PSA: Stop Procrastinating!

Procrastination, procrastination, procrastination; this word affects college students on whole other level. Many of us cannot manage all of our assignments so we always push it to the last minute, add some filler sentences, also known as “fluff”, and pray to the assignment gods that our assignment will at least let us pass that class. 

According to a study by VeryWellMind, an estimated 25 to 75 percent of college students procrastinate on academic work. In addition, one 2007 study found that a high of 80 to 95 percent of college students procrastinate on a regular basis, particularly when it came to completing assignments and coursework on time and efficiently, and for those of us who are on the track for our Ph.D., a 1997 survey found that procrastination was one of the top reasons why Ph.D. candidates failed to complete their dissertations.

Here are some ways to help manage your procrastination, and help make that procrastination urge disappear:

1. Get organized

Invest in a planner or start using the calendar app on your phone. This makes it much easier to keep track of individual assignments and important due dates. Some of the best apps to keep track of your assignments are: the Homework app, My Study Life, Egenda, and many more. Another way, if you do not want to fill out the app, is that you can invest in a physical planner, or whiteboard. 

2. Set achievable goals

It’s a lot easier to get started on a project when you establish simple, reachable goals rather than a big, vague plan. Make your goals less intimidating, and it will help you manage the stress.

3. Set a deadline

So many people get trapped in the cycle of “Someday, I’ll organize my notes,” or “I’ll get to that math homework eventually.” The truth is “someday” and “eventually” never comes. It’s important to set a specific date for when you want your goals to be accomplished. If you have an assignment due, aim to have it completed one or two days in advance, just in case you need to fix anything last minute and then proofread it. 

4. Create a timeline/schedule 

After you set your goals, create a timeline to complete them. This could be a study schedule for your big exam coming up , or it could be mapping out an essay you have to write. Breaking an assignment into small chunks over time makes it much more manageable. 

5. Time yourself

When loaded with assignments, it’s easy to overwork yourself. Set a timer for 60 minutes to prevent yourself from burning out, or getting even more stressed. 

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