essay about time is running out

Essays About Time: Top 5 Examples and 8 Prompts

Essays about time involve looking into human existence and other intangible concepts. Check out our top examples and prompts to write an engaging piece about this subject.

Time entails many concepts that can be hard to explain. In its simplest sense, time is the period between the past, present, and future. It also encompasses every action or progression of events within those measures. Time never stops. It consistently ticks away, making it both a cruel teacher and an apt healer. It inspires many writers to write pieces about it, discussing time as a notion or an element in emotionally-driven compositions that both describe euphoric and heart-rending episodes. 

To aid you in writing a compelling piece, below are our top picks for great essays about time:

1. Time is Precious Essay by Anonymous on AreSearchGuide.com

2. an essay on time by david pincus, 3. time is money by supriya, 4. time waster by anonymous on exampleessays.com, 5. time management: using the less time to do more by anonymous on edubirdie.com, 1. how i spend my time, 2. what is time, 3. time and technology, 4. time management and procrastination, 5. if time doesn’t exist, 6. time as a currency, 7. the value of time, 8. time and productivity.

“Make most of your time and you will be rewarded ten folds of it, waste it and the little you have will be taken away, just like in the parable of talents.”

The essay begins with a convincing statement reminding the readers of the average life expectancy of a person to assert the importance of time. Then, in the later sections, the author answers why time is precious. Some reasons include time is always in motion, is priceless, and can never be borrowed. The piece also mentions why many “wait for the right opportunity,” not realizing they must plan first to get to the “right time.” Finally, at the end of the essay, the writer reminds us that balancing and planning how to spend time in all areas of life are critical to having a meaningful existence.

“I don’t know what time is, beyond a mysterious self-similar backdrop upon which we lead our lives. It is intricately woven across the scales of observation – from the quantum level to the phenomenological time of cultural revolutions.”

Pincus begins the essay with questions about time and then proceeds to answer them. Then, he focuses on time psychologically, relating it to traumas, disorders, and lack of meaning. In the next section, he discusses how psychotherapists use the concept of time to treat patients. 

In the last part of his essay, Pincus admits that he doesn’t know what time is but notes it’s akin to a thread that stitches moments together and anchors us through a complex world.

“Knowing how precious time is, we should never waste time, but make good use of it.”

Supriya’s essay is straightforward. After claiming that someone’s success depends on how they use their time, she gives an example of a student who studied well and passed an exam quickly. She follows it with more examples, referring to office workers and the famous and wealthy.

“Time is something you can’t have back, and should not be used to simply watch a computer screen for hours upon end.”

The writer shares one of his vices that leads him to waste time – technology, specifically, instant messaging. They mention how unproductive it is to just stare at a computer screen to wait for their friends to go online. They know many others have the same problem and hope to overcome the bad habit soon.

“I should strive for good time management skills which are essential to be learned and mastered in order to have a better personal and professional life… it can also help us learn more about self-discipline which is a crucial pillar for stable success… time management is a concept of balance and moderation of the things that are important to us.”

The essay affirms people need to protect time, as it’s a non-renewable resource. A great way to do it is by tracking your time, also known as time management. The writer shared their experience when they were a college student and how challenging it was to allocate their time between deadlines and other life demands. The following parts of the piece explain what time management is in detail, even recommending a tool to help individuals label their activities based on urgency. The following paragraphs focus on what the author learned about time management throughout their life and how they missed opportunities while continuously being stressed. Then, the last part of the essay suggests tips to conquer time management problems. 

Did you know that readability is critical to readers finishing your whole essay? See our article on how to improve your readability score to learn more. 

8 Writing Prompts For Essays About Time

Go through our recommended prompts on essays about time for writing:

In this essay, share how you use your time on a typical day. Then, decide if you want to keep spending your time doing the same things in the future. If not, tell your readers the reason. For instance, if you’re devoting most of your time studying now, you can say that you intend to use your future time doing other invaluable things, such as working hard to help your family.

Because there are many definitions of time, use this essay to define your interpretation of time. You can use creative writing and personify time to make your essay easy to understand. For example, you can think of time as a personal tutor who always reminds you of the things you should be able to finish within the day. For an engaging essay, use descriptive language to emphasize your points.

List technologies that help people save time, such as smartphones, computers, and the internet. Delve into how these devices help individuals complete their tasks faster. On the other hand, you can also talk about how modernization negatively affects people’s time management. Like when they distract students and workers from completing their assignments.

Discuss reasons why people procrastinate. First, ensure to pick common causes so your readers can easily relate to your piece. Then, add tips on how individuals can battle dilly-dallying by recommending influential time management theories and models. You can even try some of these theories or models and tell your readers how they worked for you. 

Open a discussion about what can happen if there is no concept of time. Include what matters you think will be affected if time is abolished. You can also debate that time does not exist, that it’s just created by people to keep track of whatever they need to monitor. Finally, add your thoughts on the notion that “we only exist within an ever-changing now.”

Share your ideas of what can take place if we use “time” to buy food, pay rent, etc. You can also analyze that when we use our time to work, get paid for it, and then purchase our necessities, we’re technically exchanging our time to be able to buy what we need. A movie that used this theory is In Time , starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, and Cillian Murphy. You can write a review of this movie and add your opinions on it.

Everyone’s aware of the importance of time. For this prompt, delve into why time is precious. Write this essay from your perspective and probe how time, such as managing or wasting it, affects your life. You can also interpret this prompt by calculating the non-monetary or opportunity costs of spending time. 

Examine the direct relationship between time and productivity. Then, list productivity strategies schools and businesses use. You can also open a discourse about the number of hours workers are supposed to work in a week. For example, debate if you think a 40-hour full-time work week in America, results in more productive employees. Then, add other schedules from other countries and how it affects productivity, such as Denmark, Germany, and Norway, with less than 30 hours of the work week. 

Do you want to know how to convince your readers effectively? Read our guide on how to write an argumentative essay . Improve your writing skills; check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Essay on Importance of Time

Essay on time are a good way to teach children about its importance and how precious time is. Here are some essays on time that will help you out with your schoolwork.

100-word essay on the Importance of Time

Time is the most important treasure in a human’s life and one should not waste it in any way. Understanding the importance of time will take one closer to success. And those who don’t understand its value, fail to do even the simplest tasks.

Time is often said to be more important than money. This is said because you can regain the money you spent but you cannot regain time. The popular proverb “Time and tide wait for none” is very true because time indeed waits for no one and we have to learn how to properly manage it. A person who understands its value completely fulfills every task with flying colors.

150-word essay on Important of Time

Time is an extremely important tool in every human’s life. Managing time is a skill that everyone needs in their day-to-day. By usingit wisely one can achieve great things in life. Especially in a student’s life, time plays a crucial role. If a student manages his time wisely, he can achieve great heights. On the other hand, a student that takes time for granted will fail at one point or another.

Time does not discriminate between anyone and treats everyone the same. Rich, poor, successful, unsuccessful, everyone has the same amount of time. It depends upon how they make use of it. Time is a stepping ladder to successfor those who work hard and are determined to achieve something in life. While for a lazy person, time can be the worst poison. This important to recognize the worth of time and use it mindfully.

200-word essay on the Importance of Time

Timeis a priceless tool, you cannot buy time back once it has passed. One needs to learn how to properly make use of time at that moment itself. We can learn commitment and regularity from time as it goes on and does not wait for anyone. The world is dependent on time to get itsaffairs in order. Time has a great influence on every person’s life, whether it is daily tasks like getting up, brushing your teeth, bathing, eating meals on time, or mapping out things you want to do in life at certain milestones.

People often value different assets of their life more than time. When in fact, time is the most valuable asset in life. You can earn all the money in the world and it can prove to be of no use if you don’t have proper time to enjoy it. Time is like air, you cannot see it, you cannot catch it, but it’s constantly moving and you have to move with it. It is like a wave that flows constantly, without anyone realizing it. People who recognize this ever-flowing wave and plan proper schedules to make good use of their time are the ones that witness success in life. And the ones who fail to do so, live their lives with regret, wishing to turn back time.

500-word essay on the Importance of Time

Time is one of the most precious things in life that a human is born with. Time only moves in one direction always and does not come back. If you don’t value time, time also won’t value you. When talking about success, time is an important stepping stone towards it. If we waste our time, it also had the ability to destroy us. Time is a wonderful things that watches things born, grow, and then die and decay. It is the testimony to a plethora of memories and decisions, the good ones and the bad. No one has command over time which is why it is so important to understand its value.

For example, if you put a frog in a pot of water and start boiling it, the frog starts to adjust according to the temperature of the water. As the temperature slowly rises, the frog keeps adjusting its body temperature according to it. It cannot comprehend the right time to jump out of the pot and hence continues to adjust. Eventually, it cannot handle the temperature and dies in the boiling water. The moral of the story is that we need to recognize what decisions we should make before we run out of time. It’s crucial to not lose patience in certain scenarios and use the presence of mind to solve them. Panicking will only lead to wastage of time and resources.

Change is said to be the law of nature and time brings about that change. Growing up, graduating, getting a degree, getting a job, everything depends upon time and how we make use of it. This makes it important to inculcate time management in children from a young age. Daily works like sleeping, waking up, eating meals, exercise, homework should be done on time. This leaves no room for procrastination and ensures optimum usage of time.

