At Everett Community College, 11:59 p.m. means more than just a timestamp on Canvas. It is a shared rhythm of panic, pressure, and persistence that many students live with each week

Assignments are usually due at 11:59 p.m. mostly on Sundays. For some students, this is simply part of their schedule. For others, it is the most stressful moment of the week. It is a countdown filled with typing, refreshing, and hoping the internet holds.

We spoke with three Everett students who know this moment well. Their stories show the reality behind the deadline. They explain why it happens, what it feels like, and how they manage to hit submit, sometimes with seconds to spare.

“I work full time. Then I am in the parking lot uploading assignments.”

Devin Metters, a business administration student, describes Sundays as a nonstop work session. Because he works full time from 2:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., his time is limited.

“I am in front of my computer. That is pretty much it,” he said. “This last week, I was all day Sunday because I work full time. It was just assignment after assignment.”

To make it work, Devin has had to get creative with how and where he submits his work.

“In that hour to 45 minutes between midnight and when I get off, I am on the computer, my laptop, in the parking lot with my phone hotspot uploading assignments,” he said.

He admits that procrastination plays a role too.

“You just feel like you do not want to do something, and you wait until the last minute,” Devin said. “I actually, you know, consciously thought about, ‘Oh, let me fold my laundry so I do not have to do this math project,’ or, ‘Let me go out and mow the lawn so I do not have to do this right now.’”

His tip for avoiding the rush is simple. “Just prioritize. Just get it done.”

“Before I knew it, I am working on assignments and it is 11:58.”

Margaret Lemma, an information technology major, also knows the 11:59 pressure well.

“For my courses, I have discussions I usually have to submit on Wednesday, and then Sunday. Mid-Sunday, 11:59 is usually the deadline for most of my assignments,” she said.

She remembers one night when she nearly missed the deadline.

“I started working on my assignments on Sunday. I think it was in the evening, around 7:00,” she said. “I kind of did not give myself enough time, or think about how long it was going to take me. I thought it was just going to take me an hour or two. Before I know it, I am working on these assignments, I am checking, and there is more I have to do. Before you know it, it is 11:58.”

The delay was not intentional. She said it came down to everyday distractions.

“You get engaged with other things,” Margaret said. “You can just go home and feel tired, and say, ‘I am just going to chill, watch movies, sleep.’ Then the next day, you say, ‘I will do it tomorrow.’ Before you know it, it is Saturday. Then you are going for a hike with friends. Then it is Sunday, and yes, it is the deadline.”

After one especially close call, Margaret changed her routine.

“I try to actually really do a lot of my time management, so I ensure that I get my work done Friday, latest Saturday,” she said. “Time management is key. Just prioritizing.”

“It did not submit until a few seconds after.”

Katherine Rodli, a computer science major in her second quarter, said most of her class deadlines are set for Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

“Oftentimes teachers will typically schedule it for 11:59, regardless of what day of the week,” she said. “As students, we obviously have a lot of work to do, so being able to have that little extra bit of time to wrap it up before midnight is quite helpful.”

But even with that flexibility, last-second submission panic is common.

“I have definitely had times where it is 11:59, and it did not submit until a few seconds after,” she said. “Canvas is not recognizing that I am trying to get the File Explorer to open up, or it is taking forever to load.”

When that happens, Katherine said she usually emails her instructor to explain.

“I apologize and say, ‘I am so sorry, I tried to get it in on time,’” she said.

To stay focused and awake, she has had to get creative.

“I have run laps around my house. Just upstairs, downstairs,” Katherine said. “Then I turn on some upbeat music and try to sing along, just to keep my brain active and not too drowsy.”

She said she would not recommend doing everything at the last minute.

“With both quarters that I have been here, regardless of whether the class is STEM or humanities, you usually get pretty thought-provoking homework,” she said. “That is not something that is easy to just spit out a few minutes before the deadline.”

Her advice is to prepare for the week by removing what she calls “temporary obstacles.”

“If there are certain variables you can eliminate, and you can eliminate those as temporary obstacles so you can get that homework done, I would definitely recommend that,” she said. “So you do not have to go through the same thing the next week.”

What 11:59 Really Means
For some students, the 11:59 p.m. deadline provides valuable flexibility, especially for those who work or have family responsibilities. For others, it has become a source of weekly stress.

“It is honestly a little bit of both,” Katherine said. “On the one hand, I appreciate it. On the other, if you are falling behind, it can be very anxiety-inducing.”

Still, the stories students shared are not only about stress or procrastination. They are about effort, persistence, and the many ways students adapt. They are about making time between jobs, commutes, and exhaustion to keep learning moving forward.

Even if it means hitting submit at 11:59 and 58 seconds.

Student Tips for Surviving the Deadline

1. Start earlier than you think.
“I thought it would take an hour. It did not.” – Margaret Lemma

2. Submit whenever you are ready, not just at the last minute.
Cutting it close leaves little room for errors, especially with Canvas or internet issues.

3. Prioritize even when distractions come up.
“Let me fold my laundry so I do not have to do this math project.” – Devin Metters

4. Push through when you can. Rest when you need to.
Upbeat music or a walk around the house can help. But so can rest and early planning.

5. Make Friday your new Sunday.
“I try to get my work done Friday. Latest Saturday.” – Margaret Lemma

More Than Just a Deadline

The 11:59 deadline has become part of the student experience at Everett Community College. It creates a shared pressure, but also a shared understanding.

For some, it brings panic. For others, it brings structure. But for almost everyone, it is a moment they know well.
Behind every last-minute submission is a student trying. And no matter what the clock says, that effort matters.
Whether you submit at 8 p.m. or 11:59 p.m., you are not alone. You are part of the 11:59 pulse.