Try these planning tips to get better at meeting your assessment deadlines
It’s that time of the study period where assessments are simultaneously rolling in and due for submission. How are you managing the juggle? We understand balancing your uni studies with your other commitments can seem overwhelming at times.
Life is unpredictable and things can happen that are beyond our control, and you may need to apply for assessment extensions (and that’s OK!). However, it’s important to remember that relying too much on receiving extensions to fulfil your study obligations can be risky for a couple of key reasons.
- You run the risk of falling behind in your future assessments while you’re working to meet extended deadlines.
- Requests for extensions are not guaranteed to be granted in every instance so you may have a penalty applied to your assessment marks if your request is not accepted.
So, how can you stay on track with your studies to avoid any possible pitfalls of assessment extensions? The key is managing your time effectively and finding the right balance.
Seek help (and do it as early as possible)
If you’re getting behind on assessments because you’re feeling unsure of how to tackle your tasks, there’s a range of Study Support resources designed to help you improve your academic skills.
If you’re really struggling and need personalised help, chat to a Writing Mentor, Maths Mentor or Study Support Adviser to help you understand and improve your assessments. Every Deakin student can also use the platform Studiosity+ for fast online feedback.
Plan your time effectively
One of the secrets to success at university is good time management. It can be as simple as taking some time to plan the days, weeks and months ahead. A good rule of thumb is to put aside 10 hours per week for each unit you’re studying. To make sure you’re creating a realistic study plan, make full use of Deakin’s handy study planners:
- The Trimester Planner is an at-a-glance calendar which includes all of Deakin’s important dates. Add in your assessment and exam dates so you can see approaching deadlines and periods of increased workload.
- The Weekly Planner can be used to plan each week’s tasks. Pop in your classes, your other commitments like work, exercise, family time and social events, and then block out time for study.
We’ve also got a great Assessment Planner tool designed to assist you by breaking down your assessment into manageable stages. Just enter the relevant dates for your assessment and you will receive your assessment plan with a suggested time frame and helpful resources on how to approach each stage of your assessment.
See the full range of Study Support resources available at Deakin to help you manage your studies and develop your academic skills.