Gone is the start of term where essays seemed far away. Many of us have deadlines creeping up thick and fast, and it’s time to buckle down and do some studying. Or, if we’re honest, some procrastinating. The first step to curing chronic procrastination is a diagnosis. Here are six reasons why you are procrastinating right now – and what to do about it.
1. You’re a perfectionist
A perfectionist procrastinator seems like an oxymoron – you’d expect someone obsessed with completing a perfect essay to get started straight away to give them enough time to perfect it – but it’s very common. Perfectionist procrastinators end up putting off their work due to the fear of writing an imperfect essay. They delay their assignment until they’re inspired, or until the last minute, whichever comes first.
How to cure it: Fight perfectionism. There’s a reason people write drafts – essays aren’t usually the best right away. So concentrate on getting a first draft written of whatever quality, then edit it to the standard you’re looking for which will be much less intimidating when there’s actually something on your computer screen to look at.
2. The essay isn’t challenging enough
After a few semesters at university, assessments can start to get repetitive. Whilst the content may change, the structure is fairly similar and you’ve already mastered it. You don’t feel like you’re learning anything and writing another essay is just procedural.
How to cure it: Embrace your abilities. You’ve mastered this type of essay – great! Use this to your advantage, and get through it by congratulating yourself every time you do something well, particularly when it used to be something you struggled with. You may even choose to push your ideas further to get more out of the process.
3. You don’t know where to start
On the other hand, your essay may be a totally new beast that you have no idea how to tackle. Even the thought of starting it makes you queasy.
How to cure it: Talk to your tutor and break the essay down into smaller tasks. Tutors may seem scary but they are there to aid your learning. If something is confusing you, either procedurally or academically, go to their office hour or send them an e-mail. Also, it’s easy to see an essay as one big beast, but you can separate it into different body parts. Don’t put ‘write my essay’ on your to do list – put ‘brainstorm the task’, ‘find books in the library’, ‘read a chapter of a book’ etc. Be as specific as possible.
4. You need a real break
Sometimes you can get so caught up in worrying that you neither work towards your essay nor get a decent break. You feel guilty because you haven’t done anything productive, and you can’t even procrastinate well.
How to cure it: Forget about your work and take a real break. Worrying is not a break. If you’re so stressed out you won’t get anything done, don’t try right now. Do something you enjoy – watch your favourite TV show, listen to music, go to the cinema. Then get back to your work when you’re feeling more positive. It’s not the hours you put in, it’s how well you use them.
5. You’re feeling uninspired about your course/uni in general
Whether you’re a fresher feeling like your dream course or university experience isn’t what you were expecting, or a second or third year harking back to better days, everyone has those existential doubts now and again. However, when you’re procrastinating on an assignment, any doubts seem to magnify. How can you possibly work on this one essay when you know that you won’t even feel better when it’s over?
How to cure it: This is both a short term and a long term problem. In the short term, try and remember the reasons why you picked your course and Nottingham, and any positive experiences you have had, whether in seminars or your social life, however small. Use this positivity to propel yourself through your essay. Resolve to make these moments much more frequent once you’ve done your essay, by calling a friend, joining a new society or reading around your course to rediscover what interested you in the first place. Talk to your tutor, friends or family about how you are feeling. If it is late at night, you can call or instant message Nightline, the university listening service. Most importantly, never compare yourself to others.
6. You’re distracted
It’s the day before your essay is due in and you’re knee deep in Buzzfeed articles, YouTube videos and your snack of choice. You’re ready to go take a nap. You don’t even know how your 5 five minute Facebook break turned into this mess, but you certainly know it’s more fun than your essay, so why stop?
How to cure it: Firstly, don’t be hard on yourself. We live in a world so full of distractions I wonder how I even do anything. Then remember that you’ve most likely been here before and got through it, so think about how you did that. Instead of resigning yourself to a much more boring task, try and find something exciting about your course (there was a reason you chose it after all) or an exciting reward even better than YouTube videos for once you’re done. Be honest with yourself – don’t try to study in a way that doesn’t suit you. Maybe you find sitting still to concentrate difficult, so you get distracted. Try going on walks instead of checking Facebook in your breaks. Also, remember that the sooner you are done, the sooner you can have the big exciting reward, rather than whatever you are doing right now just because it’s more interesting than your studies.
Edited by Jayde Richards.
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