"Don't stress about it," she says. "Also, find an advisor who buys food for you. Or one who has babies."

Vincent Tompkins, head tutor of the Committee on the Degree in History and Literature, says the purpose of the early deadline is to give students sufficient time to catch up in other classes and prepare for the general exam.

But "it is also partly due to tradition," he says.

History and Literature theses are generally required to be 40 to 60 pages in length, although the department will occasionally grant permission for longer theses.

Since the concentration is honors only, all seniors have to write theses.

"The thesis-writing process is important as a capstone experience to undergraduates in general and History and Literature concentrators in particular," Tompkins says. "It gives them a chance to apply the skills they have acquired in the past two years."

And History and Literature means business. After months of procrastination, students who find themselves unable to meet deadline shouldn't expect any sympathy from History and Literature.

"Extensions will only be granted under dire circumstances," Tompkins says. "A broken computer disk is not a good enough reason."