“Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder.” – Mason Cooley
“Procrastination is a thief of time.” – Edward Young
College life in reality is stressful, there will be a ton of projects that need to be finished on time and a lot of lessons to study. Deadlines and succeeding examinations are here and there and sometimes it is just too hard to handle. However, human as we are, we always tend to procrastinate in doing these things. Thinking that there’s still enough time to do it the next day, or we get distracted over the little things, and perhaps we are just too lazy to do it. So we procrastinate, binge-watch movies or television series, eat, sleep until we forget the deadlines for our school works.
Then comes the hardest part- trying to finish all of your work overnight. You try to study all of your lessons thinking that you will remember it all. Then you get cranky and stressed on the next day because you didn’t get to have enough sleep and you still have to do all your unfinished work at the last minute. Most of the time when we try to finish it, it is not one of our best works.
So why do we procrastinate? For the most part, our reasons for delaying and avoiding are rooted in low self-confidence, lack of motivation, being overwhelmed by the task at hand, fear and anxiety about doing poorly, of looking stupid, of not having control of our outcomes, or perhaps having our sense of self challenged. The point is, procrastination never helps us and it only makes our life more stressful.
That is why here are some effective ways to overcome procrastinating in your college life:
1. Assess yourself on why you procrastinate.
Try asking yourself, why do you procrastinate? Is the work too overwhelming for you? After you ask yourself about that, think of the things that will happen if you couldn’t finish your work on time or if you can’t pass the exams because you’re just lazy to study.
2. Have a To-Do list.
When you have a to-do list, it can help you organize the things you need to do. In that way, you can also rank what project or assignment needs to be done first (according to deadlines and the amount of time you need to spend on that thing). This can also help you in monitoring the works you have already finished and the things you haven’t done yet.
3. Have regular schoolwork or study time.
As much as having a to-do list to monitor your projects or school works, you should try to evaluate your class schedule and set a reasonable regular study time wherein you can study on your lessons and do your school works. In that way, you will be accountable to sit down and finish your work.
4. Limit distractions.
Try to distance yourself from things that can distract you while doing your work or when you are studying. Put your phone away from you and stay in a quiet place where you can stay focused and finish your work. It will make you finish your work faster and you can also learn your lessons well. When browsing the internet to search for things that are important, make sure that you will not check your social networking sites. It will be tempting but try your best to avoid it. In that way, you can stay focused on what you are doing.
5. Create a relaxing environment.
Listen to relaxing music while doing your work. It may not be the same as everyone, but others listen to music so they can stay focused and relaxed while studying or doing their work. Listening to relaxing music genres such as acoustic and jazz can help you clear your mind and will help in removing unnecessary noises from your surroundings. The room in which you are studying should not be too bright or too dim, it can hurt your eyes when reading or studying your lessons.
6. Have a study partner.
Having a study partner can be good and bad at the same time. You should choose a study partner who will encourage you to study and get your work done and is also focused on what he/she is doing. In that way, he/she knows that both of you have a goal to accomplish. Choosing a study partner who is a bit chatty will end up in a long conversation that will lead to unfinished work.
7. Ask for help when needed.
There will be projects and school works that will be really hard for you to handle or finish alone. If needed, ask for help from a friend or any person whom you think can help you. Never ever hesitate to ask, we’re all just humans and most of the time we can’t do everything.
8. Be reasonable.
Putting too much pressure on yourself can lead to taking up too much time in doing your work. Remember, you will have a lot of projects to do in your whole college life and making every project perfect will be impossible. Always remember that the most important thing is to finish your projects on time and it is not made out of complacency.
9. Reward yourself.
All work and no play can be draining and can make it hard for you to work and study all throughout the semester. Remember to reward yourself after accomplishing your tasks. Hanging out with your friends or having some time with yourself are some things you can do. You are less likely to procrastinate when you feel happy, refreshed and motivated!
I always remember what our Lead Pastor in our church would quote, “there will come a time when there is no more time.” And it’s true, we should learn how to manage the time we have to finish the things that need to be accomplished because further delaying can cause not just physical but emotional stress as well. Balancing your time well is the key to it, not only can you enjoy your college years, but you can also enjoy your life as well.
ALSO READ:
11 Motivational Ways to Overcome Procrastination
10 Tips on How to Overcome Laziness in Studying
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