# Too Much College Work, Not Enough Time? Here’s What to Do By Professor Corey Hart Published: 2026-10-17 Updated: 2026-10-17 Canonical: https://therisingadvantage.com/blog/too-much-college-work-not-enough-time Reading time: 5 minutes ## Useful takeaways - Open the assignment instructions before deciding what to sacrifice. - Put classes, work, travel, meals, and rest on the calendar first. - Until a change is approved, plan around the original requirements. You have a quiz tonight, a lab report tomorrow, and a work shift you can’t move. You’ve made the list. There still aren’t enough hours. When the work genuinely exceeds the time available, a better ranking only gets you so far. You need to see what must happen, what can change, and who needs to hear from you. Start with the next day or two. You can work on the rest of the semester after you have a workable plan. ## Check what the work actually requires Open the assignment instructions before deciding what to sacrifice. Write down the submission time, required parts, and any late-work policy. Estimate the work that remains, including preparation, checking, and submission. Look for dependencies. Does a group need your data before it can finish? Does an application require a recommendation? A later deadline can still require an action today. Ask about anything unclear instead of assuming it will be quick. If the work fits but you’re unsure where to start, our guide to [prioritizing tasks and managing time](https://therisingadvantage.com/blog/prioritize-tasks-manage-time) walks through that decision. Here, we’re dealing with the harder situation: the commitments exceed your available time. ## Count the hours you can actually use Put classes, work, travel, meals, and rest on the calendar first. Keep essential care in the picture, including laundry when you need clean clothes for work. Then identify the usable work blocks before each deadline. Compare those blocks with your estimates. Three hours of work will not fit into ninety minutes because you wrote it neatly on a calendar. Leave some room for a question, a slow upload, or a task that takes longer than expected. If the numbers do not fit, name the gap. “I’m about an hour short before tomorrow’s deadline” gives you something specific to address. ## Decide what can change Start with changes you control. Could you skip optional slide decoration, postpone organizing your notes, or decline an extra activity? Use the assignment requirements to distinguish necessary work from polish you added yourself. Changes to someone else’s expectations need agreement. Ask group members about dividing the remaining work differently. Follow the course’s process to request an extension. Check with your supervisor before changing a shift. Tutoring and office hours can help you understand the work. You still do your own assignment. If overload keeps recurring, an academic advisor can help you review the broader schedule and available support. ## Ask while there is still a decision to make A useful message names the assignment, explains the problem briefly, and makes a specific request. For example: “Hi Professor Lee, I’m working on the lab report due tomorrow at 9 a.m. I’ve finished the calculations, but I need more time for the analysis. Would you consider an extension until noon? I understand if the original deadline and late-work policy still apply.” Use details that are true for you. You can ask without sharing every personal circumstance. Our guide to [emailing your professor for help](https://therisingadvantage.com/blog/email-your-professor-for-help) offers more ways to start the conversation. Until a change is approved, plan around the original requirements. If the deadline has already passed, it is still worth checking the policy and asking what options remain. An earlier conversation may offer more options, but being late is no reason to disappear. ## Work through one overloaded evening Here’s a fictional example. Maya has 7–10 p.m. available after dinner. She needs about 45 minutes to prepare for and complete a quiz that closes tonight, two hours to finish a lab report due at 9 a.m., and 15 minutes to send data her group needs by 8 p.m. That is 180 minutes before planning, breaks, or anything going wrong. Maya checks tomorrow’s schedule and requests a lab extension until noon. In this example, the professor approves it before her evening work begins. She has a free block tomorrow morning before a 10:30 a.m. class. Her plan becomes: - 7–7:10 p.m.: Check instructions, estimates, and the approved deadline. - 7:10–7:25 p.m.: Send the group’s data and confirm they can open it. - 7:25–8:10 p.m.: Prepare for the quiz, complete it, and verify submission. - 8:10–8:20 p.m.: Take a break. - 8:20–9:30 p.m.: Work on the lab analysis and note what remains. - 9:30–10 p.m.: Keep a buffer for overruns and getting ready to stop. She reserves 9–10:15 a.m. tomorrow for the remaining 50 minutes of lab work, checking, and submission. The estimates are illustrative; she adjusts if the work takes longer. The approved extension makes this plan possible. Without it, Maya would need to reconsider the remaining options under the course policy. Sending a request alone would not move the deadline. ## Your next useful move Before returning to the work, check: - Have I verified the deadlines and required work? - Does the plan include preparation, people waiting on me, and essential care? - Which changes can I make, and which need someone’s agreement? - Have approved changes gone onto my calendar? Choose the next action you can take now. Send the necessary message, open the assignment, or make the agreed change. Then check the plan again when you know more. For help turning those choices into a realistic weekly plan, explore [Build Your Week inside The Rising Advantage](https://therisingadvantage.com/#inside). Start with the next block you can use. ## Related reading - [How to Prioritize Tasks and Manage Time Effectively](https://therisingadvantage.com/blog/prioritize-tasks-manage-time) - [How to email your professor when you don’t know what to say](https://therisingadvantage.com/blog/email-your-professor-for-help)