Is it acceptable to paraphrase sources in a three-assignment week?

Yes, it is absolutely acceptable to paraphrase your sources, even during a crazy three-assignment week. In fact, in APA style, paraphrasing is actually preferred over direct quoting because it shows your supervisor that you truly understand the material and can synthesize it in your own academic voice. I completely get why you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed right now. Juggling three major PhD-level deadlines is like trying to keep three spinning plates in the air while running a marathon, and when you are exhausted, the fear of accidental plagiarism can make you second-guess every single sentence you write. The key to paraphrasing safely without crossing any lines is to make sure you are completely rewriting the original idea in your own unique sentence structure, rather than just swapping out a few words with synonyms. Think of it like explaining a movie plot to a friend; you would use your own words to describe the story, not repeat the script verbatim. Even when you do a perfect job of putting the ideas into your own words, you must still include the in-text citation with the author and year to give proper credit. Your supervisor’s warning about over-reliance likely just means they want to see your own analysis and critical thinking shine through, rather than just a string of summarized points from other people. To get through this week, try reading a source paragraph, closing the tab, and writing down the main takeaway from memory. This naturally forces you to use your own voice, and then you can just pop the citation at the end. Take a deep breath, tackle this one paragraph at a time, and remember that you have got the skills to get through this hectic week.