Once you understand that time is one of the strongest things in the world, you have already crossed a hurdle. It can make or break a person, their career, and personal relationships. We humans may never fully comprehend the greatness of time as for some it may take a couple of months to bag a win whereas for some it could take years or even decades. It is indeed a very unique phenomenon of nature that could give you everything and take it away, both in just a moment. Life presents us with lots of opportunities, we just need to analyze the right time and conquer them.

We get 86400 seconds a day, which is 1440 minutes. Think of it as money and our life is the bank account. If you spend every day being lazy and doing nothing, you’re wasting all of this money. Every moment can be an opportunity, you should just know how to seize it. Rather than wasting it, we should use it to our advantage and schedule all of our work properly, allowing time to work and relax. One can also learn a new skill in their free time. It’s all about the way of utilizing the time that best suits your needs and routines.

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Thankyou so much very nice eassy

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Time is running out.

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                                       A fascination with many people is to go back in time, and live the simple life, or to gain something when they were younger. In the literary works of Robert Herrick's "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" and Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," time is expressed as an excuse to seize the day. In the poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," Herrick encourages young people to seize the day before it is too late. While Marvell in "To His Coy Mistress," uses time as an attempt to manipulate his coy mistress. Both poems share the common theme of mortality and the ever-pressing hand of time. "To His Coy Mistress" and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" are both haunted by the passage of time, and advocate finding pleasure in the here and now.              In the Poem "To His Coy Mistress," there is a sense of time passing quickly. For the first stanza states "Had we but world enough and time"(1). Marvell uses the concept of time differently throughout his poem. First, he tells how many years he would spend loving his coy mistress if he were given the time. In lines 13-17 he states, "An hundred years should go to praise/ Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze/Two hundred to adore each breast/But thirty thousand to the rest"(Lines13-17). He explains to his mistress that if time allowed, he would spend hundreds of years just to admire her physical being. Next, Marvell uses the concept of time to persuade his mistress to become accessible to him. For example, in lines 17-24 Marvell gives examples of his mistress aging and how she will go to the grave with her pride if she .              doesn't give in soon. Finally, toward the end of poem Marvell expresses time in terms of here and now. He tells his coy mistress to be with him now while they are still young , for they can not hold back time. .              In the related poem "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time," Herrick argues that lovers need to seize the day because time is running out and youth is temporary.

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Essays Related to Time is Running Out

1. time is running out.

Time is Running Out! ... In the related poem "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time," Herrick argues that lovers need to seize the day because time is running out and youth is temporary. ... In the second stanza, time and life is compared to the sun. ... Herrick reinforces in third stanza that youth is the best time, but time only get worse. ... Herrick and Marvell are two impatient authors, for they clearly present their non-patience with time through out their poems. ...

• Grade Level: High School

I was running down Gessner Rd. and then before I knew what had happened I was on the ground in pain. ... I have chosen competitive running because I felt I could excel and do well running. ... I did not expect, when I first joined the team, to make such friendships but as it turned out this action of my joining the team changed my perception of team sports. ... During the school year, when I am training for either cross country or track, my grades reflect good time management and discipline. Having to manage my time wisely during cross country season has tested me, but my good grades are a pr...

• Word Count: 486
• Approx Pages: 2

3. Reasons For Running

Why is it that you go running? ... Dreaming of a life with out the need for exercise is what the character was doing in The ABC of Aerobics. ... Running to him was a waste of time and he would have rather been daydreaming about the girl of his dreams. ... He was running like the others he was with, running for his freedom. Out of his running he said he was running "on the power of a great, silly grin." ...

• Word Count: 776

4. Always Running

One Author's Struggle There are choices you have to make not just once, But every time they come up. ... Luis Rodriguez like many other's knows first hand that life is not always what its cut out to be. ... Crime was a way of life for him and, at the time, the only way Luis knew how to survive. ... Out of guilt and wanting to show his commitment Luis destroyed the YMCA offices and never returned to finish any of his classes. ... If people truly read Always Running, they would understand that Luis fought to be where he is today, a number author in poetry, t...

• Word Count: 1335
• Approx Pages: 5

5. Benefits of Running

Given the lack of time I have today and the high cost of health club memberships, I have turned to running. ... Meeting and talking about running, as well as my daily work activities, are things I do while running. ... The greatest effect is the increase in self-esteem that I feel after achieving a particular goal: whether it's losing five pounds or running a faster time. ... While out on a run, I am often able to think on things which I am normally not able to concentrate on. ... Ultimately, the psychological rewards turn out to be the most compelling reason for me to run. ...

• Word Count: 606

6. The Time Machine

He came out of his machine seeing a large Sphinx and later, human like colorful creatures that were about four foot tall. ... The Time Traveler couldn't figures out where the Eloi had manufactured their robes or where their graveyards or morgues where. He also couldn't figure out what the wells were for. ... The Time Traveler goes out of his mind and realizes that it is inside the bronze gates of the Sphinx but the Traveler cannot open them. ... Around forty Morlocks were running around and into the fire while they were blinded. ...

• Word Count: 928
• Approx Pages: 4

7. What Are You Running For?

First, according to John, Mary Magdalene came and she, seeing the stone rolled away and the tomb empty, started running - away, as it turned out, not so much because she had seen a mountain lion, but more to alert the others. ... Her shock and fear remind me of the time a friend ran from the classroom during a fire drill as a sophomore in high school. ... "We thought you were just scared out of your wits." ... "I was just running out of fear that the fire would trap us all at the end of a blind hallway." ... It's a great shame to see young people, who after all can still run - unl...

• Word Count: 1835
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8. The Greatest Running Back Ever?

Who is the best running back in the NFL's History? ... Each of these running backs brought a different style of running to the game. ... He has 151 career touchdowns which is second all-time in NFL history. ... And his attitude and mentality are the best anyone could ask for out of today's role modeled athletes. ... Who do you think is the best of all- time? ...

• Word Count: 638

Jerz's Literacy Weblog (est. 1999)

Timed essays: top 5 tips for writing academic papers under pressure.

Jerz > Writing > Academic

If you’re facing a timed essay very soon, this handout offers some very basic, very quick tips.

• Plan your time wisely .
• Answer the  right question .
• Collect your thoughts .
• Leave time to  revise .
• Revise your thesis statement before you turn in your paper, so it looks like the conclusion you stumbled across was the one you planned from the start. (This small step can often make a  huge difference.)

1. Plan your time wisely.

You can also plan your time during the test itself . Your professor knows which paragraphs are harder to write, and will evaluate them accordingly. Does the question ask you to “evaluate”? If so, don’t fill your page with a summary. Likewise, if the question asks for “evidence,” don’t spend all your time giving your own personal opinions.

• Start with the larger essay questions, so that you answer them before you burn out or run out of time.
• If one essay question is worth 50% of the test score, spend 50% of your time on it.
• If you finish early, you can always go back and add more detail.   (As long as your additions and changes are legible, your instructor will probably be happy to see signs of revision.)

2) Answer the right question.

Before you begin your answer, you should be sure what the question is asking. I often grade a university composition competency test, and sometimes have to fail well-written papers that fail to address the assigned topic.

If the question asks you to “explain” a topic, then a paragraph that presents your personal opinion won’t be of much help. If the question asks you to present a specific example, then a paragraph that summarizes what “some people say” about the topic won’t be very useful.

3) Collect your thoughts.

Resist the urge to start churning out words immediately. If you are going to get anywhere in an essay, you need to know where you are going.

To avoid time-consuming false starts , jot down an outline, or draw a mind map, which is like a family tree for your thesis.  Start with the “trunk” (a circle in the center of your paper).  Draw lines that connect that central idea to main branches (circles that represent subtopics), and keep fanning out in that manner.   If one particular branch is fruitful, cut it off and make it a separate entity.

If a branch doesn’t bear fruit, prune it off.   You should identify and avoid the deadwood in advance — before you find yourself out on a limb.  (Sorry… I’ll try to leaf the puns alone… I wood knot want you to be board.)

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Get right to the point .  Don’t bury your best points under an avalanche of fluff.

The author of the above passage not only wastes time composing six sentences before getting to her thesis (the very last sentence), she also clouds the issue by bringing up topics (religion, music, and Communism) that she has no intention of ever mentioning again. She could have spent that time on more depth, or on proofreading, or even on some other section of the test. If she had at the very least crossed out the unnecessary introduction, she would not have mislead the instructor.

The revised example is simply the [slightly edited] last sentence of the original wordy and vague paragraph.  This clear, direct thesis statement helps the student focus on the communication task at hand. Too often, the only revision students do is crossing out their false starts, or explaining their way out of a corner by adding to the end of their essay.

4. Leave time to revise.

Note: simply tacking on additional paragraphs or inserting words is not revision (see: “ Revision vs. Editing “).

Sometimes, in the middle of a difficult paragraph, students will glance back at the question, and get a new idea. They will then hastily back out of their current paragraph, and provide a rough transition like: “But an even more important aspect is…”.  They continue in this manner, like a builder who keeps breaking down walls to add new wings onto a house.

• To avoid this problem before it starts, see the previous tip, or this nifty handout on “ Blueprinting .”
• To handle this problem when it occurs, don’t automatically add to the end of an essay — write in the margins, or draw a line to indicate where you want to insert a new paragraph.
• Leave space to revise too — write on every other line and leave the backs of pages blank, so you will have room to make legible insertions if you need to.
• Obviously, if you are writing your test on a computer, you should just insert and rearrange text as you would normally.

