How flexible are your supervisors about handing in drafts of chapters?
I handed in two bits of writing and then I worked out a timetable to hand in the rest, but I'm about to miss the first deadline (tomorrow). Partly because I was naive when I only gave myself two weeks, but also because my tutorial's not for another three weeks from now (I have to hand in a week before) and I knew I had a 'buffer zone' when I'm supposed to be revising my thesis plan in more detail.

I wouldn't be surprised if my supervisors had forgotten the deadline is tomorrow since the tutorial's still so far away but I'm going to send an apologetic e-mail anyway.

I suppose what I want to know is whether everybody except me manages to keep to deadlines?

Hi Bettyspagetti,

I think deadlines are useful, as they help to focus you on ending a task and getting things done. As such I like deadlines. I try and keep myself to them, and usually manage this. If I would not have completed the work I would sent the draft version. I think it is better to send a draft or a provisional version than nothing at all.
Vice versa I would hope that other academic people/ supervisor would keep himself to this. Unfortunately this is not always the case!

What was the reply on your E mail?

I have had similar experiences with unrealistic deadlines. and certainly when I started writing I did just hand in whatever I had done by those deadlines (as rick says)- which I think was important at the time - but it came to a point when my Sup was like "you need to read this stuff first" and I agree it was probably very frustrating to get such rough drafts.
Deadlines are good to keep you focused but if they are not achievable, they are not achievable. You'd be better making sure you get it right (or as close to) before handing it in.
And I know you have some ultimate deadlines, but you still have to be realistic - there are only so many hours in a day.

I'm usually a victim of this. I make deadlines with great interest and then fall on them. So, now I have learned to make a check deadline and email my supervisor a week before the deadline to say if I will be ready or not. There has never been a big issue if I missed a draft chapter deadline but I do tell my supervisor when I think I won't be able to make it, or if insists then give the rough draft and continue to work on it even after. That way there is no chance of slipping out of the work I have to do. Just talk and explain that you underestimated your task time line and maybe give a brief summary of where you are and what you will be ending this on.