Everyone in my family tells me that I am the only one who doesn’t procrastinate. My mom says it about getting exercise, my brother says it about packing, my dad says it about school work and emails… and then they ask me what my secret is. In college especially, procrastination can be a dangerous thing. Here are some tips on how to avoid it!
Make a plan. I don’t just tell myself: “Oh, I’ll get that done tomorrow,” although that is sometimes the easiest option. Instead, I use my planner religiously. I make daily and weekly to-do lists, placing assignments in the order I plan to do them, and I put additional reminders in my phone for all meetings and practices.
Photo creds: Brooke Kelly
Focus on the ‘big picture.’ It’s easy to get swept up with the moving current that is college excitement. When I’m torn between school work and an alternate activity of any kind, I choose how to use my time in that moment based on what will happen later on. It’s a whole lot better having fun when you’re not preoccupied with other things you know you still have to do later on.
Photo creds: Mark Chanski
Use your time wisely. Learning how to use little chunks of time throughout the day productively can be pretty difficult. Therefore, using your time wisely and evenly distributing it between academics, athletics, down time, and fun is important! It will help you feel like you’re on top of everything (most of the time) and it won’t leave you with any good reasons for putting things off until later.
Photo creds: Djessie
Stick to the plan. Planning everything out in advance and looking ahead is only beneficial if you actually follow through. Sticking to the agenda you’ve made will help you stay on schedule and accomplish everything you have to do in a timely fashion.
Photo creds: Amanda Zampelli
Be honest with yourself. Sometimes you can’t get everything done the way you had hoped to. When that happens, try to be honest with yourself and readjust your previous plan so that it is more realistic to what is on your current plate. Learn how to decipher whether you are procrastinating or if you really need to change the plan that you’ve laid out!
Photo creds: Wall Street International