5) Revise your thesis statement

If inspiration strikes while you are in the middle of an essay, and your conclusion turns out to be nothing like you thought it would be,  change your thesis statement to match your conclusion. (Assuming, of course, that your unexpected conclusion still addresses the assigned topic.)

When a writer realizes that an essay is veering off in a new direction, and handles it by tacking more paragraphs onto the end, the result can be extremely awkward.

• Joe Student writes a thesis statement that examines the relationship between “independence” and public morals.
• Midway through his essay, Joe hits upon a different idea that relates to “prosperity.”
• To mask the transition, he writes a sentence that refers to “independence and prosperity”, as if the two concepts are interchangeable.
• After writing a few more paragraphs on “prosperity”, Joe realizes he needs to unify the two ideas in his conclusion. He writes a new paragraph that examines the connections between independence and prosperity.
• He then writes a conclusion that “proves” that independence and prosperity are inseparable.

Unfortunately, Joe started out by making a claim about independence and  public morals . If Joe tacks yet another paragraph onto the end of the paper, he will further dilute his conclusion. If he ignores the problem, his essay will appear disorganized.  Such  hasty additions will rapidly obscure the original structure .

Joe will have to wrap up his essay with something ghastly like “Therefore, this essay has discussed such important issues as A, B, C and D, all of which shed an important light on [rephrase essay question here].”

To avoid linear additions , you should ideally avoid going off on tangents.  But even a very short paper is a result of a process. If you stumble onto a good idea in the middle of your paper, go back and  change your thesis statement to account for your new ideas . Then, revise the subpoints and transitions so that your whole essay points towards that conclusion. Your professor will be pleased to see that you were able to make the connection, and your whole essay will be much stronger.

Dennis G. Jerz 04 May 2000 — first posted 26 May 2000 — typos corrected; puns added 26 Jul 2000 — minor edits 04 Dec 2002 — revision

Related Links

Writing that Demonstrates  Thinking Ability

MLA Format Papers: Step-by-Step Instructions for Formatting Research Papers in MLA Style

Thesis Statements: How to Write Them in Academic Essays

Integrating Sources: Using Quotations in an MLA Style Academic Paper

Academic Argument: Evidence-based Defense of a Non-obvious Position

18 thoughts on “ Timed Essays: Top 5 Tips for Writing Academic Papers Under Pressure ”

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Nice tips! With the help of your article i can complete my academic writing work easily. Thanks for sharing this.

Hey, Just got through your article and found it really informative. It was totally worth reading. A similar article I had read on EssayMin blog and found that good, got my basics clear now.

It is very awesome article.

I noticed that the link to the more detailed article links to this same article, and the other links are unrelated. Could you link me to the detailed version please? This one has been very helpful and would like to see more of your insight.

How frustrating! At the moment it looks like this version is the only one that’s available.

If I recall correctly I initially wrote a version that was more like an essay, but I created a “Top Tips” format to give more immediate help in a more web-friendly format. It looks like I might have buried the older version, or perhaps I carved it up and moved it to other documents, such as

https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/personal-essays/ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/showing/ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/thesis-statement-writing-academic-essays/ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/writing-that-demonstrates-thinking-ability/

All of the above apply to writing any kind of essay.

If I find that longer document, and it has any content that’s not already covered on those other pages, I’ll find some way to post it.

Ok, many thanks and best of luck finding it!

Mikaela, I was able to find the old file, and as I suspected above I had moved all the remaining good stuff to another handout on a more general topic. https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/short-research-papers/

So what this means is at the moment this page does present all my best advice that is specifically for writing a timed essay. I have edited the page to remove the reference to the longer document.

Ok, thank you!

Mr. Denis G Jerz, In the writing of your paper on ‘Timed Essays’ 04 May 2000, I note that the time to finish was seven months. From first post to last revision. Does this represent a working plan as described in your paper or merely that even professionals can suffer procrastination ?

Gregg Miller. BHort. BSc (Hon) UCrap.

There is no connection between my revision history and procrastination. After I posted the first version in 2000, I made additional changes after responding to comments from readers. The last change was 2002. I have reformatted the page since then, adding the graphic, though if I made any other changes at the time they don’t seem to have prompted me to update the revision history list.

thank you!!!…..this has been really useful to me

JJ, did you seriously think I would approve that comment?

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Thank you that was cool!! That was very very awesome and it invigorated my brain.

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Why Do I Write Essays Last Minute: Understanding the Psychology Behind It

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Do you ever find yourself waiting until the last minute to write an essay? If so, you’re not alone. 

The last-minute rush is common among college students, regardless of whether they’re in high school, college or completing their Master’s.

Procrastination is a common issue among students when it comes to writing essays. The temptation to pull an all-nighter right before the deadline can be strong, but this often leads to low-quality work and unsatisfactory grades.

You might be asking yourself – "Why can’t I start writing earlier,” Why does it take a looming deadline to motivate me to write" or “How do I break the cycle of last-minute essay writing."

Why do I take so much time to write an essay?

It's normal to take a lot of time to write an essay. However, when it takes too long, it could be because of a lack of motivation, a perfectionism mentality, or a lack of clarity and organization. Instead of writing everything at once, try to break it down into smaller tasks. You'll be surprised by how much you can accomplish in less time.

This article explores the psychology behind why you write essays last minute and offers practical solutions for finishing your essay on time, along with expert insights and first-hand student tips.

Investigating the Complexities of Last-Minute Essay Writing from a Psychological Perspective

You may find it hard to write essays when you have ample time for several psychological reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons and their solutions.

Are you one of those who feel anxious when they try to start an essay early? You set it aside for later, and before you know it, you find yourself rushing to complete it at the last minute, sacrificing the quality of your essay and stressing yourself out unnecessarily.

One of the main reasons why students procrastinate is anxiety.

You may feel anxious because you’re overwhelmed by the essay requirements, unsure how to start, or worried about not earning a good grade. While it’s normal to feel anxious when facing a new task, sometimes it can get out of hand. Anxiety can prevent you from starting a writing task or keep you from finishing it.

Solution: Break the essay down

Try breaking down the essay into smaller, manageable tasks to overcome anxiety.

Start by identifying key components of the essay, such as the introduction, body, and conclusion. Then, focus on each section at a time and aim to complete it before moving on to the next.

“Dividing a challenging essay into smaller, more achievable tasks has been a game-changer for me. By taking it one section at a time, I feel less overwhelmed and more in control of the writing process,” says Jeremy, a Master’s student.

Making a detailed outline of your paper beforehand will also be helpful, as this will reduce anxiety once you start writing.

2. Fear of failure

Another common cause of last-minute rush is the fear of failure. You may worry that you won’t be able to write a good essay or that your writing won’t meet your professor’s expectations. 

This can be particularly problematic for perfectionists or those with very high expectations.

Solution: Change your mindset

To overcome this fear, it's important to change your mindset from "I must succeed" to "I will do my best." Recognize that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process and that getting feedback from your professor can help you improve.

While changing your mindset is more of a long-term solution, what do you do when time is running out, and you’re crippled with fear? You turn to an online essay writing service such as Writers Per Hour .

Our team of experienced writers is committed to providing you with timely delivery of 100% original and plagiarism-free essays. We offer more than just research and writing services – our experts can also edit and rewrite your paper to meet your specific requirements.

If you are pressed for time, our fast essay writers are available to deliver papers within 24, 16, 8, or even 5 hours, ensuring that you meet your deadlines without compromising quality.

3. Chronic procrastinator 

The inability to manage time effectively is another common reason behind last-minute essays.

If you’re stuck in the habit of delaying tasks until the last minute, you may find it hard to write your essays on time. Maybe you’re the type of person who derives their motivation from the deadline panic!

Solution: Utilize time-management tools and techniques

If you’ve been asking yourself, “ How do I stop procrastinating on my writing assignments? ”

The solution is to start writing an essay as soon as it’s assigned. Try using time management techniques like the Pomodoro method— working for 25 minutes and taking a break for 5 minutes.

Also, utilize time-management tools like a planner, a calendar, or a daily to-do list to help you stay focused and motivated. This can help you complete tasks within a specific time frame to avoid procrastination.

“I've found that creating a detailed to-do list is an effective way to beat procrastination and stay on track. Break down your essay into chunks and set specific deadlines for each one. This will help you stay motivated and focused and avoid the temptation to put off the work until the last minute,” advises Anne, our expert writer.

4. Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress in many cases. While it’s natural to want to do your best, perfectionism is a trap that can prevent you from starting or even completing tasks.

Wanting to submit a perfect essay can lead to overthinking, rewriting, and delaying the final product. Remember: submitting an imperfect essay on time is better than submitting a perfect one late.

Solution: Set realistic standards

The solution for perfectionism is to set reasonable standards for your work and be willing to accept feedback.

It’s essential to understand that writing is not a one-shot attempt but a process that involves continuous improvement. Revising papers is also a regular part of the writing process. 

Remember that making mistakes is natural, so instead of striving for perfection, aim for progress.

5. Task aversion

Sometimes, you may find yourself in a time crunch due to sheer task aversion. You may simply not enjoy writing essays or find the task tedious. You may also find the essay topic challenging, or you may not be feeling confident in your writing skills.

Solution: Make it enjoyable

To overcome task aversion, try finding ways to make essay writing more enjoyable. For instance, you can choose a topic that interests you, write in an inspiring environment like a coffee shop, or reward yourself after completing the essay.

