Everybody works differently, no two-people are alike in their study-ethic and comparing yourself to others who may seem like they have everything figured out just isn’t worth it.
Everybody works differently, no two-people are alike in their study-ethic and comparing yourself to others who may seem like they have everything figured out just isn’t worth it.When you think about it, all deadlines simply are is numbers; they are a series of goals and expectations that lecturers alike set to keep students organised and to help avoid procrastination, but they aren’t anything to be feared!
We’ve all grown up with them, experienced them throughout our GCSEs and A-levels and gotten used to having that level of structure in our lives, so why should deadlines at university be treated any differently? The easy answer to that is, they shouldn’t be, they are all in fact the same thing. A key piece of advice: break everything down into chunks! Being stressed out and concerned over workload is completely normal, but there are ways to tackle it. Rather than thinking “ I have a 20-slide PowerPoint presentation and a 2500 word essay all due in the same week,” divide it up into realistic pieces: research, preparation, writing and then proofreading afterwards.
Starting small is always useful; you don’t have to complete everything in one go! Procrastination is more common than you think among students, everyone experiences it at some point during their university life and there isn’t anything wrong with that, the key point is that we need to find ways to help each other overcome it:
- The 5-minute rule: Work solidly for 5-minutes; put your phone away to avoid any distractions and to remain focused.
- Give yourself reasonable targets: Don’t push yourself too far; set out a selection of achievable goals before the deadline hits.
- Create study groups: Working alone sometimes can be harder than working with others, being in bigger groups can actually help you all out! It’s okay to struggle balancing it all, the result of one assignment doesn’t determine your level or what your future holds.
The University offers plenty of academic support for students, a few examples are:
- Develop@Derby
- StudentHub@Derby
- Your lecturers’/course leaders: For certain circumstances, they can hand out extensions for pieces of work if needed.
Deadlines may be there, but that doesn’t mean that they need to consume your life. Through breaking everything up, not pushing yourself too far and seeking help when you need it, you’ll be able to have a much more positive mindset, giving you the ability to approach your assignments with more assurance and less worry.
Don’t forget that nobody is perfect!