In a perfect world, everyone does everything on time and never breaks any deadlines. But in our real, flawed one, delays and force majeure happen more often than we could wish for. The only way to deal with it is to embrace the fact and learn to handle the problem.
For students, handling it can be even more difficult. Due to the high workload and little experience, many of them struggle to ask for a deadline extension. But by delaying the dreaded conversation with the teacher, they only make things worse.
Luckily, most of these students know there’s a writing essay service ever-ready to save them from trouble. But though professional writers can craft an essay in mere hours, asking for deadline extensions remains an essential skill. So, you better learn it early on.
How to Ask for a Deadline Extension: 7 Tips
To begin with, we have to note that confidence in such matters only comes with practice. But these tested tips are vital to get you started.
Check the Extension Policy
Before you approach your teacher, you must study the extension policy. Most teachers provide such policies either in the course syllabus or in the assignment instructions, and they will most likely be annoyed if they find out you never read those.
Also, keep in mind that some teachers’ policies include late penalties, and sometimes, extensions are not allowed altogether. In the latter case, the best you can do is order a paper on essayservice where professional writers can handle it in just one day. However, it’s in your best interests to have more time to internalize the material.
Plan Ahead
To avoid the hassle, plan everything far in advance. To do it effectively, get a planner and write down every deadline as soon as it emerges so that you can see the full picture. This way, you’ll be able to detect overlapping deadlines and act early to solve the scheduling conflicts.
It also helps to break big tasks into subtasks and to set reminders for in-between deadlines. This simple technique will enable you to track your progress on every assignment and see where you’re lagging behind before it’s too late.
Ask in Advance
If you think you’re going to need a deadline extension, don’t hesitate to request it. Sometimes, students don’t do that early on because they keep hoping that they will manage to finish on time.
However, it’s much better to approach your teacher in advance than rush into the office at the eleventh hour. In the former case, you can at least show that you are a responsible student with advanced planning skills, which is always good for your image.
Send an Email
There are several ways to approach your teacher with the request:
- in person – in class or at the office;
- via phone;
- via email.
And though there are some debates about which way is the best, practice shows that sending an email never hurts. The reason is, a teacher can forget about the conversation, but a letter in your mailbox will be 100% proof that you’ve really made the request.
Give Credible Reasons
The crucial part of the enterprise is to provide credible reasons for the delay. If possible, support them with evidence such as a note from a doctor if you’ve been ill or a screenshot of your planner page.
Additionally, providing the chunks of work that you’ve already done can help a lot. For example, if it’s a paper you’re asking for an extension on, you can attach your outline or a first draft to the email containing your request. This will prove that you haven’t just been procrastinating the whole time.
Ask for the Shortest Extension Possible
Whatever the reason why you need an extension is, you’re far more likely to get it if you don’t ask too much. So, request the shortest extension possible. However, be realistic because asking for a longer period of time is still better than asking more than once.
It’s also much better to set a precise new date than to ask for an indefinite extension. You’re not very likely to get all the time in the world to complete the assignment anyway, so you might as well negotiate your own new deadline.
Be Sure to Meet Your New Deadline
When you negotiate a new date and get a confirmation from your teacher, it’s vital to stick to it and deliver the assignment on time at all costs.
If you get the extension you asked for and still feel you’re running out of time, you can use the following options:
- adjusting your plans to make more time for studies;
- getting help with the assignment;
- asking for an extension in another class(es).
Whatever you choose, be sure to deliver the best possible end result so that the teacher can see that you really used the extra time in the right manner.
Wrapping Up
These were the fool-proof tips on asking your teacher for a deadline extension. Remember to use them the next time you need extra hours to complete your assignment and see that they really work. Also, don’t hesitate to ask for help if your teacher is unwilling to fulfill your request because life is life – sometimes, you can only do so much!
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle