"Can I turn this in late?"

Students asking if they can turn in an assignment late is often the result of them trying to do the assignment last minute, and then realizing that it is going to take them longer than expected.

If you have a documented reason for not being able to turn the assignment in on time, it is worth reaching out to the professor. Explain the situation, and include any documentation that you may have. However, if you need extra time because you forgot about it, didn’t have enough time to finish it, wanted to prioritize another class, or a similar reason, I would not advise it.

Professors typically have assignments up at least a week before they are due. I often hear students tell me about how they had another big assignment due that day, or they had a test the next day and were trying to study for it. However, they had a week (or longer) to do the assignment. Why was it put off until the last day, or even later than that?

Students also don’t realize that by turning in something late, it creates extra work for the professor. If they have already graded the assignment, and then you turn it in, they have to go back and grade it. It is much easier to grade a stack of them at once, than it is to grade a single assignment, at least in my opinion.

Some professors don’t mind late work, but most do. Ultimately, unless you have a documented reason for not finishing the homework, you should check the syllabus on the policy for the course. In addition, don’t put off assignments until the day they are due.