More often than we’d like to admit, us collegiettes fall victim to the GPA-lowering, sleep-preventing, but oh-so-tempting time waster otherwise known as procrastination. Procrastination is defined as “to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done”. In college, we do this with homework by way of Facebook, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, the sudden need to clean our dorm rooms, impromptu naps, and anything else we can think of. Procrastination usually feels completely justified, but in the end, it usually doesn’t work out in one’s favor. Take a look at our favorite tips to kick the procrastination bug and get motivated!
If you can do the assignment without your computer, embrace it. While some things like taking notes are done easier on the computer, there will forever be a temptation to open up Safari and type in the disastrous address of “www.facebook.com”. To avoid this, take notes, review, or draft your paper by hand. Studies have also shown that when you write things instead of type them, you remember them better. Win-win!
Utilize a friend. If your phone is your biggest downfall, give it to your roommate or friend and don’t let her give it back to you until you’ve finished all of your math homework. The same goes for your iPod, computer, or whatever you might use to avoid your homework. This gets the tool out of your sight and eliminates all temptation.
Make a to-do list. Write down every single thing you need to do; from the mundane like “Eat lunch” to the more important, such as “Study for mid-terms”. Make check boxes next to each task, assignment or activity. This way, you can check off every thing you do. Once you start getting things done, you may find it difficult to stop. Plus, the satisfaction of a finished to-do list feels amazing at the end of the day!
Set small goals, and reward yourself. Sometimes, if you try to do too much at once, you’ll get overwhelmed and want to quit. Make deals with yourself: for every 3 pages you write of your paper, allow yourself 15 minutes of Facebook time.
Taking small breaks can help your brain take a breather, and it’ll be more motivation for you to finish what you’re working on. Just make sure to monitor your break time; it’s important not to let that turn into an hour-long distraction. Think of the fantastic things that come with not procrastinating! If you work hard during the week and get the bulk of your work done for the next week, you can be free to go out guilt-free during the weekend. If you get your work done at a reasonable time before Saturday night, you can feel free to sleep in all day Sunday. Getting through the annoyance that is homework is tedious and painful, but oh so rewarding! Your GPA (and sleep schedule) will thank you.