Most assignments that students receive come with a deadline. That due date seems so far away when the assignment is given, but it creeps up fast. Many students wait until the last minute to complete their assignments and run out of time before it is due. Others prefer having them to keep them on task. Do deadlines help or hurt students’ productivity?
31 students at Tuscarora High School took a poll on THS The Pack’s Instagram on whether or not they prefer to have due dates. It was a very even vote, seeing that 15 students agreed deadlines are stressful, whereas 16 students think it helps them stay on track.
If I receive an assignment with a due date that is weeks away, I do not plan on starting it until right before the deadline. Many students know that feeling of starting their assignment the night before their work is due or even right before their class. Yes, this is the students’ fault for procrastinating, but deadlines cause stress. If students are so focused on the deadline, it can cause anxiety that leads them to not completing the assignment.
Senior Keira McKevitt states, “I do not like due dates because I am in many clubs, I go to work, and I am on the swim team. I don’t always have the time to turn the assignment in on time.” Being put on a time crunch makes it more stressful to work on assignments. If due dates were taken away or pushed to the end of every quarter, students would not procrastinate as much and may even turn work in sooner rather than later. “When teachers tell me that an assignment isn’t due until the end of the quarter, it is less stressful for me,” McKevitt added.
On the other hand, having a due date can keep students on top of their assignments by giving them motivation. Knowing they have to get it done by a specific time can be the push someone needs to complete their tasks. “I am the kind of person who likes to get their work done right when assigned to me,” says senior Noelle Pamboukian. Due dates help ensure that work gets done because students know the consequences of late work, such as docking off points. If there is never a certain due date, some students may forget about the work they must do because they do not have to stress about completing it soon. Pamboukian said that if she does not have deadlines to complete assignments, she “would not do it, forget about it, and fail it.”
