’ll have produced your essay in no time!

Use the marking scheme

As you work on your essay it’s a good idea to use the scheme that you will be marked against. You want to look at your essay as if you’re assessing it, then you’ll know how good it really is. It won’t take long and it’ll make sure you’ve written to the best of your ability. It’s a good idea to read the marking scheme before you start your essay so you can tailor it to where the marks are. However, you should read through it once you’ve finished too so you can edit wherever you need to improve. This will save you from completing other drafts because let’s be honest – you don’t have time! Use every available resource, it’ll help!

Have some friends proofread

Although the work has to be your own, there’s no harm in getting a couple of friends to check over it for you. It can be for things as simple as grammar and spelling, they will earn you a couple of extra marks! Once you’ve read over it a couple of times yourself, it’s easy to miss things so another pair of eyes is always a great help. If anyone you know is happy to have a look over it for you then make the most of it! It could be the difference between an average and good mark! There’s nothing better than a helping hand.

Remove any distractions

As easy as it is to have your attention pulled away to other things, it really won’t help you here. Get off Tiktok and get working! You don’t have time to be procrastinating with other things so don’t let it happen. Simply put yourself in a quieter room and put anything that’s going to distract you far away from your reach. You can reward yourself now and again if it’s going to help your concentration but be reasonable with yourself. You know deep down you’ll regret it if you let distractions ruin your essay, so don’t.

Be ready to submit before the deadline

You might be feeling pretty panicked as it is so there’s no point making it worse. Let yourself be ready to submit at least an hour before the deadline. There’s nothing worse than a last-minute panic when your internet starts slowing down! This way you’ll be prepared for any curve balls that may come your way, leaving you plenty of time to deal with them effectively. It’ll also give you some time to relax afterwards because you can rest happy knowing it’s uploaded in good time.

These are just some of the helpful tips that will get you through this deadline nightmare! It might seem overwhelming and impossible in the beginning but it’s perfectly doable. Hopefully, these steps will make your work a whole lot easier. Remember, if you want a good model essay written so you have a guide for your work then check out our essay writing services . Good luck with your essay!

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Late Assignments: Tips From Educators on Managing Them

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Today’s post finishes up a two-part series on how different teachers handle late student work.

‘Taking Late Work Can Be Challenging’

Ann Stiltner is a high school special education and reading teacher in Connecticut with more than 20 years of experience in education. She shares her passion and love for working in the classroom at her blog from Room A212 (www.annstiltner.com/blog). Follow her on Twitter @fromrooma212:

Being a special education teacher means most of my students have the IEP modification of extra time, which generally translates to time and a half. For a test a teacher gives a class one hour to do, my student would have 1½ hours. For a project the class had one week to complete, my student would have 11 days. However, even with this extra time, some of my spec. ed. students are not able to complete the work. With diagnoses such as ADHD, LD (Learning Disabilities), or anxiety, they find maintaining focus and accessing one-on-one support difficult to fit into these time constraints. Their motivation is unpredictable based on their mood, family challenges, or social drama.

Due to these factors, I have adopted a policy where I accept work from both regular and special education students at any time for full credit or I take points off for each day late depending on the circumstances and if that will motivate a student to finish.

I realize that taking late work can be challenging for teachers of 100-plus students. It means constantly updating your grade book and keeping track of papers. Some teachers don’t accept late work because they think a firm cutoff teaches students the importance of meeting deadlines. Even though I agree this is an important skill, I fear that some students won’t learn that lesson from a policy of not accepting work late. These students prefer to give up and forget about the assignment in order to feel a sense of control and protect themselves from failure. Getting a zero on an assignment does not make them rethink their decision to not do the work, since a zero to them doesn’t mean the same as it does to us teachers. To them, a zero is the grade they think they deserve based on their past experiences.

I have found a time limit gives students a reason to give up and not try. This is learned helplessness in action. My working definition of learned helplessness is a person’s lack of effort due to previous experiences which have taught them that making even the smallest effort won’t make a difference.

For many students, trying involves a large investment of cognitive effort and a huge risk to put themselves out there. They are not ready to set themselves up for what, they are sure, will make them feel like a failure and especially not in a setting where they might be bullied, yelled at, or insulted. If they do not feel safe and supported, they will not risk being teased by their classmates. This is the thinking behind my policy to accept late work at any time. I do not want my conditions and requirements to be used as an excuse for why they do not engage in my lesson and do the work.

