<p>I'm preparing to go away to a 3-day academic conference this week, and I'm just now realizing how much work I'm going to be missing in my classes. All of my professors are supportive and encouraging, but there's honestly just so much work to make up and not enough time since the conference is long and jam-packed with sessions.</p>
<p>Basically, I'll be missing 2 quizzes, one paper, and will return to having to take 2 tests next Monday and Wednesday respectively. I talked to my professors and I can take the one quiz next Monday, another quiz next Tuesday, and I can turn the paper in on Wednesday. I'm grateful that my professors are letting me take the make-ups after I come back, but now I'm freaking out because the 2 tests next week are huge grades and because the paper is also huge and I don't really know what my professor expects since it's our first paper in the class.</p>
<p>I know I can still fit in more homework tonight, tomorrow morning/night, and Tuesday morning, but after that, I'll only be able to do work during the plane trip Wednesday, maybe for a bit on Wednesday night, and then maybe on Thursday and Friday nights even though I'll be exhausted from the 12 hour conference days. Saturday is packed with more sessions and activities and Sunday is a travel day, so I'm scared that I won't be able to catch up effectively.</p>
<p>Should I share these worries with my professors even though some of them are being accommodating? The only one that hasn't been accommodating is the professor giving the two tests next week since all I'm missing is class discussion (I have her for both classes). I haven't asked her if I could take one of the tests at a later time, but should I? Or should I just do all the work now and hope that I'll be prepared enough for next week?</p>
<p>Thanks very much, and I hope you all can help me because I've never had to miss so many days of class or ask for extensions!</p>
<p>Have you started the paper now?
Try to get ahead as much as you can.
Share concerns you have…they should be accomodating to a point because this is an academic conference.</p>
<p>Yep, I’ve started the paper and have a good outline. It’s just meeting my prof’s expectations that I’m worried about. Should I ask to have a conference with them when I get back? Everyone else in the class will have turned in their papers at that point, though, so I don’t know if my prof would go for that. </p>
<p>And also, I’m worried about the tests because I’ll be missing class discussion and won’t be able to study as intensely since I’ll be busy with the conference, especially for the test on Monday. I just don’t feel like I’d be comfortable taking it, but I don’t really see why my prof would let me take it at a later time. The class isn’t in the discipline for which I’m going to the conference, so I don’t think my prof views it as an excused absence. </p>
<p>You can always ask. The worse they can say is no, and then you’re in the same situation you are now. If you are going to ask for extensions, I would do so sooner rather than later so that you know ahead of time.</p>
<p>But to be honest, I wouldn’t fault your professors for holding firm to their deadlines. They seem to have been very accommodating to your schedule. For instance, I’m assuming the paper is a take-home assignment, rather than an in-class essay? I would have assumed that I would have had to turn in the paper early before the conference, so I think it was very generous for your professor to give you an extension to turn it in after the conference.</p>
<p>Presumably, you knew about all of these assignments/exams and the conference beforehand, and it was your responsibility to budget your time accordingly. If you decided to go to this conference at the last minute, then you did so knowing that it would affect your schoolwork. If your professors suddenly gave you these dates for the quizzes/tests/papers this week, then that’s tough but it sounds like they have been willing to accommodate the conference within reason.</p>
<p>My advice would be to spend less time worrying and less time on the internet, and buckle down and get to it. You have to decide what your priorities are. You can ask your professors for extensions if you want to, but beyond that, you just have to do whatever you can get done. It is what it is.</p>
<p>Remember to mention the conference to them when you return so they remember why it was that you missed class. The fact that you’re attending an academic conference at this stage in your career is a good sign, and this will be good practice for later life…the busier you are, the more that seems to be expected of you. (Also it’s occasionally useful to determine how much work is needed for “good enough” if you’re usually a perfectionist.)</p>