With deadlines rearing their ugly heads, there’s nothing else you can do than pour yourself another cup of coffee and knuckle down. Here are some useful tips to help you through.

Check the essay guidelines for your school

If you’re panicking about whether the word count for an essay is as strict as it seems, the best thing to do is to check the student guides for your school, or to ask one of your lecturers. Don’t listen to friends who are studying other subjects – their school might have different rules to yours.

This also goes for referencing, when I was doing my BA in English Literature and French, the two different schools used two different referencing styles – best to check which your school uses well in advance of deadline day!

Take a packed lunch with you

If you’re heading up to campus to do your work in the library or one of the many study hubs, then it’s always a good idea to pack a healthy packed lunch. Not only will it save you money, but it’ll also mean that you have stuff to eat and can hopefully resist the urge to buy every bit of junk food on offer.

Organise a study date

If you’re one of those people who can’t work in complete silence, organise to meet up with a friend who also likes to chat but has a deadline too – you’ll be able to chat when you want to, but then you can also motivate each other to get your work done.

Check hand-in guidelines

It might seem like I’m being really patronising by saying this, but bear with me. The worst thing you can do around deadline season is get your days or times mixed up. Check when your deadline is and make sure you’re ready to hand it in at least 30 minutes before this time. If you have to hand in a hard copy, make sure you get one printed at least an hour in advance of the deadline – there will be a queue both for the library printers and at your school’s reception. Also, check if you need to fill in a cover sheet when you hand in your hard copy.

Remember to breathe

I know deadline season can be super stressful, but sometimes you need to take a minute and breathe. Have the belief in yourself that you will get the work done… you just might have to decrease your break time if you’re working right up to the wire. You’re really not in the minority if you’re one of those people leaving it to the last minute, but just remember, your health and sanity are the most important thing – so don’t panic!

If you would like help managing stress, speak to the Student Support and Wellbeing Team.

You can also speak to the Student Learning Advisory Service for help managing your studies and deadlines.