If the essay topic is very challenging, consider seeking help from professors or tutors for a fresh perspective and guidance.

6. Lack of preparation

Another reason for writing essays last-minute is lack of preparation. Maybe you don’t understand the essay requirements clearly, or simply underestimate how much time it will take to complete.

For instance, if you are tasked with writing a ToK exhibition paper on a complex topic, you may not realize that it requires a lot of research and analysis beforehand, leading you to leave it until the last minute.

Solution: Prepare well beforehand

To combat this, take time to read the essay prompt thoroughly, research the subject matter, and brainstorm ideas before diving in.

Identify and bookmark all the relevant sources you’ll use for reference when you start writing. Also, take down notes as you research to avoid cramming.

Once you’re well prepared, set aside specific times to work on your essay and break it down into smaller manageable steps.

7. Uncertainty

Writing a full essay can be an uphill task if you’re uncertain how to approach it. Maybe the topic sounds quite unfamiliar, or you don’t understand some aspects of the essay prompt.

When you don’t know where to start or feel overwhelmed by the task, it’s easy to put it off until the last minute.

Solution: Reach out for clarity

To overcome uncertainty, you can always write to your professor, asking for clarification. They’ll certainly help you understand any confusing aspects of the assignment.

Alternatively, you can discuss the essay prompt with your classmates to get their perspectives before you dive into writing.

“ I remember one time when I was really struggling with an essay assignment. I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around the essay question, and I was feeling very unsure about how to proceed. Finally, I decided to approach my professor and ask for help.

My professor was incredibly understanding and supportive. She took the time to walk me through the essay question and provided me with some helpful resources that I could use to research and write the essay.

Thanks to her guidance and support, I was able to kickstart the essay with confidence, ” shares IB student Mark.

8. Lack of interest in the topic

Let’s face it: some topics just aren’t interesting to write about! If the subject matter of the essay doesn’t appeal to you, it can be tempting to put it off until the last possible moment.

However, you’ll only end up cutting it close, which is a recipe for disaster.

Solution: Make correlations

To address this issue, find a way to relate the topic to your personal interests or career aspirations.

Can you connect it to a current event or a larger societal issue you care about? Is there any way the topic impacts you directly or indirectly? Writing an essay can be much easier if you can relate to the topic in real life.

9. Fear of negative feedback

Sometimes we procrastinate because we fear receiving negative feedback or criticism of our work. While it's natural to want to avoid harsh criticism, remember constructive feedback is essential for growth and improvement.

Solution: Embrace feedback

Instead of being afraid of negative feedback, embrace it as an opportunity to learn and improve your writing skills .

Reach out to your professor, family, or friends for feedback and ask for specific areas you can improve on. Then, incorporate that feedback to improve your essays and boost your confidence in writing.

10. Poor prioritization

Finally, poor prioritization and time management skills can cause us to procrastinate essays until the eleventh hour!

Maybe you’ve wondered, “ What's wrong with me that I can't manage my time better? "

When you have a lot on your plate, putting off the most unpleasant tasks until the last possible moment can be tempting. You may find yourself prioritizing other tasks (e.g., socializing or watching Netflix) over your essays.

Solution: Learn to prioritize

To curb this issue, learn to prioritize tasks and write down a daily priority list from the most important to the least important tasks.

Set realistic deadlines for each task and stick to them, giving yourself reward breaks after completing every task.

How to stay awake to write an essay?

If you want to stay awake to write an essay, drink lots of water and eat healthy snacks like fruits and nuts to keep your energy levels up. Also, take small breaks occasionally and stretch your legs to improve blood circulation. Finally, listen to some upbeat music and drink a cup of coffee to stimulate your brain and improve concentration.

Now you have it! If you’ve been wondering why it’s so hard to start your essays on time, you could be a victim of one or two of the above culprits.

Waiting for the last-minute rush is a bad habit that can lead you to earn poor grades. Fortunately, procrastination is a habit that can be broken, though it takes time and effort.

By understanding the psychological reasons why we procrastinate, you can implement effective strategies to help you overcome the last-minute syndrome. Ultimately, you’ll become a more productive and confident essay writer.

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​Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere

The pandemic changed families’ lives and the culture of education: “Our relationship with school became optional.”

By Sarah Mervosh and Francesca Paris

Sarah Mervosh reports on K-12 education, and Francesca Paris is a data reporter.

In Anchorage, affluent families set off on ski trips and other lengthy vacations, with the assumption that their children can keep up with schoolwork online.

In a working-class pocket of Michigan, school administrators have tried almost everything, including pajama day, to boost student attendance.

And across the country, students with heightened anxiety are opting to stay home rather than face the classroom.

In the four years since the pandemic closed schools, U.S. education has struggled to recover on a number of fronts, from learning loss , to enrollment , to student behavior .

But perhaps no issue has been as stubborn and pervasive as a sharp increase in student absenteeism, a problem that cuts across demographics and has continued long after schools reopened.

Nationally, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic, according to the most recent data, from 40 states and Washington, D.C., compiled by the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute . Chronic absence is typically defined as missing at least 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days, for any reason.

Source: Upshot analysis of data from Nat Malkus, American Enterprise Institute. Districts are grouped into highest, middle and lowest third.

The increases have occurred in districts big and small, and across income and race. For districts in wealthier areas, chronic absenteeism rates have about doubled, to 19 percent in the 2022-23 school year from 10 percent before the pandemic, a New York Times analysis of the data found.

Poor communities, which started with elevated rates of student absenteeism, are facing an even bigger crisis: Around 32 percent of students in the poorest districts were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year, up from 19 percent before the pandemic.

Even districts that reopened quickly during the pandemic, in fall 2020, have seen vast increases.

“The problem got worse for everybody in the same proportional way,” said Nat Malkus, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who collected and studied the data.

Victoria, Texas reopened schools in August 2020, earlier than many other districts. Even so, student absenteeism in the district has doubled.

Kaylee Greenlee for The New York Times

The trends suggest that something fundamental has shifted in American childhood and the culture of school, in ways that may be long lasting. What was once a deeply ingrained habit — wake up, catch the bus, report to class — is now something far more tenuous.

“Our relationship with school became optional,” said Katie Rosanbalm, a psychologist and associate research professor with the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University.

The habit of daily attendance — and many families’ trust — was severed when schools shuttered in spring 2020. Even after schools reopened, things hardly snapped back to normal. Districts offered remote options, required Covid-19 quarantines and relaxed policies around attendance and grading .

Source: Nat Malkus, American Enterprise Institute . Includes districts with at least 1,500 students in 2019. Numbers are rounded. U.S. average is estimated.

Today, student absenteeism is a leading factor hindering the nation’s recovery from pandemic learning losses , educational experts say. Students can’t learn if they aren’t in school. And a rotating cast of absent classmates can negatively affect the achievement of even students who do show up, because teachers must slow down and adjust their approach to keep everyone on track.

“If we don’t address the absenteeism, then all is naught,” said Adam Clark, the superintendent of Mt. Diablo Unified, a socioeconomically and racially diverse district of 29,000 students in Northern California, where he said absenteeism has “exploded” to about 25 percent of students. That’s up from 12 percent before the pandemic.

U.S. students, overall, are not caught up from their pandemic losses. Absenteeism is one key reason.

Why Students Are Missing School

Schools everywhere are scrambling to improve attendance, but the new calculus among families is complex and multifaceted.

At South Anchorage High School in Anchorage, where students are largely white and middle-to-upper income, some families now go on ski trips during the school year, or take advantage of off-peak travel deals to vacation for two weeks in Hawaii, said Sara Miller, a counselor at the school.

For a smaller number of students at the school who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the reasons are different, and more intractable. They often have to stay home to care for younger siblings, Ms. Miller said. On days they miss the bus, their parents are busy working or do not have a car to take them to school.

And because teachers are still expected to post class work online, often nothing more than a skeleton version of an assignment, families incorrectly think students are keeping up, Ms. Miller said.

Sara Miller, a counselor at South Anchorage High School for 20 years, now sees more absences from students across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Ash Adams for The New York Times

Across the country, students are staying home when sick , not only with Covid-19, but also with more routine colds and viruses.

And more students are struggling with their mental health, one reason for increased absenteeism in Mason, Ohio, an affluent suburb of Cincinnati, said Tracey Carson, a district spokeswoman. Because many parents can work remotely, their children can also stay home.

For Ashley Cooper, 31, of San Marcos, Texas, the pandemic fractured her trust in an education system that she said left her daughter to learn online, with little support, and then expected her to perform on grade level upon her return. Her daughter, who fell behind in math, has struggled with anxiety ever since, she said.

“There have been days where she’s been absolutely in tears — ‘Can’t do it. Mom, I don’t want to go,’” said Ms. Cooper, who has worked with the nonprofit Communities in Schools to improve her children’s school attendance. But she added, “as a mom, I feel like it’s OK to have a mental health day, to say, ‘I hear you and I listen. You are important.’”

Experts say missing school is both a symptom of pandemic-related challenges, and also a cause. Students who are behind academically may not want to attend, but being absent sets them further back. Anxious students may avoid school, but hiding out can fuel their anxiety.

And schools have also seen a rise in discipline problems since the pandemic, an issue intertwined with absenteeism.

