Why Something is Better Than Nothing

It's not always good to be a perfectionist

From time to time animation students will get stuck on a project, and will request extra time, or hand their work in late - and then apply for Mitigating Circumstances.

Sometimes this flows from perfectionism, performance anxiety, or even a sense of imposter syndrome - a student feeling that their work isn't good enough. 

In truth though, it is always better to hand in something than nothing; an imperfect submission is always better than no submission at all.

Something is Better Than Nothing

Imposter Syndrome

If you submit your work late, you may get an extension, but you will have to deal with the Mitigating Circumstances and Extensions policy, which will itself consume time and effort. Far better to submit what you have done, however imperfect, before the deadline. After all, your work may be better than you think.   

Quality -v- Quantity

In the creative industries, it is always hard to be completely objective about quality; everyone is a critic, and tastes differ.  But, at the end of the day, deadlines must be met, and product must be delivered - every project is a balance between quantity and quality.  So it is with academic deadlines - if you submit whatever you have done on time (ideally, submit your work early), you are then able to move on to the next task.

Deadlines and Regulations

To see some resources for deadlines and regulation at BNU, follow the links below:

• 2021-23 deadlines for our MA Animation students
• 2020-22 deadlines for MA Animation students
• Mitigating Circumstances and Extensions Policy at BNU
• End of Covid "No Detriment" Policy at BNU
• Why Students Should Submit Assignments Early
• How Marking Works at BNU

For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days, take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK.