Courtney Muenchow | Contributing Writer

There is less than a month before finals. Just let that sink in for a second. This last month is bound to busy with exams, quizzes, essays, and various forms of homework. The question is: do you have time for all this studying and writing?

For some, the answer is no. Late nights and early mornings aren’t enough to catch up on all that needs to be done, especially if multiple assignments are due on the same day. Making this scenario even worse is when a test or two is also scheduled for that day. It’s difficult to prioritize what to do when. Do you write that eight page paper? Do you study to pass that test? Do you work on that project? If there’s not enough time in the day to finish it all, what comes first and what gets left out?

Time, unfortunately, is not always a friend. I’ve seen many people look at the clock around ten o’clock and exclaim, “No way, it was eight o’clock like five minutes ago! What happened??” Time happened. And time can sometimes be that two-faced friend that sometimes has your back, but is just as likely to screw you over. Just like it occasionally does when you have a pile of homework to do on top of your normally scheduled classes.

One solution, although less than desirable, is taking time out of one of those class to work on that pile of homework. If that assignment or study session is worth more to you than a lecture in class, the economical solution is obvious: skip the class, get stuff done.

It’s terrible advice, I know, but sometimes it’s the only solution. It’s plan Z, when all the others have failed. It’s not at all a good solution, but sometimes has to be done. I once had an essay due during one of my other classes. Due to other homework, a part-time job, and various obligations, I had not had time to do it the night before. It was worth a lot of points, and had to be submitted at the correct time if I wanted credit. Sound like a familiar scenario to anybody? I had to go to plan Z, prioritizing that assignment worth a large chunk of my grade over a lecture that was worth no points.
Did I get things done? Yes. Did I miss out on an important class? Again, yes. I struggled with the understanding of the material of the skipped class for the next week or so. However, I got that essay done on time in the trade-off.

The bottom line here is that it’s important to consider your priorities. No matter which route you choose, there will be both pros and cons. On the one hand, there’s a finished assignment, but a skipped class. On the other hand, there’s a zero or a reduced grade on that assignment, but at least you went to class and learned that material. Each case’s severity will differ, and really only you, as the student, can decide which is more important.

If you’re lucky, you will never find yourself in this situation, stuck between a rock and a hard grade. Perhaps you can manage your time better than that. If you do find yourself short on time, however, be sure to take into account that professors have the capability to understand the dilemma. They’ve all been students in the past, believe it or not, and I’m sure not all of them were role models, attending every class and getting all their work in on time. Perhaps they too had to skip class to write an essay before. They might understand. On a sidenote: understanding is different from giving out an exception and no professor is obligated to give a free pass just because they’ve been in the shoes of a student with a dilemma.

So next time you’re stressing out over an essay, a test, or whatever, remember that you have options. Time may not always be on your side, but you can figure out the best way to get things done, whatever road that solution leads you down.

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