Every once in a while ATYP hears questions from students
that we feel require answers, and lately one of the questions
that has trickled down is “Why does our homework have deadlines?”
First, let’s acknowledge the fact that most people don’t
enjoy deadlines. They’re stressful, they can cause anxiety, and in general they
are not a lot of fun. But let’s face it – life is full of deadlines, and
learning how to meet those deadlines is part of learning how to be an adult (#grownup101).
Deadlines for homework serve a multitude of purposes. One, if
half of a class of students is working with one deadline, and a quarter of a
class thinks it has a separate deadline, and a few stragglers are turning
things in even later, it likely means the class is in all different places with
the material. If you’re not doing the homework and behind on absorbing new
information, is the rest of the class having to wait for you? That’s not fair
to them. And if they work to meet a certain deadline and get one grade, and you
don’t meet a deadline but get a better grade because you took your time, that’s
not fair either.
Two, the teacher grading the homework is likely grading all
of one type of homework at a time, and it’s much easier to grade all of one
assignment than to have to keep checking to see who has turned in that work,
then grading it, and checking again, and grading it. When everyone meets the
deadline, teachers can be much more efficient. In essence, turning in your homework
on time is a sign of respect for your instructor, showing that you understand
the time and effort they put into what they do – and that you do not want to
make their work harder.
Third, we have deadlines because school in general (and ATYP
in particular) is as much about life lessons as it is about coursework and
curriculum. And meeting deadlines is a huge part of life. Think about the
deadlines you will have to meet just for college – submitting admission and
scholarship applications, as well as financial aid documentation. I know one
young man who forgot to turn in his housing application and nearly didn’t have
a dorm room his freshman year. As you get older you will have to meet all kinds
of deadlines at work, and not meeting them could mean you don’t have a job. You
must pay your mortgage and make your car payment on time, because you want to
have a home to live in and a vehicle to drive. Those are all deadlines, and they
all matter.
Finally, Dr. Kelly and I find that, frankly, if a project
doesn’t have a deadline, it doesn’t get done. Sometimes that’s procrastination,
and sometimes that’s just a function of busy schedules and not having time to
get to everything. But items do get checked off the checklist when there is a
due date, because there isn’t a choice. So think about your homework. If there
wasn’t a deadline, when would you do those last five math problems? When would
you turn in your logical fallacies?
There are all kinds of tricks and tips for prioritizing work,
avoiding procrastination, and being better organized so you CAN meet deadlines –
you can always email the office to ask to meet with me to work on those skills.
Meeting deadlines and being on time with assignments is a lifehack that will
serve you well not just in ATYP, but many years from now. Your future boss will
thank you for figuring it out!
Until next time,
Ms. Nan
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