This same philosophy explains why I provide supplies like writing utensils or computer chargers. I consciously decide not to create barriers for a student to complete work. I do not want to rob them of a chance to engage with the material, learn something new, experience deep thinking and feed their curiosity by dictating conditions that they can blame for not engaging in the work. Accepting an assignment late gives them time to get motivated or set up one-to-one support so they can focus on the work when they are ready. I do not want to distract students with rules concerning time limits, pen vs. pencil, or on paper vs. on computer.

Don’t get me wrong: I do have classroom rules and expectations. I want the focus in my class to be on what is most essential—learning. This approach means the student—and their parents—will have a hard time holding me responsible for their grade. The responsibility falls on the student and their choices. This open policy allows me to create rapport when I explain my belief in their ability to do the work and my dedication to provide them the support and necessary modifications to be successful. If and when a student is ready to engage in the work, make an effort and take a risk, I am ready.

‘A Balanced Approach’

Ruth Okoye, Ed.D., is a 30-year veteran educator. She has taught in private and public school settings and is passionate about literacy, educational technology, and ed-tech coaching. She currently serves as the K-12 director at a nonprofit organization:

As an ed-tech coach working with fellow educators in their journey of professional growth, handling assignment submissions beyond the designated due date is a nuanced process that reflects both practicality and a deep understanding of individual circumstances. The approach I adopt recognizes the unique challenges that my learners who are teachers face in their daily lives, and it aims to create an inclusive learning environment that supports their development while acknowledging the diverse contexts in which they operate.

My policy on due dates is rooted in the realization that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to account for the myriad of responsibilities and situations that learners encounter. Rather than rigidly adhering to stringent deadlines, I advocate a balanced approach that considers the academic integrity of assignments and the need for flexibility.

To strike this balance, I establish a preferred due date for assignments, considering the majority of learners and allowing them ample time to complete their work. This desired deadline also has a more concrete counterpart—a hard deadline—that offers a reasonable time frame for those genuinely committed to finishing their tasks. This dual-deadline structure allows proactive learners to demonstrate their dedication while acknowledging the potential challenges others may face.

For example, in a book study, there would be weekly assignments. The posted due dates would give the learners three weeks to get each assignment done. I would establish a hard deadline for all assignments two weeks after the study is completed. I’ve found that for a six- to eight-week book study, that allows ample time for a learner to deal with an external complication and then get back on track.

Of course, the purpose of the assignment plays a significant role in determining the flexibility of the due date. For instance, tasks geared toward in-class reflection, like exit tickets, maintain their original deadline as they serve an immediate and time-sensitive purpose. On the other hand, assignments designed to assess learners’ application of covered material need a more lenient approach, allowing participants the time to digest the content and apply it effectively.

I also believe in allowing learners ample time to attempt tasks and even granting multiple opportunities for submission. This practice is grounded in the understanding that the learning process is not linear, and different individuals require varying duration to internalize and implement new concepts. By granting extensions and multiple tries, I encourage a growth mindset and empower learners to engage more deeply with the subject.

One of the cornerstones of my policy is the recognition that external factors beyond the learning experience can impact a learner’s ability to meet deadlines. Illness, family emergencies, or resource constraints can hinder progress, and rigid due dates should not serve as barriers to measuring their ability to apply course concepts. Instead of penalizing them for circumstances beyond their control, I aim to evaluate their understanding of the material and capacity to use it effectively, irrespective of external hindrances.

So you can see, my approach to handling late submissions from learners revolves around flexibility, empathy, and practicality. By acknowledging the diverse challenges teachers face and tailoring due dates to the purpose of assignments, I create an environment that fosters deep learning, personal growth, and a commitment to the subject matter. This policy recognizes the unique circumstances of each learner. It underscores the overarching goal of professional learning—to nurture and support the development of capable and resilient professionals in education.

What Is the Goal?

