This advice is especially important at Honours level. So much credit belongs to the essay and thesis that any hitch with either can be a big problem.
Experience shows that revision and refinement is the key to high standards.
Research is an unpredictable business. Year by year each generation of students discovers the same lessons about time management and the revision of drafts. If you felt you could write a reasonable essay in second or third year in a couple of days, for Fourth Year this is simply not on. It is essential to get feedback from supervisors at the draft stage. Requests for extensions must be discussed and negotiated with one of the Honours Coordinators.