Dr. Rosanbalm, the Duke psychologist, said both absenteeism and behavioral outbursts are examples of the human stress response, now playing out en masse in schools: fight (verbal or physical aggression) or flight (absenteeism).

“If kids are not here, they are not forming relationships,” said Quintin Shepherd, the superintendent in Victoria, Texas.

Quintin Shepherd, the superintendent in Victoria, Texas, first put his focus on student behavior, which he described as a “fire in the kitchen” after schools reopened in August 2020.

The district, which serves a mostly low-income and Hispanic student body of around 13,000, found success with a one-on-one coaching program that teaches coping strategies to the most disruptive students. In some cases, students went from having 20 classroom outbursts per year to fewer than five, Dr. Shepherd said.

But chronic absenteeism is yet to be conquered. About 30 percent of students are chronically absent this year, roughly double the rate before the pandemic.

Dr. Shepherd, who originally hoped student absenteeism would improve naturally with time, has begun to think that it is, in fact, at the root of many issues.

“If kids are not here, they are not forming relationships,” he said. “If they are not forming relationships, we should expect there will be behavior and discipline issues. If they are not here, they will not be academically learning and they will struggle. If they struggle with their coursework, you can expect violent behaviors.”

Teacher absences have also increased since the pandemic, and student absences mean less certainty about which friends and classmates will be there. That can lead to more absenteeism, said Michael A. Gottfried, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. His research has found that when 10 percent of a student’s classmates are absent on a given day, that student is more likely to be absent the following day.

Absent classmates can have a negative impact on the achievement and attendance of even the students who do show up.

Is This the New Normal?

In many ways, the challenge facing schools is one felt more broadly in American society: Have the cultural shifts from the pandemic become permanent?

In the work force, U.S. employees are still working from home at a rate that has remained largely unchanged since late 2022 . Companies have managed to “put the genie back in the bottle” to some extent by requiring a return to office a few days a week, said Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford University who studies remote work. But hybrid office culture, he said, appears here to stay.

Some wonder whether it is time for schools to be more pragmatic.

Lakisha Young, the chief executive of the Oakland REACH, a parent advocacy group that works with low-income families in California, suggested a rigorous online option that students could use in emergencies, such as when a student misses the bus or has to care for a family member. “The goal should be, how do I ensure this kid is educated?” she said.

Relationships with adults at school and other classmates are crucial for attendance.

In the corporate world, companies have found some success appealing to a sense of social responsibility, where colleagues rely on each other to show up on the agreed-upon days.

A similar dynamic may be at play in schools, where experts say strong relationships are critical for attendance.

There is a sense of: “If I don’t show up, would people even miss the fact that I’m not there?” said Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, the commissioner of education in Connecticut.

In her state, a home visit program has yielded positive results , in part by working with families to address the specific reasons a student is missing school, but also by establishing a relationship with a caring adult. Other efforts — such as sending text messages or postcards to parents informing them of the number of accumulated absences — can also be effective.

Regina Murff has worked to re-establish the daily habit of school attendance for her sons, who are 6 and 12.

Sylvia Jarrus for The New York Times

In Ypsilanti, Mich., outside of Ann Arbor, a home visit helped Regina Murff, 44, feel less alone when she was struggling to get her children to school each morning.

After working at a nursing home during the pandemic, and later losing her sister to Covid-19, she said, there were days she found it difficult to get out of bed. Ms. Murff was also more willing to keep her children home when they were sick, for fear of accidentally spreading the virus.

But after a visit from her school district, and starting therapy herself, she has settled into a new routine. She helps her sons, 6 and 12, set out their outfits at night and she wakes up at 6 a.m. to ensure they get on the bus. If they are sick, she said, she knows to call the absence into school. “I’ve done a huge turnaround in my life,” she said.

But bringing about meaningful change for large numbers of students remains slow, difficult work .

Nationally, about 26 percent of students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic.

The Ypsilanti school district has tried a bit of everything, said the superintendent, Alena Zachery-Ross. In addition to door knocks, officials are looking for ways to make school more appealing for the district’s 3,800 students, including more than 80 percent who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. They held themed dress-up days — ’70s day, pajama day — and gave away warm clothes after noticing a dip in attendance during winter months.

“We wondered, is it because you don’t have a coat, you don’t have boots?” said Dr. Zachery-Ross.

Still, absenteeism overall remains higher than it was before the pandemic. “We haven’t seen an answer,” she said.

Data provided by Nat Malkus, with the American Enterprise Institute. The data was originally published on the Return to Learn tracker and used for the report “ Long COVID for Public Schools: Chronic Absenteeism Before and After the Pandemic .”

The analysis for each year includes all districts with available data for that year, weighted by district size. Data are sourced from states, where available, and the U.S. Department of Education and NCES Common Core of Data.

For the 2018-19 school year, data was available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For 2022-23, it was available for 40 states and D.C., due to delays in state reporting.

Closure length status is based on the most in-person learning option available. Poverty is measured using the Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. School size and minority population estimates are from NCES CCD.

How absenteeism is measured can vary state by state, which means comparisons across state lines may not be reliable.

An earlier version of this article misnamed a research center at Duke University. It is the Center for Child and Family Policy, not the Center of Child and Family Policy.

Running Out Of Time

35 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

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Character Analysis

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Summary and Study Guide

Running Out of Time is a 1995 young adult suspense novel by American author Margaret Peterson Haddix. It tells the story of Jessie Keyser , a young girl who believes she is living in 1800s Indiana, only to discover that in reality it is 1996. When a diphtheria epidemic strikes her small town of Clifton, she must venture out into the modern world to save her friends. Haddix also authored the critically acclaimed YA thriller series The Greystone Secrets and The Missing .

Plot Summary

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Jessie Keyser lives in Clifton, Indiana, a small village on the American frontier in what she believes in 1840. One night, she helps her mother, the village midwife, treat two sick children. Many children have been getting sick lately. When Ma asks Jessie to secretly meet her the next night at a hidden rock, Jessie is suspicious. Ma then reveals that the year is actually 1996 and that the sick children have a disease called diphtheria. Clifton is really a historical preserve where the villagers are not allowed to leave or receive modern medicine, while tourists watch them via hidden cameras and two-way mirrors. Ma asks Jessie to sneak out of Clifton through a rock which hides a trapdoor and find a payphone. She gives Jessie the number of a man named Isaac Neeley who Ma believes will help secure medicine and report the Clifton founders to the board of health. Despite the risk of violent capture and punishment, Jessie agrees. Her little sister, Katie, has recently become sick herself.

When she makes her way through the trapdoor, Jessie finds the Clifton tourist site and blends in by pretending to be a touring student. There is modern lighting, photos, and her former neighbors on the monitors projecting footage from hidden cameras. Outside, Jessie sees cars and buses for the first time. She remembers that cameras and guards are everywhere; she must be cautious. Jessie hides in the back of a bread truck and then escapes the truck by running and hiding in a ditch. She eats the lunch Ma packed for her in a small bag that contains a wallet with some money and old photos.

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Next, Jessie meets an environmentalist who warns her not to drink the contaminated creek water and directs her to the nearest gas station. She buys a drink and finds a payphone where she tries dialing Mr. Neeley; she gets no answer. Ma has told her that Miles Clifton , the founder of the village, has men working for him everywhere. When a strange man bumps into her on purpose, Jessie becomes suspicious and runs away. She walks for miles in search of another phone when two scary young men try to kidnap her.

She runs away from the boys and spots a KFC with a phone. She dials Neeley again. He agrees to help and picks her up from the KFC. All his questions make her uneasy, but she goes with him to his apartment. He gives her a glass of water and has her rest while he makes calls. Jessie remembers the contaminated water from the creek and tosses the water out the window. She spies on Neeley’s phone call and overhears him say that Jessie needs to die because she knows too much. Jessie also learns that the water was drugged and meant to put her to sleep. She escapes through the bedroom window and boards a bus to Indianapolis. On the bus, she meets a friendly woman named Mrs. Tyndale, who tells her how to call the board of health and how to hold a news conference. In the capitol building, Jessie calls the board of health but is not taken seriously. She tries calling the news station and manages to get a few reporters to hear her story. However, she quickly collapses from diphtheria herself.

While recovering in the hospital, Jessie learns from Bob, one of the reporters, that the Clifton tourist site was a cover for a biological experiment. It was meant to introduce different diseases into the village population to build generational immunity. Isaac Neeley is actually a scientist named Frank Lyle and was running the entire operation. Eventually, the adults involved in the Clifton experiment are arrested, and Jessie is reunited with her family. They move back to Clifton to help with the family transition back into modern society.

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Running Out of Time Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

How does "Running Out of Time" present a commentary on science, scientific development and evolution? Consider the ideals of the characters as well as the different opinions in the novel on this subject. What message does the author seem to suggest regarding science?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the changes between 1840 and 1996. Which changes are largest? What things are the same? What do these similarities and differences reveal about modern times?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the title, "Running Out of Time", in relationship to the events of this novel. What makes the title appropriate? How is the title symbolic?

Essay Topic 4

Compare and contrast the adults in this novel that live in Clifton and the adults who live in 1996. What makes these similarities and differences significant? How do their similarities and differences affect the development of the plot?

Essay Topic 5

Examine Clifton as a utopia. In what ways is...

(read more Essay Topics)

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The Case for Marrying an Older Man

A woman’s life is all work and little rest. an age gap relationship can help..

