Every college student will have a different approach to his studies. Some will approach the task with extreme organization and others will just take each day as it comes. No matter what your approach may be, don’t be surprised if you are still overloaded with the amount of work that you have to do. When that happens, it is not uncommon to see an assignment slip through your fingers and you have to complete it at the last minute. Your time will be limited, but you still want to turn in the best work possible. Here are a few suggestions that can help you to get it done on time.
Find a Secluded Location: One of your first priorities will be to eliminate all your distractions. Turn off your cell phone, find an isolated location, and turn off the TV, radio, or anything else that could interfere with your focus on the task at hand.
Review Your Professor’s Instructions: You need to understand exactly what the professor is expecting from you. It is a good idea to use a highlighter to make the important elements stand out before you decide when and where in your essay you want to apply them.
Start Early: If you only have one day to prepare, make sure that you start early enough to dedicate as much time as possible to completing the task. Some students, who will be burning the midnight oil, may opt to take caffeinated beverages to keep them awake but if you start early enough, you will have a clear mind that will be able to focus on what you have to do without those types of boosters.
Make an Outline: Some people feel that making an outline is a waste of valuable time but you’ll actually save time in the final writing phase of the project if you prepare an outline ahead of time. Your outline will be your plan of attack that can help you to formulate your ideas in a logical manner.
Build Your Body: Once you have your outline laid out, it is time to develop the body of your essay. Don’t rush through this part; take your time to determine your argument and how you will present your ideas. Start with your topic sentence and concentrate on making it functional. You may not have time to perfect it but you can make sure that it is clear and to the point. When you start an essay at this late in the game, you need to be specific in your message. Don’t worry about the number of words or how many pages you’re creating, just start writing until all your thoughts are down on paper.
Revise: After you’ve written the full body of the paper, you might want to take a break for about an hour or two. When you come back, read your paper over several times and you’ll be surprised how many glaring mistakes you can identify. Revise the paper by making any needed adjustments and corrections you may find. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes and work to polish it up.
Go to Sleep: Even if your paper is due in the morning, you need to get a good night’s rest and rise early in the morning to check it for a final revision. You’ll be surprised at how much better your paper will be when you revise it after you’ve been well rested. When you get up, grab a quick snack or something healthy to eat and then do one final look over your paper; finish the final edit and formatting and you’re good to go.
No one appreciates having their nose put to the grindstone in this way, but it is a part of life for any college student. Rather than going into a panic over the loss of time you have, approach the task in a systematic way and you can still produce quality work that your professor will appreciate.