The end of the semester (wahoo!) is only a few weeks away, and that means finals are about to be upon us. As a way to get a jump start on your studying and an easy A, here are 5 easy steps to stop procrastinating so you can open your text books and study on!
Step 1: Set realistic goals.
Only giving yourself 2 days to write that really important essay will result in a stress induced mental breakdown. You set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals such as, reading all 5 chapters of your Psychology textbook in one day. To ensure your success and delete the risk of a panic attack, set manageable goals. Small successes are better than big failures.
Step 2: Make a list.
A feeling of satisfaction always comes from being able to cross off a task on your list. Invest in a cute organizer notebook and use colored highlighters to separate tasks such as school, work, and home chores. With everything you need to remember in one place, you can reduce your stress and make it all more manageable.
Step 3: Add in a workout.
Sometimes we need little motivators to get ourselves through the mundane tasks. Try adding pieces of your workout into your study breaks. Write a paragraph then do 10 squats. Finish a chapter and do 5 minutes of yoga stretches. This is a more effective form of multitasking if you’re the type of girl who finds it hard to stay focused on one task for too long. Plus this will force you to get your workout in, and you may find you prefer the studying more!
Step 4: Enlist in a group.
Often studying alone can cause you to be prone to distractions such as surfing your phone or deciding that reorganizing your closet is more important than studying for biology. By forming study groups you are less likely to get distracted amongst everyone else, especially if some of the people in the group aren’t your close besties. If you have a scheduled appointment to meet with a group, you are more likely to stick to your plans because you have other people counting on you, and not just yourself.
Step 5: Reward yourself.
Getting your work done on time or even before it is due deserves a reward! You can start small with sweet treats after you finish your rough draft or allow yourself to finish your Netflix season in one sitting, guilt free. Just make sure that your finished work is deserving of the reward you give yourself or you will defeat the purpose. The best reward of all: leaving your weekends as open as possible to do whatever it is you want!