In the summer, in the south of France, my husband and I like to play, rather badly, the lottery. We take long, scorching walks to the village — gratuitous beauty, gratuitous heat — kicking up dust and languid debates over how we’d spend such an influx. I purchase scratch-offs, jackpot tickets, scraping the former with euro coins in restaurants too fine for that. I never cash them in, nor do I check the winning numbers. For I already won something like the lotto, with its gifts and its curses, when he married me.

He is ten years older than I am. I chose him on purpose, not by chance. As far as life decisions go, on balance, I recommend it.

When I was 20 and a junior at Harvard College, a series of great ironies began to mock me. I could study all I wanted, prove myself as exceptional as I liked, and still my fiercest advantage remained so universal it deflated my other plans. My youth. The newness of my face and body. Compellingly effortless; cruelly fleeting. I shared it with the average, idle young woman shrugging down the street. The thought, when it descended on me, jolted my perspective, the way a falling leaf can make you look up: I could diligently craft an ideal existence, over years and years of sleepless nights and industry. Or I could just marry it early.

So naturally I began to lug a heavy suitcase of books each Saturday to the Harvard Business School to work on my Nabokov paper. In one cavernous, well-appointed room sat approximately 50 of the planet’s most suitable bachelors. I had high breasts, most of my eggs, plausible deniability when it came to purity, a flush ponytail, a pep in my step that had yet to run out. Apologies to Progress, but older men still desired those things.

I could not understand why my female classmates did not join me, given their intelligence. Each time I reconsidered the project, it struck me as more reasonable. Why ignore our youth when it amounted to a superpower? Why assume the burdens of womanhood, its too-quick-to-vanish upper hand, but not its brief benefits at least? Perhaps it came easier to avoid the topic wholesale than to accept that women really do have a tragically short window of power, and reason enough to take advantage of that fact while they can. As for me, I liked history, Victorian novels, knew of imminent female pitfalls from all the books I’d read: vampiric boyfriends; labor, at the office and in the hospital, expected simultaneously; a decline in status as we aged, like a looming eclipse. I’d have disliked being called calculating, but I had, like all women, a calculator in my head. I thought it silly to ignore its answers when they pointed to an unfairness for which we really ought to have been preparing.

I was competitive by nature, an English-literature student with all the corresponding major ambitions and minor prospects (Great American novel; email job). A little Bovarist , frantic for new places and ideas; to travel here, to travel there, to be in the room where things happened. I resented the callow boys in my class, who lusted after a particular, socially sanctioned type on campus: thin and sexless, emotionally detached and socially connected, the opposite of me. Restless one Saturday night, I slipped on a red dress and snuck into a graduate-school event, coiling an HDMI cord around my wrist as proof of some technical duty. I danced. I drank for free, until one of the organizers asked me to leave. I called and climbed into an Uber. Then I promptly climbed out of it. For there he was, emerging from the revolving doors. Brown eyes, curved lips, immaculate jacket. I went to him, asked him for a cigarette. A date, days later. A second one, where I discovered he was a person, potentially my favorite kind: funny, clear-eyed, brilliant, on intimate terms with the universe.

I used to love men like men love women — that is, not very well, and with a hunger driven only by my own inadequacies. Not him. In those early days, I spoke fondly of my family, stocked the fridge with his favorite pasta, folded his clothes more neatly than I ever have since. I wrote his mother a thank-you note for hosting me in his native France, something befitting a daughter-in-law. It worked; I meant it. After graduation and my fellowship at Oxford, I stayed in Europe for his career and married him at 23.

Of course I just fell in love. Romances have a setting; I had only intervened to place myself well. Mainly, I spotted the precise trouble of being a woman ahead of time, tried to surf it instead of letting it drown me on principle. I had grown bored of discussions of fair and unfair, equal or unequal , and preferred instead to consider a thing called ease.

The reception of a particular age-gap relationship depends on its obviousness. The greater and more visible the difference in years and status between a man and a woman, the more it strikes others as transactional. Transactional thinking in relationships is both as American as it gets and the least kosher subject in the American romantic lexicon. When a 50-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman walk down the street, the questions form themselves inside of you; they make you feel cynical and obscene: How good of a deal is that? Which party is getting the better one? Would I take it? He is older. Income rises with age, so we assume he has money, at least relative to her; at minimum, more connections and experience. She has supple skin. Energy. Sex. Maybe she gets a Birkin. Maybe he gets a baby long after his prime. The sight of their entwined hands throws a lucid light on the calculations each of us makes, in love, to varying degrees of denial. You could get married in the most romantic place in the world, like I did, and you would still have to sign a contract.

Twenty and 30 is not like 30 and 40; some freshness to my features back then, some clumsiness in my bearing, warped our decade, in the eyes of others, to an uncrossable gulf. Perhaps this explains the anger we felt directed at us at the start of our relationship. People seemed to take us very, very personally. I recall a hellish car ride with a friend of his who began to castigate me in the backseat, in tones so low that only I could hear him. He told me, You wanted a rich boyfriend. You chased and snuck into parties . He spared me the insult of gold digger, but he drew, with other words, the outline for it. Most offended were the single older women, my husband’s classmates. They discussed me in the bathroom at parties when I was in the stall. What does he see in her? What do they talk about? They were concerned about me. They wielded their concern like a bludgeon. They paraphrased without meaning to my favorite line from Nabokov’s Lolita : “You took advantage of my disadvantage,” suspecting me of some weakness he in turn mined. It did not disturb them, so much, to consider that all relationships were trades. The trouble was the trade I’d made struck them as a bad one.

The truth is you can fall in love with someone for all sorts of reasons, tiny transactions, pluses and minuses, whose sum is your affection for each other, your loyalty, your commitment. The way someone picks up your favorite croissant. Their habit of listening hard. What they do for you on your anniversary and your reciprocal gesture, wrapped thoughtfully. The serenity they inspire; your happiness, enlivening it. When someone says they feel unappreciated, what they really mean is you’re in debt to them.

When I think of same-age, same-stage relationships, what I tend to picture is a woman who is doing too much for too little.

I’m 27 now, and most women my age have “partners.” These days, girls become partners quite young. A partner is supposed to be a modern answer to the oppression of marriage, the terrible feeling of someone looming over you, head of a household to which you can only ever be the neck. Necks are vulnerable. The problem with a partner, however, is if you’re equal in all things, you compromise in all things. And men are too skilled at taking .

There is a boy out there who knows how to floss because my friend taught him. Now he kisses college girls with fresh breath. A boy married to my friend who doesn’t know how to pack his own suitcase. She “likes to do it for him.” A million boys who know how to touch a woman, who go to therapy because they were pushed, who learned fidelity, boundaries, decency, manners, to use a top sheet and act humanely beneath it, to call their mothers, match colors, bring flowers to a funeral and inhale, exhale in the face of rage, because some girl, some girl we know, some girl they probably don’t speak to and will never, ever credit, took the time to teach him. All while she was working, raising herself, clawing up the cliff-face of adulthood. Hauling him at her own expense.

I find a post on Reddit where five thousand men try to define “ a woman’s touch .” They describe raised flower beds, blankets, photographs of their loved ones, not hers, sprouting on the mantel overnight. Candles, coasters, side tables. Someone remembering to take lint out of the dryer. To give compliments. I wonder what these women are getting back. I imagine them like Cinderella’s mice, scurrying around, their sole proof of life their contributions to a more central character. On occasion I meet a nice couple, who grew up together. They know each other with a fraternalism tender and alien to me.  But I think of all my friends who failed at this, were failed at this, and I think, No, absolutely not, too risky . Riskier, sometimes, than an age gap.

My younger brother is in his early 20s, handsome, successful, but in many ways: an endearing disaster. By his age, I had long since wisened up. He leaves his clothes in the dryer, takes out a single shirt, steams it for three minutes. His towel on the floor, for someone else to retrieve. His lovely, same-age girlfriend is aching to fix these tendencies, among others. She is capable beyond words. Statistically, they will not end up together. He moved into his first place recently, and she, the girlfriend, supplied him with a long, detailed list of things he needed for his apartment: sheets, towels, hangers, a colander, which made me laugh. She picked out his couch. I will bet you anything she will fix his laundry habits, and if so, they will impress the next girl. If they break up, she will never see that couch again, and he will forget its story. I tell her when I visit because I like her, though I get in trouble for it: You shouldn’t do so much for him, not for someone who is not stuck with you, not for any boy, not even for my wonderful brother.

Too much work had left my husband, by 30, jaded and uninspired. He’d burned out — but I could reenchant things. I danced at restaurants when they played a song I liked. I turned grocery shopping into an adventure, pleased by what I provided. Ambitious, hungry, he needed someone smart enough to sustain his interest, but flexible enough in her habits to build them around his hours. I could. I do: read myself occupied, make myself free, materialize beside him when he calls for me. In exchange, I left a lucrative but deadening spreadsheet job to write full-time, without having to live like a writer. I learned to cook, a little, and decorate, somewhat poorly. Mostly I get to read, to walk central London and Miami and think in delicious circles, to work hard, when necessary, for free, and write stories for far less than minimum wage when I tally all the hours I take to write them.

At 20, I had felt daunted by the project of becoming my ideal self, couldn’t imagine doing it in tandem with someone, two raw lumps of clay trying to mold one another and only sullying things worse. I’d go on dates with boys my age and leave with the impression they were telling me not about themselves but some person who didn’t exist yet and on whom I was meant to bet regardless. My husband struck me instead as so finished, formed. Analyzable for compatibility. He bore the traces of other women who’d improved him, small but crucial basics like use a coaster ; listen, don’t give advice. Young egos mellow into patience and generosity.

