How to Stop Procrastination and Prepare for Finals
With finals approaching, it’s becoming harder and harder to stop procrastinating and more and more important to do so. I’ll admit to being guilty of endless procrastination myself more often than I’d like, but I do find the following things to be helpful. Good luck studying Hamily!
1. Close your extra tabs. I promise you can do it. I know you don’t need Pinterest or that YouTube compilation of funny cat videos open right now. Finish that episode you’re watching on Netflix and then get rid of everything you don’t need to do work. Then just try to resist the urge of getting really desperate in your procrastination technique by doing things you don’t even care about, like logging onto Tumblr for the first time in two months. In fact, if at all possible…
2. Put away your computer and other technology altogether. If you’re writing an essay, then yes, you need it. And I get it, you might need to text your group member about the project you’re working on. But if you’re really serious about getting your work done, and you don’t need your laptop, tablet, or phone to do it, then turn them off and put them aside.
3. Find the right spot. Maybe you focus best sitting at your desk or can even stay awake working in your bed, but maybe there’s a great study spot in the library halfway across campus. If there’s a place where you know you can focus, go there. Even if it’s cold and even if your hair is unwashed and seems unfit for public viewing, the right location can make a big difference in your mindset. Even just a change of scenery can help.
4. Be alone if you need to. Studying with friends can be fun, and they can even be great at motivating you sometimes! But there are other times when you really need to be alone to accomplish what needs to be done.
5. Give yourself a break… or several. If you put too much pressure on yourself to finish something big all in one go, it’s not going to be any easier. Before you start working, plan out a few study breaks. Have a healthy snack to refuel, check in with a friend, or take a walk to reenergize yourself.