Jessica Fernandez is a full-time high school teacher and instructional coach near Chicago who specializes in teaching multilingual English learners and in supporting colleagues to make small language shifts that will benefit all learners:

Fortunately, my high school freshman English PLC has decided to have two categories: formative (anything at all that is practice), which is weighted 10 percent, and summative, which is weighted 90 percent. Since the purpose of formative tasks is to practice a skill they will later demonstrate, late work is accepted until we complete the summative demonstration for that skill. Afterward, there’s not so much of a point, plus it would drive us crazy and make work-life balance tough.

The goal, after all, is to give frequent and prompt feedback so kids can improve before their final summative demonstration. Late points are more of what we used to call “habits of work”; important soft skills, yes, but for our purposes, if the kid practiced for their summative skill demonstration, I’m happy, and I’m not scoring them on timeliness. Who knows what they had going on? I’ve gotten grace, and 10 percent won’t make or break their grade anyway.

Thanks to Ann, Ruth, and Jessica for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s post responded to this question:

How do you handle students turning in work after the due date, and why do you apply that policy?

In Part One , Chandra Shaw, Stephen Katzel, and Kelly Owens contributed their ideas.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Solar eclipse 2024: Follow the path of totality

Solar eclipse, worried about eclipse damage to your eyes don't panic.

Geoff Brumfiel

Nell Greenfieldboyce

Junior Espejo looks through eclipse glasses being handed out by NASA in Houlton, Maine. Used correctly, eclipse glasses prevent eye damage. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

Junior Espejo looks through eclipse glasses being handed out by NASA in Houlton, Maine. Used correctly, eclipse glasses prevent eye damage.

Tens of millions of Americans will have spent the day staring at a total solar eclipse, and at least a few of them may become worried that they inadvertently damaged their eyes.

But experts say there's no need to panic — the vast majority of eclipse viewers are probably fine. And even if somebody did strain their eyes, the effects could be temporary.

During the 2017 total solar eclipse it's estimated that 150 million Americans viewed the event. There were around 100 documented cases of eye damage across all of America and Canada, according to Ralph Chou, an expert on eclipse eye safety with the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Far more people turned up in emergency rooms worried that they'd damaged their eyes. Many complained of watery eyes or blurred vision, but in most cases they were fine, according to Avnish Deobhakta, an ophthalmologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, one of the largest eye hospitals in the nation.

The reason it's hard to do real damage is simple — the human eye has evolved to avoid staring directly at the sun.

"It's so bright that we're not actually capable of looking at it without either tearing or sort of not really feeling comfortable staring at this ball of light," Deobhakta says.

Shots - Health News

Here's what it looks like when you fry your eye in an eclipse.

In the rare case that someone does damage their eyes, that damage usually shows up as a blurry spot in the field of vision , hours or up to a day after watching the eclipse. In about half of cases, the problem fixes itself, but permanent damage can sometimes occur.

Anticipating the post-eclipse ocular anxiety, at least one eye clinic in Buffalo, N.Y., is offering free eye checks immediately after the eclipse on April 8.

It's always a good idea to get your eyes checked, whether or not there's an eclipse. So if you're worried at all, go ahead and use the opportunity to schedule your annual exam.

• eclipse eye damage
• 2024 eclipse

How dark will the solar eclipse be? Path of totality gives you a much different experience

The long-anticipated total solar eclipse will arrive Monday afternoon and cover the skies over a large portion of the United States.

The total eclipse will appear in the skies above the U.S., all the way from southern Texas to northern Maine. The rare event will see the shadow of the moon cover a narrow strip of land in darkness in the middle of the day.

The total eclipse will begin in Mexico at about 11:07 a.m. PDT on Monday before crossing into Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT. It will end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT. The partial eclipse will last for awhile longer. Even if you're not in the path of totality and won't see the full eclipse, you may still see a percentage of it.

To find out exactly when the eclipse will be happening in your area, you can search by  USA TODAY's database by ZIP code  for a viewing guide.

But how dark will it really get during an eclipse? Here's what to expect.

How dark does it get during a total solar eclipse?

If you're in the path of totality, where the moon completely covers the sun, the sky will become dark as if it were dawn or dusk, according to NASA .

For those who only experience a partial solar eclipse, the sky will appear slightly darker than it was before the eclipse, depending on how much the moon blocks the sun in their location, NASA says.

