Short answer
Get every due date into one list automatically, so nothing depends on memory. Then set two reminders per deadline, one the day before and one a few hours before, keep them quiet overnight, break big work into small sessions with their own start dates, and mark work done the moment you submit it. If something slips anyway, hand it in late rather than not at all.
Nudge exists because of one missed assignment. It was right there on the Canvas list, but nothing tapped its maker on the shoulder in time. That’s the real problem for most students: not caring too little, but relying on a list you have to remember to check.
Here’s the simple system Nudge is built around. You can run it with any tools you like.
1. Put every due date in one place, automatically
Due dates live in different places: each class’s page, the syllabus, a teacher’s announcement. Copying them into a planner works for about two weeks. Instead, use your school platform’s calendar feed, one private link that carries every dated assignment from every class and updates itself. Here’s where to find it for Canvas, Schoology, Blackboard, Brightspace, Moodle and others.
2. Get reminded when you can still act
School notifications tell you when work is posted or graded. What you need is a tap at the moment you can still do something about it. Two reminders cover most work:
- The day before: enough time to start, or to ask for help.
- A few hours before: enough time to finish and submit.
If two things are due together, one reminder for both beats two in a row. More than that and you start swiping them away without reading.
3. Keep nights quiet
A reminder at 1 a.m. for something due at 8 a.m. doesn’t help anyone. Move late-night reminders to the evening before, while you can still do the work, and let your sleep be sleep.
4. Give big work its own start dates
An essay due in two weeks has one date on the calendar and none of the dates that matter: when to outline, when to draft, when to edit. Split it into short sessions and put each on your calendar. If one slips, re-plan the rest rather than giving up on the plan.
5. Mark work done when you submit it
Calendar feeds know due dates, not what you’ve turned in. Ticking off submitted work keeps your list honest, so what’s left is only what still needs you.
6. If something slips, hand it in anyway
A late assignment is usually worth more than a missing one. Check your syllabus’s late policy, send the work with a short note if you need to, and get back to what’s next. No streaks, no guilt.
How Nudge does this for you
Nudge is a free iPhone and iPad app that runs this system without the setup. Paste your school’s calendar link once and every dated assignment lands in one list with a live countdown. Pip nudges you 1 day and a few hours before each deadline, combines things due together, stays quiet overnight, flags due dates that move, and lets you clear a backlog with Mark all done. Learn more about Nudge.
Questions
Why do I keep missing assignments?
Usually not because you don’t care. Due dates are scattered across classes and platforms, school notifications arrive when work is posted rather than when you need to start, and a list only helps when you remember to look at it.
How many reminders should I get before a deadline?
Two or three is enough for most work: one the day before, so you can still start, and one a few hours before, so you can finish and submit. More than that turns into noise you learn to ignore.
What should I do if I’ve already missed an assignment?
Submit it anyway, as soon as you can. Many teachers accept late work for partial credit, and some for full credit with a short email. Check your syllabus, send the work, and move on to what’s next.
Let Pip keep watch.
Nudge is free on iPhone and iPad. Paste your link once and get a nudge before every deadline.
Get Nudge on the App Store