How to Prioritize Assignments When Overwhelmed

Understanding Assignment Overwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed by assignments is incredibly common among students and working professionals alike. When deadlines pile up and expectations mount, the stress can become paralyzing. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, over 87% of college students report feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities at some point during their academic career.

Assignment overwhelm occurs when you have multiple tasks competing for your attention and limited time to complete them all. This feeling isn’t just uncomfortable—it can significantly impact your performance and mental wellbeing.

What causes assignment overwhelm?

• Poor time management skills
• Procrastination habits
• Taking on too many responsibilities
• Unclear priorities
• Perfectionism
• External pressures from work, school, or family

When faced with multiple assignments, many people freeze up instead of taking action. Learning effective prioritization techniques can transform this experience completely.

The Eisenhower Matrix: Urgent vs. Important

One of the most powerful prioritization tools is the Eisenhower Matrix, named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower who said, “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”

This method divides your assignments into four categories:

Category	Description	Action
Urgent & Important	Deadline-driven assignments with high stakes	Do immediately
Important but Not Urgent	Assignments that matter but aren’t due soon	Schedule time
Urgent but Not Important	Assignments with tight deadlines but lower value	Delegate if possible
Neither Urgent nor Important	Busy work with little value	Eliminate or defer

When using this matrix, be honest about which assignments truly deserve your immediate attention. Many students misclassify everything as “urgent and important,” which defeats the purpose of prioritization.

Research from Stanford University shows that focusing on important tasks rather than merely urgent ones leads to higher quality work and greater satisfaction.

How to implement the Eisenhower Matrix

1. List all your pending assignments
2. For each assignment, ask two questions:
   • Is this important to my goals?
   • Is this urgent (deadline-driven)?
3. Place each assignment in the appropriate quadrant
4. Take action according to the quadrant placement

The ABCDE Method for Assignment Triage

When you’re severely overwhelmed, sometimes you need a simpler approach. The ABCDE Method, popularized by productivity expert Brian Tracy, offers a straightforward way to rank your assignments:

Priority	Description
A	Must do – Serious consequences if not completed
B	Should do – Minor consequences if not completed
C	Nice to do – No consequences if not completed
D	Delegate – Assignments someone else could handle
E	Eliminate – Assignments that don’t need to be done

Start by tackling all your “A” assignments before moving to “B” tasks. This approach ensures you’re always working on your highest-value activities first.

Making the most of the ABCDE Method

A tasks might include major exams, capstone projects, or assignments worth a large percentage of your grade. These should take precedence over everything else.

B tasks typically include regular homework, smaller projects, or study sessions for upcoming tests that aren’t immediate.

C tasks could be extra credit work or optional readings—valuable but not essential to your success.

For working professionals, similar principles apply to workplace assignments, with priority given to projects tied directly to key performance indicators or organizational goals.

Time Blocking: The Calendar Approach

For visual learners and those who benefit from structure, time blocking provides a concrete way to prioritize assignments when overwhelmed.

Time blocking involves dividing your day into segments dedicated to specific assignments. This method forces you to make realistic decisions about how much you can accomplish.

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9-11am	Math Project	Study Biology	Term Paper Research	Presentation Prep	Final Review
1-3pm	Essay Draft	Group Meeting	Practice Problem Sets	Lab Write-up	Free Time
7-9pm	Reading	Problem Set	Review Notes	Complete Essay	Rest

Research published in the Journal of Educational Psychology indicates that students who use time blocking experience less anxiety and complete more of their high-priority work.

Tips for effective time blocking

1. Be realistic about timing – Many students underestimate how long assignments take
2. Include buffer time – Things often take longer than expected
3. Schedule breaks – The Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work followed by 5-minute breaks) works well within time blocks
4. Revisit and adjust – Your schedule isn’t set in stone

Tackling Assignment Anxiety

Sometimes the feeling of being overwhelmed isn’t just about having too much to do—it’s about the emotional response to pressure. Dr.Lisa Damour, psychologist and author, points out that academic pressure often triggers our fight-or-flight response, making it biologically difficult to think clearly about priorities.

To combat this:

• Practice deep breathing before prioritizing assignments
• Write everything down to get it out of your head
• Break assignments into smaller steps to make them less intimidating
• Recognize perfectionism as a barrier to progress

Studies from the University of Michigan show that taking just 10 minutes to organize and prioritize can reduce academic anxiety by up to 60%.

The 80/20 Rule for Assignment Focus

The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 Rule) suggests that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. When applied to academic work, this means identifying which assignments will have the greatest impact on your overall success.

Ask yourself:

• Which assignments carry the most weight in your grade?
• Which skills will be most valuable for future courses or career goals?
• Which subjects require the most attention based on your current performance?

By focusing your best energy on these high-impact assignments, you can often achieve better overall results even when you don’t have time to do everything perfectly.

Identifying your 20%

For most students, high-impact assignments include:

• Major exams and finals
• Term papers and research projects
• Capstone presentations
• Assignments in subjects where you’re struggling

These should receive your prime working hours and peak mental energy.

When to Ask for Help

Knowing when to seek assistance is itself a prioritization skill. According to research from Carnegie Mellon University, students who reach out for help appropriately perform better than those who don’t.

Consider asking for help when:

• You’ve attempted to understand the material but remain confused
• You’ve fallen behind due to illness or personal emergency
• You’re experiencing symptoms of burnout or extreme stress
• The volume of work exceeds what any reasonable person could complete

Resources for overwhelmed students

• Professors’ office hours – Most professors want to help students who demonstrate effort
• Academic advisors – Can help with course load planning and long-term strategies
• Tutoring centers – Provide targeted assistance with difficult subjects
• Counseling services – Support for stress management and mental health
• Study groups – Share the workload and gain new perspectives

FAQ: Prioritizing Assignments When Overwhelmed