“When the moon covers 85% of the sun, it’s still no darker than being in the shade on a sunny day and even at 95%, it’s an overcast day-darkness,” said  Dr. Angela Speck in a video . Speck is the chair of the Physics and Astronomy department of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Speck points out in the video that even at 99.9% partial eclipse, there is still at least 100 times more light coming from the sun than during totality.

And even if you're in the path, don't expect the darkness to last too long. Totality may only last a couple minutes in some areas.

How much of a temperature drop do you get during a total solar eclipse?

NASA says you can expect the temperature to drop about 10 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the humidity and cloud cover at your location.

Total solar eclipse livestream

USA TODAY is providing live coverage of the 2024 solar eclipse beginning at noon E.T. on Monday in a number of areas along the eclipse's path of totality, including Washington, D.C., Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana and New York. You can watch live at the embedded video below or on USA TODAY's  YouTube channel .

Contributing: Doyle Rice & Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X  @GabeHauari  or email him at [email protected].

When and where the solar eclipse will be crossing the U.S.

A total solar eclipse will grace the skies over North America on Monday, one of the most hotly anticipated sky-watching events in recent years.

Weather permitting , millions of people in Mexico, 15 U.S. states and eastern Canada will have the chance to see the moon slip between Earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light .

The total solar eclipse will be visible along a “path of totality” that measures more than 100 miles wide and extends across the continent. Along that path, the moon will fully obscure the sun, causing afternoon skies to darken for a few minutes.

Follow live updates on the solar eclipse

In all other parts of the continental U.S., a partial solar eclipse will be visible, with the moon appearing to take a bite out of the sun. Exactly how big a bite depends on the location.

The first spot in North America that will experience totality on Monday is on Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PT, according to NASA .

After moving northeast across Mexico, the eclipse’s path travels through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Slivers of Michigan and Tennessee will also be able to witness totality if conditions are clear.

In Canada, the eclipse will be visible in parts of southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, at the eastern end of Nova Scotia.

The timing of the eclipse and the duration of totality varies by location. Most places will experience around 2 minutes of darkness, but the longest periods of totality are typically in the center of the eclipse’s path.

This year, the longest stretch of totality will last 4 minutes and 28 seconds in an area northwest of Torreón, Mexico.

Below is a list of timings for some U.S. cities along the path of totality, according to NASA .

• Dallas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:23 p.m. CT and totality at 1:40 p.m. CT.
• Idabel, Oklahoma: Partial eclipse begins at 12:28 p.m. CT and totality at 1:45 p.m. CT.
• Little Rock, Arkansas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:33 p.m. CT and totality at 1:51 p.m. CT.
• Poplar Bluff, Missouri: Partial eclipse begins at 12:39 p.m. CT and totality at 1:56 p.m. CT.
• Paducah, Kentucky: Partial eclipse begins at 12:42 p.m. CT and totality at 2:00 p.m. CT.
• Carbondale, Illinois: Partial eclipse begins at 12:42 p.m. CT and totality at 1:59 p.m. CT.
• Evansville, Indiana: Partial eclipse begins at 12:45 p.m. CT and totality at 2:02 p.m. CT.
• Cleveland: Partial eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. ET and totality at 3:13 p.m.
• Erie, Pennsylvania: Partial eclipse begins at 2:02 p.m. ET and totality at 3:16 p.m. ET.
• Buffalo, New York: Partial eclipse begins at 2:04 p.m. ET and totality at 3:18 p.m.
• Burlington, Vermont: Partial eclipse begins at 2:14 p.m. ET and totality at 3:26 p.m. ET.
• Lancaster, New Hampshire: Partial eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. ET and totality at 3:27 p.m.
• Caribou, Maine: Partial eclipse begins at 2:22 p.m. ET and totality at 3:32 p.m. ET.

Other resources can also help you figure out when the various phases of the eclipse will be visible where you live, including NationalEclipse.com and TimeandDate.com .

If you plan to watch the celestial event, remember that it’s never safe to look directly at the sun, including through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses. Special eclipse glasses are required to safely view solar eclipses and prevent permanent eye damage.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

Watch CBS News

How does the solar eclipse affect animals? Veterinarians share insights and pet safety tips

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 8, 2024 / 4:54 PM EDT / CBS News

With around 180 million people living in or near the 2024 solar eclipse path of totality, many pet owners have been wondering how the eclipse may impact animal behaviors and how their pets might react. 

