No matter how hard you try to manage your time, you will probably end up being late on an assignment at some point in your academic (or professional) career. In times of stress and panic, your initial reaction may be to lie or go one the defense. It might seem reasonable to claim you had an emergency or swear you sent in the required documents, and did they check the spam filter?
But professors and bosses can probably tell when you’re fibbing, especially if it isn’t the first time. Instead, it’s better to face the problem head-on. Be proactive, and ask for an extension—or at least explain your lateness in a way that won’t ruin their opinion of you. Here’s how to do it, according to college profs themselves.
Be mature
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Kim Crowley, PhD, who teaches English at Bismarck State College, said the first mistake a student can make when asking for an extension (or even reporting a planned absence) is not being respectful or professional in their communication. Don’t dash off a text or email. Choose your words carefully, and use correct capitalization, punctuation, and grammar when sending these messages, which will show you understand you’re asking for serious consideration. Authority figures aren’t your friends.
Keep in mind that while you’re stressing about this one class or assignment, the professor is overseeing any number of other students or coworkers who might be in similar situations, so “identifying [yourself] is a big plus,” Crowley said. Even if they recognize your name, they might not quite remember which section you’re in. Helping them out there will decrease the amount of work they have to do to help you solve your problem, which could earn you some points—or at least not cost you any.
Finally, check the syllabus to figure out what is missing. Don’t ask the professor a vague question, like whether you are missing “anything important” or what you still haven’t handed in. Open up that document they gave you at the beginning of the semester and check the assignment schedule. Skipping this step will definitely not impress them. Instead, be straightforward: “I’m missing [this specific assignment] because I missed class. I’m going to send it shortly, but is there anything we went over in person I need to know first?”
Know the professor’s penalties
Every professor has a different set of rules governing late work. You might even notice that older, more seasoned teachers are a little more chill after years in the business (but don’t count on it). Carl Coulanges, who teaches at Suffolk Community College, said he’s “gotten softer” over the years and doesn’t mind an assignment being a day or two late, but, “once it goes beyond a week it starts to impact the grade. Two weeks, then it’s an automatic 50%.”
Late work penalties are almost always noted in the syllabus, and it’s hard to fight a grade reduction when things are clearly laid out in writing well before the homework is due. You can try, though—and if you do, Coulanges recommends being honest, and avoiding “BS excuses.”
“I always tell my students, ‘Listen, if there’s a real-life situation and you need the extension, that’s fine and I’ll work with you. Let’s figure out what works, but when you don’t speak up and don’t say anything, then I can’t help,’” he explained.
While Crowley said giving a detailed explanation of why you’re missing work or class is optional, it might be beneficial to do so if you’re aiming for the honesty Coulanges recommends. If you miss a class because of a medical situation or even a stressful life event, you can relay that information without getting too personal. Try framing that references the event while avoiding the intimate details, which can come off as an attempt to engender their sympathy.
The straightforward approach—“Professor, I missed Wednesday’s class and wasn’t able to submit the homework because of a private health concern. I know from the syllabus that this will result in a 10% grade reduction, which I accept, but I wanted to let you know the assignment will be in next week”—might or might not earn you an assurance that they won’t dock your score, but you might be able to use the same approach to successfully ask for an extension.
They’re not your friends, but professors are people. They know what it’s like to fall behind on work, and they may be willing to share resources that can help you out. If you fail their class, it reflects poorly on them, too, so they may consider it in their own best interests to show a degree of flexibility. Give them the opportunity to do that by making it easy for them to understand why you’re late, and empathize with you.