My husband isn’t my partner. He’s my mentor, my lover, and, only in certain contexts, my friend. I’ll never forget it, how he showed me around our first place like he was introducing me to myself: This is the wine you’ll drink, where you’ll keep your clothes, we vacation here, this is the other language we’ll speak, you’ll learn it, and I did. Adulthood seemed a series of exhausting obligations. But his logistics ran so smoothly that he simply tacked mine on. I moved into his flat, onto his level, drag and drop, cleaner thrice a week, bills automatic. By opting out of partnership in my 20s, I granted myself a kind of compartmentalized, liberating selfishness none of my friends have managed. I am the work in progress, the party we worry about, a surprising dominance. When I searched for my first job, at 21, we combined our efforts, for my sake. He had wisdom to impart, contacts with whom he arranged coffees; we spent an afternoon, laughing, drawing up earnest lists of my pros and cons (highly sociable; sloppy math). Meanwhile, I took calls from a dear friend who had a boyfriend her age. Both savagely ambitious, hyperclose and entwined in each other’s projects. If each was a start-up , the other was the first hire, an intense dedication I found riveting. Yet every time she called me, I hung up with the distinct feeling that too much was happening at the same time: both learning to please a boss; to forge more adult relationships with their families; to pay bills and taxes and hang prints on the wall. Neither had any advice to give and certainly no stability. I pictured a three-legged race, two people tied together and hobbling toward every milestone.

I don’t fool myself. My marriage has its cons. There are only so many times one can say “thank you” — for splendid scenes, fine dinners — before the phrase starts to grate. I live in an apartment whose rent he pays and that shapes the freedom with which I can ever be angry with him. He doesn’t have to hold it over my head. It just floats there, complicating usual shorthands to explain dissatisfaction like, You aren’t being supportive lately . It’s a Frenchism to say, “Take a decision,” and from time to time I joke: from whom? Occasionally I find myself in some fabulous country at some fabulous party and I think what a long way I have traveled, like a lucky cloud, and it is frightening to think of oneself as vapor.

Mostly I worry that if he ever betrayed me and I had to move on, I would survive, but would find in my humor, preferences, the way I make coffee or the bed nothing that he did not teach, change, mold, recompose, stamp with his initials, the way Renaissance painters hid in their paintings their faces among a crowd. I wonder if when they looked at their paintings, they saw their own faces first. But this is the wrong question, if our aim is happiness. Like the other question on which I’m expected to dwell: Who is in charge, the man who drives or the woman who put him there so she could enjoy herself? I sit in the car, in the painting it would have taken me a corporate job and 20 years to paint alone, and my concern over who has the upper hand becomes as distant as the horizon, the one he and I made so wide for me.

To be a woman is to race against the clock, in several ways, until there is nothing left to be but run ragged.

We try to put it off, but it will hit us at some point: that we live in a world in which our power has a different shape from that of men, a different distribution of advantage, ours a funnel and theirs an expanding cone. A woman at 20 rarely has to earn her welcome; a boy at 20 will be turned away at the door. A woman at 30 may find a younger woman has taken her seat; a man at 30 will have invited her. I think back to the women in the bathroom, my husband’s classmates. What was my relationship if not an inconvertible sign of this unfairness? What was I doing, in marrying older, if not endorsing it? I had taken advantage of their disadvantage. I had preempted my own. After all, principled women are meant to defy unfairness, to show some integrity or denial, not plan around it, like I had. These were driven women, successful, beautiful, capable. I merely possessed the one thing they had already lost. In getting ahead of the problem, had I pushed them down? If I hadn’t, would it really have made any difference?

When we decided we wanted to be equal to men, we got on men’s time. We worked when they worked, retired when they retired, had to squeeze pregnancy, children, menopause somewhere impossibly in the margins. I have a friend, in her late 20s, who wears a mood ring; these days it is often red, flickering in the air like a siren when she explains her predicament to me. She has raised her fair share of same-age boyfriends. She has put her head down, worked laboriously alongside them, too. At last she is beginning to reap the dividends, earning the income to finally enjoy herself. But it is now, exactly at this precipice of freedom and pleasure, that a time problem comes closing in. If she would like to have children before 35, she must begin her next profession, motherhood, rather soon, compromising inevitably her original one. The same-age partner, equally unsettled in his career, will take only the minimum time off, she guesses, or else pay some cost which will come back to bite her. Everything unfailingly does. If she freezes her eggs to buy time, the decision and its logistics will burden her singly — and perhaps it will not work. Overlay the years a woman is supposed to establish herself in her career and her fertility window and it’s a perfect, miserable circle. By midlife women report feeling invisible, undervalued; it is a telling cliché, that after all this, some husbands leave for a younger girl. So when is her time, exactly? For leisure, ease, liberty? There is no brand of feminism which achieved female rest. If women’s problem in the ’50s was a paralyzing malaise, now it is that they are too active, too capable, never permitted a vacation they didn’t plan. It’s not that our efforts to have it all were fated for failure. They simply weren’t imaginative enough.

For me, my relationship, with its age gap, has alleviated this rush , permitted me to massage the clock, shift its hands to my benefit. Very soon, we will decide to have children, and I don’t panic over last gasps of fun, because I took so many big breaths of it early: on the holidays of someone who had worked a decade longer than I had, in beautiful places when I was young and beautiful, a symmetry I recommend. If such a thing as maternal energy exists, mine was never depleted. I spent the last nearly seven years supported more than I support and I am still not as old as my husband was when he met me. When I have a child, I will expect more help from him than I would if he were younger, for what does professional tenure earn you if not the right to set more limits on work demands — or, if not, to secure some child care, at the very least? When I return to work after maternal upheaval, he will aid me, as he’s always had, with his ability to put himself aside, as younger men are rarely able.

Above all, the great gift of my marriage is flexibility. A chance to live my life before I become responsible for someone else’s — a lover’s, or a child’s. A chance to write. A chance at a destiny that doesn’t adhere rigidly to the routines and timelines of men, but lends itself instead to roomy accommodation, to the very fluidity Betty Friedan dreamed of in 1963 in The Feminine Mystique , but we’ve largely forgotten: some career or style of life that “permits year-to-year variation — a full-time paid job in one community, part-time in another, exercise of the professional skill in serious volunteer work or a period of study during pregnancy or early motherhood when a full-time job is not feasible.” Some things are just not feasible in our current structures. Somewhere along the way we stopped admitting that, and all we did was make women feel like personal failures. I dream of new structures, a world in which women have entry-level jobs in their 30s; alternate avenues for promotion; corporate ladders with balconies on which they can stand still, have a smoke, take a break, make a baby, enjoy themselves, before they keep climbing. Perhaps men long for this in their own way. Actually I am sure of that.

Once, when we first fell in love, I put my head in his lap on a long car ride; I remember his hands on my face, the sun, the twisting turns of a mountain road, surprising and not surprising us like our romance, and his voice, telling me that it was his biggest regret that I was so young, he feared he would lose me. Last week, we looked back at old photos and agreed we’d given each other our respective best years. Sometimes real equality is not so obvious, sometimes it takes turns, sometimes it takes almost a decade to reveal itself.

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Baltimore bridge collapse: What happened and what is the death toll?

What is the death toll in the bridge collapse, when did the baltimore bridge collapse, what factors played a role in the bridge collapse, how much will the baltimore bridge cost to replace, how long will it take to rebuild the baltimore bridge.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE CARGO SHIP DALI AND ITS STRANDED CREW

What do we know about the bridge that collapsed.

HOW WILL THE BRIDGE COLLAPSE IMPACT THE BALTIMORE PORT?

Get weekly news and analysis on the U.S. elections and how it matters to the world with the newsletter On the Campaign Trail. Sign up here.

Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Steve Gorman, Daniel Wallis and Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Lisa's journalism career spans two decades, and she currently serves as the Americas Day Editor for the Global News Desk. She played a pivotal role in tracking the COVID pandemic and leading initiatives in speed, headline writing and multimedia. She has worked closely with the finance and company news teams on major stories, such as the departures of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and significant developments at Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Tesla. Her dedication and hard work have been recognized with the 2010 Desk Editor of the Year award and a Journalist of the Year nomination in 2020. Lisa is passionate about visual and long-form storytelling. She holds a degree in both psychology and journalism from Penn State University.

Iran embassy strike shows Israel's growing reach as Mideast boils

Hounded by months of deadly Israeli attacks in Syria, Iranian military commanders thought it safe to convene a top-level meeting inside Iran's embassy compound in Damascus, believing it protected by international norms shielding diplomatic missions, according to a dozen Iranian, Syrian and regional officials.

Detroit Red Wings may have fixed latest swoon. But time is running out on playoff push

TAMPA, Fla. — The Detroit Red Wings eye a home stand after a grueling trip ended with a celebration.

"It's going to be a happy flight, something we haven't had recently, which is awesome," David Perron said after netting the winning goal in the 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning . "I think everyone is firing on all cylinders in our team game right now, and we have to keep pushing."

Monday's outing at Amalie Arena gave the Wings (37-30-8) four points on the trip — enough to get them to 82 points, but still just on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. It was their first road victory since Feb. 25, and goaltender Alex Lyon's first victory since Feb. 27.