Veterinarians said they've been fielding questions from some concerned pet owners about the eclipse's impact on animals. Ultimately, there isn't a clear answer for pet owners because eclipses happen so infrequently. Researchers did plan to watch animal reactions during the April 8 eclipse to learn more about how it affects animals.

"There's not a lot of scientific research done on this topic of animals and eclipses mostly because they don't come often," said American Kennel Club Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jerry Klein. "And a lot of it's just been anecdotal reports and just volunteering information."

How does a solar eclipse affect animals?

Though there isn't a lot of information out there, veterinarians and animal researchers do have some idea how the eclipse may impact dogs, cats and more. 

"Most animals will be overall unaffected by the eclipse, but pet owners may notice brief periods of confusion, and dogs and cats may exhibit fear and confusion," said Dr. Katie Krebs, a veterinarian and professor at University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. 

Pets may hide, howl, pace or pant during the eclipse, Krebs said. As the sky darkens, some pets may start their nighttime routine early. 

The average indoor dog or cat is likely not going to be affected by the eclipse, said Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, veterinary expert with pet care company Rover. 

"So owners should take heart and take comfort in knowing that," Greenstein said.

Why do solar eclipses affect animals?

It's not so much the eclipse that affects pets, but the behavior of people, Klein said. 

"They'll take their cues from us," Klein said. "So if they're kept indoors and we don't try to force them into a situation that's peculiar, there should be minimal to none as far as reactions."

Many people will gather at eclipse parties and those large gatherings can impact pets if they're brought along, Klein said. The travel, noise and crowds can be stressful for animals. 

Some animals that depend more on the light-dark cycle, like birds, may be more affected because the sky will darken during the eclipse, Krebs said. 

"Things like fireworks and thunderstorms are probably a much more significant phenomenon than an eclipse that's lasting only a few minutes," Greenstein said.

Can animals look at the eclipse without going blind?

Animals generally know not to stare at the sun themselves — they've learned that doing so can temporarily blind them, leaving them vulnerable. 

"Dogs know that if something hurts them, they probably shouldn't do it," said Klein. "So left to their own devices, dogs are probably not going to stare at the sun."

Pets may look up if they see the people around them are preoccupied with looking up at the sky, vets said. 

"Dogs follow your cues, so if you're preoccupied with looking up, your dog is looking to your cues to figure out how to behave," Greenstein said. "So this may be a time to either not bring them along, or if you are, to reassure them with their favorite toy or treat and just keep them preoccupied with what's going on at ground level."

Pet owners do not need special eclipse glasses for their dog or cat, Krebs said. 

If you have a pair of eclipse glasses around, be careful not to leave them unattended with your pet, who may chew on or eat them, Klein said. Eclipse glasses that have scratches or punctures should not be used. 

Should you keep your pets inside or outside during the solar eclipse?

Veterinarians agree that it's likely best to keep pets inside during the eclipse, especially if they're stressed by crowds or events like storms or fireworks. 

"If possible, keep them indoors in a comfortable environment where they will feel more secure because the feeling of this is probably the most important thing," Klein said.

Owners planning to go to eclipse events should be respectful of their pet's boundaries. 

"Not all animals do well with large crowds or with you being distracted with other things, so leaving them at home or calling a trusted pet sitter are probably the best bet," Greenstein said.

At home, owners can try distracting a pet with a favorite toy, vets said. Pets who are often anxious may benefit from anti-anxiety medication during the eclipse, but owners should check with their veterinarian for specifics before giving their dog or cat any medication, Krebs said. 

"If you plan to stay home during the eclipse, your pet may seek out extra attention or comfort, so providing them with extra comfort and reassurance may help," Krebs said.

More pet safety tips to keep in mind

If you've decided to take your dog to an eclipse event, it's important to make sure they're microchipped with current info in case they get stressed and run away, Klein said. While there, make sure they're well controlled on a leash.

"By and large, we're not thinking this represents any major danger, but definitely pet owners should use their judgment," Greenstein said.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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