"In law school, I accidentally switched project deadlines for two of my courses. As a result, I was not prepared to submit an assignment that was worth 1/3 of my final grade. I was embarrassed and disappointed in myself, but ultimately it was a mistake that could not be undone. I had to figure out how to best move forward.
I immediately contacted my professor and explained what had happened. I apologized and asked if there was any way to still successfully complete the course after turning in the project late. Thankfully, she was very understanding and willing to give me an extension. She did give me a lower grade to account for it being late but assured me that as long as the other projects were completed timely and done well, I would be fine to continue in the course.
From then on, I double-checked all my deadlines. I was lucky in the sense that this happened in school. When you are working on a client's case, missing a deadline for a motion or filing can have detrimental effects on the client's outcome. I am thankful it was a lesson I could experience where it only affected me."