Deadlines are a blessing and a curse. We need them to get things done, but they often loom and approach faster than we anticipated or desire. When we miss them, we feel guilty. Sometimes we devise elaborate methods to ensure the timely completion of tasks. We pepper our immediate environments with reminders, alarms, and nudges to get our tasks done on time. Sometimes we may build in buffers, setting a new deadline ahead of the original to better ensure that we’re on time. Would instituting such a buffer system help our students turn assignments in on time?