"For me, it was very satisfying," Lyon said. "It's been a while. It's just great. And I say that sarcastically. We're about getting there. We have to take it a day at a time and a game at a time.

HOME AGAIN: Purdue vs. Tennessee was a top 5 game ever at Little Caesars Arena: Here's the full list

"Our focus remains the same. We just have to go one day at a time. That was a big win for us, and we can enjoy that on the flight home, and then we have to get back after it."

The Wings are desperate to climb the standings after their disastrous March , when they banked just eight points in 14 games, undone by inexplicably bad starts and shoddy team performances. They've finally gotten that straightened out, but now they only have seven games left.

"We've been building our game and the games have been tight, the games have been really hard," Dylan Larkin said. "We got the bounces and were hungry around their net and got the big goal, and that's what we've been missing.

"As we've gone along on this road trip, we've gotten more comfortable in the moment and we really kind of settled in. We know what these games are going to be like and kind of calmed down a little bit and been able to make more plays and execute better.

"I think it's repeatable because we've been doing it. We've been playing hard."

The Wings next play Friday against the New York Rangers, which begins a home stand that continues Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres and then April 9 against the Washington Capitals. The Wings head on the road to play the Pittsburgh Penguins April 11 and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 13, host the Montreal Canadiens April 15, and finish the regular season April 16 in Montreal.

'HE'S BEEN A BIG BOOST': Rookie Simon Edvinsson sticking with Red Wings

Last season, it took 92 points to make the playoffs in the East. There are 14 points available to the Wings, and they're showing resolve to do what they can to make it in.

"Our guys were battling," coach Derek Lalonde said. "This was an unbelievably difficult road trip. You're talking at Carolina, at Florida, at Tampa. We've pointed in three of our last four on the road. I'm just really proud of the group. A lot of adversity all year, a lot of ups and downs, and we've just kept in the fight, we've kept battling."

The Wings can't afford any letup. The Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers are neck-for-neck in positioning for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division and the second wild card spot, with the Wings, New York Islanders, and, still, the Penguins, all within a handful of points.

Lyon said that, "I actively try not to see what else is going on around the league. For me as a goalie, that's the best way. I want to continue to think about the right things and focus on the process."

It's all the Wings can do, really: Stay in the moment and keep playing to their strengths.

"It's so rewarding right now," Perron said. "Not only that we won, and we got a point last game, but it's the way we do it."

Contact Helene St. James at [email protected] . Follow her @helenestjames .

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter . Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

Next up: Rangers

Matchup:  Red Wings (37-30-8) vs. N.Y. Rangers (50-21-4).

Faceoff:  7 p.m. Friday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio:  Bally Sports Detroit Extra; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Barry Diller shares urgent warning about AI

• Billionaire Barry Diller said it's time to get serious about regulating AI.
• The media mogul pointed to deepfake videos of political leaders as examples of the dangers.
• Diller has two suggestions for legislators about how to reel in AI.

Artificial intelligence continues to be top of mind for powerful people wary of its potential uses.

The latest titan to voice alarm is the media billionaire Barry Diller, who raised his concerns about AI to CNBC on Thursday. Diller said we're running out of time to stop it from getting out of control.

"All attention should go towards regulating artificial intelligence, and we don't have a minute to lose," the IAC chairman said.

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Diller said an April Fools' Day video making the rounds online that depicted "absolutely perfect replicas" of Joe Biden and Donald Trump speaking gibberish was an example of why he's worried.

Leaked Footage of US Presidential Debate! April Fools :) Powered by AKOOL. #aprilfools #election #ai #tech #debate #singing #aiavatar #aprilfoolsday #election #biden #trump #obama pic.twitter.com/y1irb7mt62 — Akool Inc (@AkoolInc) April 1, 2024

"When you have that, how do you know where truth is?" Diller asked.

It's unclear exactly which video Diller saw, but it's not the first time convincing imagery has turned out to be created by AI . In August, Pope Francis warned about the dangers of AI because a deepfake of him wearing an all-white puffer coat went viral earlier that year.

Diller's solution: "We've got to have legislation that says it is illegal to make up something, take someone's persona, and manufacture something that is not them."

First, he said there should be "reasonably protective" laws that also allow AI to flourish. Second, Diller said it's time to redefine fair use — a doctrine that permits the unlicensed use of copyrighted material — as it relates to AI. And it needs to happen soon, he said.

It's not the first time the Expedia executive has called out AI makers. In 2023, Diller issued a call to action to publishers to take legal action if their content was being used by AI.

"The idea that you can sweep up, for instance, all of Expedia's content — and use it — that it took us billions of dollars to create is nuts," Diller said Thursday.

Watch: AI will drive personalization, not creativity, says Roku's VP of growth marketing, Sweta Patel

• Main content

South Carolina latest state to use congressional map deemed illegal

The supreme court heard arguments on the redistricting case in october but has yet to rule, essentially running out the clock for this year’s election.

In a scenario that has played out in three states in recent years, a federal court ruled Thursday that time had run out to draw a new congressional district in South Carolina and that the state would have to proceed this fall with an existing election map the court had previously deemed illegal.

The ruling echoes redistricting cases in other Southern states where courts found that congressional maps violated the voting rights of Black voters and other people of color but allowed them to be used anyway, at least temporarily. In recent years, that happened in Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana.

In the latest instance, a panel of three judges decided to let South Carolina use a new map drawn by the Republican-led legislature because the Supreme Court had not yet decided an appeal that will ultimately determine how the district should be drawn. Voting rights advocates decried the ruling, saying it is unjust to hold even one election in districts that are unconstitutional.

“Once an election happens, you kind of can’t get back that election,” said Leah Aden, senior counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which brought the South Carolina lawsuit.

The ruling came a day after a different federal court upheld a congressional map in Florida that favors Republicans and erases a seat held by a Black Democrat. Those decisions, along with others in recent months, mean the congressional maps for 2024 are largely set. Republicans narrowly control the House, and voters this fall will decide whether to let them keep it.

Also Thursday, a federal appeals court issued a ruling that all but ensures North Carolina will use state legislative maps this fall that Democrats and voting rights advocates say dilute Black representation in the statehouse.

Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, said appeals take so long that states sometimes get a chance to use illegal maps for one or two election cycles before they are forced to draw new ones.

“It’s becoming more common,” he said. “Courts used to go out of their way to have voters not vote on a map that had been deemed illegal. Now, unless you get everything resolved, you have to vote on a map that is illegal. The courts can undermine voters’ rights through the process.”

Last year, a panel of three judges concluded that South Carolina’s Republican-led legislature “exiled” 30,000 Black voters from the state’s 1st Congressional District to make it safer for a White GOP incumbent, Rep. Nancy Mace .

South Carolina appealed, and both sides asked the Supreme Court to expedite the case to ensure a final ruling was in place well ahead of election season. The justices heard arguments in October but have yet to rule. At the time, a majority of the justices signaled they were inclined to allow the state to use the boundaries drawn by lawmakers.

With no decision and the June 11 primary on the horizon, South Carolina sought permission to use the map this year even though it had been deemed unconstitutional. The panel of judges unanimously agreed Thursday to keep the map in place for this election.

It noted that courts typically don’t allow maps to be used once they have been found to be invalid. “But with the primary election procedures rapidly approaching, the appeal before the Supreme Court still pending, and no remedial plan in place, the ideal must bend to the practical,” the judges wrote.

If the Supreme Court reverses the lower-court ruling later this year, the district will remain as is through 2030. If it upholds the lower-court ruling, new maps will have to be drawn for the 2026 election.

Last year, the Supreme Court upheld a decision that found Alabama had violated the Voting Rights Act and had to draw a new district. Voting rights advocates hailed the decision but expressed frustration over how long the case took, noting the Supreme Court had allowed the 2022 elections to occur using district lines that a court had deemed illegal.

“Being timed out is very disappointing for any voting rights plaintiffs,” said Abha Khanna, the attorney who won the Alabama case. “But the light at the end of the tunnel is that there is always another election and it’s usually not far away.”

Joshua Douglas, a University of Kentucky law professor, said the South Carolina case tracked the Alabama case as well as ones in Georgia and Louisiana. “This shows how states have successfully run out the clock in election years, allowing them to use maps that courts have found illegal,” he said.

Last year the panel, which consists of two judges nominated by President Barack Obama and one by President Biden , found the map illegally split neighborhoods in the Charleston area to make Mace’s race easier. The new lines constituted a racial gerrymander that “exiled over 30,000 African American citizens from their previous district,” the panel found.

But on Thursday, with no decision from the Supreme Court, the panel determined it had to allow that map to be used this fall because there is little time left. Primary ballots must be sent to military and overseas ballots by April 27 under federal law, the judges noted.

“The district court had no choice,” said Richard L. Hasen, a UCLA law professor and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project. “So I think really the fault here lies with the U.S. Supreme Court.”

The Supreme Court has been handling cases more slowly of late. At this point during its 2005 term, the court had decided more than half of the cases in which it heard oral arguments, according to Empirical SCOTUS , which tracks court cases. This term, the court has decided just 22 percent of such cases.

In arguments before the Supreme Court in October, attorneys for South Carolina argued that state lawmakers had not relied on race to draw maps in violation of the Constitution. Rather, they used political information to help them decide where to place the lines, they said.

Colby Itkowitz and Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.