Overdue [adjective]: An assignment that has not been submitted and is past due. Often placeholder 0s are assigned that bring your grade down until completed.
These assignments can quickly stack up when left unattended and can be quite terrifying to tackle in large numbers. However, there are strategies to reduce their numbers.
Two strategies you can use to tackle overdues are based off popular financial debt strategies:
Debt Snowball: This method quickly pays off little debts so you can fully focus on large debts.
For overdues, do small or easy assignments first so you can really focus on the harder assignments.
To figure out what assignment is “harder” or “easier,”
Read the instructions THOUROUGHLY.
Break the prompt down into a checklist. This does two things:
Clarifies what the prompt is asking
If an assignment takes multiple sessions to complete, you have clear objectives to complete every session that you can mark off.
Ex: Mondays have no live CC’s and few lessons. I can spend most of the day on my English paper without many interruptions. Tuesdays are busy, so I will work on my easy quizzes on that day.
Ex: I will do my quizzes Monday and begin my English paper. On Tuesday, I will ask questions in class and finish the paper that afternoon.
These steps are good to do regardless of which method you use or when the assignment is due.
Debt Avalanche: Tackle the debt with the higher interest rates (Debt that will grow the fastest).
While overdues do not have interest rates, some assignments are weighed more than others.
To find how much an assignment weighs, look at column 4 “Weight Achieved” in the Grade Tab. This is how many points you will see deducted from your overall (or a close guesstimate).
This works especially well when trying to quickly get your grade up for a class. When looking at two assignments, do the higher weighted assignment first.
When to use which technique:
Overdue Snowballs are good most of the semester, as it lowers the amount of work you have to do quickly.
Overdue Avalanches are good closer to the lock dates, where the objective is to quickly raise your grade before you run out of time.
Starting is better than not! Sometimes the most intimidating part is a blank page, so get out whatever ideas you have first and work from there.
Anything is better than a 0. You should always do your best on an assignment, but it does not have to be perfect. Instead of worrying about getting a perfect grade, focus on showing what you know and submit! The secret to getting a good grade is first understanding the material. If you can understand the prompt, then you will be fine. And if you do poorly, it is better than a 0, you will get feedback that will improve your understanding, and you will have a chance to try again. If not, then understanding the concept is more important as concepts build on each other.
Reach out to your teachers sooner than later. If you know you have a big assignment coming up, FIRST read the instructions and break down the prompt. Next, write down your questions and ask your teacher in class, by email, or attend peer tutoring.
Work Ahead. You do not have to be weeks ahead, but working ahead is especially helpful if you know you will not have time in the future. Ex: I have a soccer game on the same day my biology lab is due, so I will work on that assignment the day before, so I do not have to worry about it later.
Finally, YOU’VE GOT THIS! No matter how many assignments you have, you can do them. Do not give up!
- Anonymous Narwhal
