You're struggling to meet deadlines as a student. How can you ensure clear communication with your teachers?

Last academic year, in April I've had an important assignment due. Unfortunately at the same time I faced multiple problems including my health, being layed off from my job of 17 years, and health issues in my family. I felt overwhelmed but as a top-performing student I was embarrassed to ask for an extension. Eventually I had no choice but to do it. The incredible empathy and understanding from my tutor and my school reassured me that it was a good decision. I've also learnt that I was not an isolated case and that many other students reach out for help, so there was really nothing to feel bad about. I got a 95% mark for my work and gained confidence that I could handle more than I thought and that it's never a bad idea to ask for support.

It is very important to divide your assignment into smaller fragments. Attend fragments at regular intervals and inform your teachers about your planning besides submitting them completed fragments. Planning your day with a schedule on prepared fragments of task(s) is important, avoid collating a large number of fragments due to trivial reasons like laziness and utilize off-days to bring yourself to the right point along with your fellow mates.

More often than not, teachers have not only heard every excuse in the book, but they can also empathize with a student's lived experience. Framing your situation with confidence will help you and your teacher understand the root cause of your deadline challenges. For example, perhaps you have had to take on extra shifts at your part-time job and you haven't been able to dedicate as much time to your studies during the evenings - your teacher might be able to provide you with access to a quiet study space during your spare or lunch hour to catch-up on your school work. While it is important to be honest, it is also an opportunity to express your need for support.

While proposing solutions also understand that sometimes teachers will not have flexibility, where others might be able to help out more. Being accepting of this fact is also important.

A calendar is an essential tool - whether it is digital and live on your mobile device, or it's written in beautiful colours in your agenda, you need to have a calendar. Proactively enter ALL the important dates you have for when assignments are due, and tests are scheduled. Then flip 1-week and 2-weeks before and write/schedule a reminder that a deadline will be coming up. Block off time in your calendar for when you will work on assignments, and study for tests. The more you practice this exercise, the more accountable you will be to yourself, and you will better understand how to allocate your time to achieve and even exceed your goals.

Thinking backwards in time helps keep you on track for assignments. If you have a term paper, look at the deadline and go back in time to put milestones (reminders) in your calendar for points of completion. That way you will stay on track and have time to ask questions if you hit a roadblock. This is very important for group assignments where you are depending on team mates to contribute.

To ensure clear communication with teachers when struggling to meet deadlines: 1. Be proactive and honest about your situation. 2. Provide a plan or revised timeline. 3. Ask for guidance and feedback. 4. Regularly update them on your progress. 5. Use email or office hours to communicate. Example: "Dear [Teacher], I'm struggling to meet the deadline due to [reason]. I've created a revised timeline to complete the work by [new date]. Please let me know if this is feasible."