There’s no doubt that work deadlines can be stressful. When you have too many, you can feel overcome. And nearing deadlines encourages last-minute dashes for the finish line, like when students pull ‘all-nighters’ in an attempt to achieve weeks’ worth of essay writing in a handful of hours.

Yet there’s no question deadlines can serve a positive psychological function-after all, without them, many students might never even finish their work. You can see evidence for the power of deadlines in the ‘real world’, too. For instance, in 2015, when the US National Science Foundation dropped its usual twice-yearly deadlines for grant submissions in geoscience, as part of an attempt to help the overburdened system, the effect was dramatic. Annual submissions fell by 59% without the pressure of a deadline and it seems that many scientists lacked the urgency and motivation to deliver their applications.

As new research findings shed light on the psychology of deadlines, we can learn ways that deadlines can be used to increase focus and boost perseverance.

I am looking forward to your early reply.

Yours,

Li Hua

Like many students, Ryan believes that the time and money spent on his education will pay off: he will eventually be able to get a good job and do well in the field he has chosen. And yet, in spite of all of the years spent in school preparing to enter the workplace, many recent graduates say that they struggle with the shift from classroom to career world and have difficulty adjusting to life on the job.

Writer and editor Joseph Lewis believes that most of our school experiences are fairly predictable, while life in the working world is far more uncertain. In school, for example, the pattern stays more or less the same from year to year. In the workplace, however, constant change is the norm, and one has to adapt quickly.

Another problem is that in school, many students spend a lot of time memorizing facts and repeating what they “learned” on tests. But in the workplace employees “are often expected to think critically and make decisions about their work, not just follow a supervisor’s instructions.” Less time needs to be spent in school on testing, says one recent report, and more on helping students to analyze and interpret information, solve problems, and communicate their ideas effectively—skills that will prepare them to succeed in today’s workplace.

Finally, in the workplace, employees must regularly interact with others and are often dependent on their co-workers for their success. In other words, if an employee has to work with others to complete a given project, that employee’s success not only depends on his hard work and expertise, but also on how well his colleagues perform. Knowing how to participate in teamwork--and deal with problems when they arise is extremely important, and yet, it is also something many students didn’t get quite exposed to in a school setting.

How can we better prepare young adults for the work place? Recent graduates, looking back on their educational experience, have some advice. Despite classroom instruction, many think that all students should be required to do an internship (实习) while they are in school. Volunteering part time at a company, hospital, or government organization, for example, can help one gain experience and learn skills needed to succeed in the real world. Doing these will help prepare students for the realities of the workplace and make the transition from school to career world less stressful.