News

Coping with deadline stress

Posted 23rd January 2017

GET ORGANISED

Write down all of your deadlines, and make a list prioritising which you need to tackle first. If you have a number of deadlines due around the same time, it’s important to plan so you can divide the workload between them. Have a think about what you’ll need for each assignment. A certain textbook or core text? Order it early or check it out of the library so when it comes to getting down to business, you won’t be trawling through the library frantically hunting it down.

SET ACHIEVABLE GOALS

We all want to get deadlines over and done with as quickly as possible. But trying to write a whole essay in a day will only stress you out. Try setting achievable goals, such as writing 200 words every day, or reading a new academic journal article. Don’t overload yourself, but do make sure you try your best to meet your goals every day. If you don’t, don’t panic, and start again tomorrow.

GET HELP

If you’re struggling with a particular assignment, don’t be afraid to reach out to your lecturers and tutors for help. Drop them a quick email, or arrange to attend their office hours. If you just want to talk through your ideas, you could suggest meeting up with other people in the module to discuss how you’ll approach the assignment.

Everyone handles deadlines differently. If you start to feel totally overwhelmed or down, it’s ok to ask for help. Most universities offer counselling and wellbeing services designed to help students struggling- don’t be stressed out in silence!

GET IT DONE

You’re procrastinating right now reading this, aren’t you? Well, you’re not the only one. A study estimates that 70% of students join you in fighting the students’ curse of procrastination.

Remove all distractions from your workspace (yes, that includes your phone) and if you find it hard to work at home, pack yourself off to the library or wherever makes you feel motivated. Try setting a timer on your phone for say, 45 minutes concentrated study without any distractions.

TAKE A BREAK

You know that old saying, quality over quantity? There’s no point whatsoever working on an assignment for every hour of the day and night. Whilst you might think you’ll feel totally productive and smug at how hard you’re working, this might not actually translate into a better mark. Studies show that taking a brief break every hour actually improves our productivity– so take a break from those deadlines and get some downtime!

Hit the gym to release some much needed stress beating endorphins, or grab a coffee with a friend to relax and have a good moan.

Good luck from everyone at Edge Student Living!