Trying not to procrastinate is hard. We’ve all been there when a paper or presentation is due at the last minute and we’re scrambling to put something together, just in the knick of time. Usually when this happens we’re not putting forth the best effort in our work. Which in turn leads to our professors making us do the homework assignment all over again, or eventual-worst-case scenario- fail us in their class. None of us want that. Here are five of my favorite tips on how not to procrastinate going into the new school year.
1. Wake up earlier
This is the essential key to not procrastinating. Even if you happen to have evening classes this year, try waking up earlier than usual. Starting your day when the sun rises not only gives you more hours in the day to get things done, but it can also give you the focus and intent to finally check something off your to-do list. If you normally get up at 7:00 a.m, try getting up at 6:00 a.m. It’ll take your body a little while to adjust to the change, but eventually you won’t even need to hear that dreaded alarm clock sound in the morning!
2. Use a digital and physical planner
If you’re in college, your planner is about to become your new best friend. It helps you keep track of important events, exams, emails, dates and so much more. I like to use an online planner like Microsoft-To Do, because I can check my schedule without having to bring my actual physical planner with me. I recommend still using a physical planner just to really make the information stick to your brain- it’s less likely to forget a task that you’ve jotted down twice.
3. Set up a reward system
One of my favorite ways to get myself motivated to be productive, is by rewarding myself with something I really enjoy after completing my task. For example, if I were to accomplish my goal of completing all my homework assignments that are due for Monday-Wednesday on Tuesday, I would allow myself to have fun and visit my favorite cafe with a friend on Thursday. Find something that you love to do, and treat yourself for all your hard work! Especially around MC, there are so many cool spots to go to!
4. Make Your Bed!
I can’t stress this tip enough. Many recent studies have shown that people who choose to make their bed as the first task that they complete in the morning, have higher levels of serotonin (aka the happy hormone) and lead exceedingly more productive lives. Making your bed helps serve as a building block for the rest of our day, something so miniscule as smoothing out our bed sheets creates amazing feelings of accomplishment for us. It only takes about two minutes or so to do, and trust me, if you have a college roommate; they will be very grateful you did!
5. Always finish what you start
Never leave a task undone. If you start a task, make sure you finish it before crashing into bed. Having accountability is one of the most important things to have in college- no one is there to constantly remind you to study and of all the other things you have to do. To help us combat the treacherous feat of putting it off and saying ‘I’ll finish that later’ just have a little accountability and treat it like its due tomorrow morning. You’ll be so thankful you did in the long run!
I really hope that some of these tips will help you guys get through the new school year. College can be brutal sometimes, but if we utilize the right tools and never stop believing, there is no doubt that we’ll have an awesome year. Best of luck, Jaspers!