Undergraduates live one of the most complicated lifestyles. You often have to juggle classes, extracurriculars, relationships, reading, etc. With so much on your plate, it is understandable not to meet up with certain homework due dates.
If you’re struggling with completing your school chores on schedule, the best thing to do is ask for an extension. An extension reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed and benefits your mental health and workload.
But what counts as an excuse for an extension? This article discusses when and how to correctly ask your professor to shift due dates.
Top Reasons Why Students Ask for an Extension
Requesting an extension for your professor is intimidating. It makes you look irresponsible, and your teacher will doubt your reasons. Hence, the reason why most people don’t.
But the result of not petitioning for a date shift is often equally terrible. Undergraduates submit badly written, plagiarized, or mediocre tasks in an attempt to meet up with the due date. In the end, you attract a low grade. Below are a few reasons that justify an extension:
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Lack of Study Materials Requires Assignment Extension
Undergraduates who don’t understand or have enough study material petition to submit it later. It is better to get more study time to consult homework helpers or write the perfect homework than to submit half-baked papers.
You can pay online assignment help tutors like Edusson to write your essay or assignment and focus on other productive tasks. The professional writer delivers top-quality projects with a 3-hour deadline without plagiarism.
Technical Difficulties with Equipment
Technical difficulties like poor internet connection and broken computers affect completing your task. If you’re experiencing any technical issues, provide proof of the issues with your petition.
Financial hardship
This includes recent loss of employment, sudden financial instability, or any change to your financial aid package. Unforeseen circumstances like environmental disasters, caring for dependents, educational accommodations, and more necessitate asking for an extension.
Health reasons or emergencies
Request a change by a day or week if you are sick or have an emergency that has impacted completing the task on schedule. It includes physical health issues like chronic health conditions, injuries, and ailments.
Mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and ongoing mental health issues also warrant a date change. Other emergencies include the bereavement or serious illness of someone significant in your life.
Important obligations and work activities
Pre-existing obligations like surgery, pregnancy and athletic or academic commitments take your time. In this scenario, the best way to request extensions is to ask in advance with the tips we will share below.
Ways to Ask for an Extension on Your Project
University tutors are humans. As a result, they most likely extend the due date for any of the reasons highlighted above.
But situations like forgetting the homework, failure to check the syllabus, and procrastination have a lower chance of getting a shift. Follow these methods to request a change in the essay due date.
Create Your Justification and Inquire Politely
In most cases, an honest and respectable request gets you an extension. When drafting your justification, apply your techniques for writing college assignments and essays. University professors can sense dishonesty.
Instead of making up stories, reveal the truth about your situation. Of course, you don’t need to overshare. But communicate the situation. If it is a short-term issue, propose a date feasible to complete the work. Follow these steps to ask for your date change:
- Meet with your professor in person or send an email but don’t do it at the last minute.
- Describe how your situation has changed and exhibit feelings.
- Whatever the condition, provide evidence.
- Determine the length of the period instead of leaving it to your instructor.
- Acknowledge the favor.
Read the Policy on Extension
Most tutors include a policy in the course syllabus or paper instructions to act as a contract between them and the student. Before approaching your professor, review the homework brief to know the extension policy and associated rules.
While some teachers are lenient on deadlines, others refuse them. In the case of the latter, avoid missing the deadline. Alternatively, review the late penalty to see if it is a storm you can weather.
We recommend you attach proof of circumstance like a doctor’s note or other proof if you can’t meet the date.
Avoid Common Mistakes
One of the ways to increase the chances of reaching a fresh date with your professor is to avoid some basic mistakes. For example, resolve WiFi problems or technical issues quickly. Other mistakes to avoid include:
- Not starting your task early enough or leaving it until the weekend.
- Fabricating a reason to earn a shift
- Proposing an unrealistic new deadline
- Not showing appreciation to your professor after approving your request.
Sample Email Petitioning for an Extension
If you’re using an email, it must include your name, class, and section number. Address it to your professor, communicate your request, and attach evidence. Take a look at a sample below:
“Dear (professor’s name),
I am writing to seek a time extension for the (put the course or homework name). Over the last few weeks, I have suffered from a long-term disease, and I couldn’t research due to sickness and hospitalization. As a result, I haven’t finished a significant portion of the homework. Although half of my draft is complete, an extension will allow me to review and complete it. The initial filing date is Tuesday, February 28, but would you kindly give me an extension until Friday, March 3, instead?
Please let me know how you would like to proceed. I have attached a copy of my physician’s analysis and medical record for evidence of my ill health. I appreciate your time and consideration.
Best regards,
(Your name).”
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Conclusion
There are different ways to present your request as far as it meets the criteria mentioned above. Most professors understand their students have jobs and live outside of school and will gladly approve the date change.
But sometimes, the answer is no. So, what if you don’t get the extension? Research the late penalty, decide if it is better to rush the homework or turn in the paper late and choose the most appropriate line of action.
But remember, it is better to submit top-quality work than plagiarized and mediocre projects.
