It’s late March and though I’m beyond excited that summer is almost upon us, I’m severely less chuffed that the due dates for my assignments and papers are also fast approaching. (Don’t even get me started on exams.) As it gets closer to the end of the semester, I become more creative as I look for ways to put off my work. Yes, I’ll admit it, I am one fine procrastinator.
Though procrastination is not exactly a sought after habit, it is definitely one that afflicts many students on a university campus. What’s more, most procrastinators–like myself–are fully aware that yes, we have a problem, and no, we haven’t finished our papers yet. I’m not only a procrastinator, however, but also an optimist. The combination of these characteristics has led me to look into how I can make my procrastination as productive as possible. Here are my the five ways I’ve found to kickstart my successful procrastination.
1. Write a to-do list: Why do I procrastinate? Often because I’m too overwhelmed; I feel like I have too much to do, and no idea where to start. That’s when I make a list. I write down everything I want to get done, from assignments, to cooking dinner and taking a shower. Listing out assignments not only helps you organise your time and help you prioritize your papers, but with a super comprehensive list, you’ll always be able to check something off your list. Get out of bed today? Check!
2. Finish that series on Netflix…What are you watching? Gilmore Girls? House of Cards? Community? Whatever it is, just go ahead and binge! You know you want to, and when you emerge from that TV marathon, you’ll have one less thing to do before you finally buckle down to finish–or at least start–that paper.
3. Clean your room: In any other situation, cleaning your room would be very far down on your to-do list. With assignments and exams, however, cleaning is suddenly much more exciting. Plus, a cleaner room is actually proven to be more conducive to work (when you eventually get to doing that.)
4. Call your Mum! Or your Dad, your sister, your Grandma, your best friend who goes to school 3,000 miles away. Not only will your family appreciate the call home, those closest to you always know exactly what you need to hear to keep you motivated without making you feel guilty.
5. Exercise! Don’t want to study? Go for a run, a walk, do some fun tae-bo exercises on YouTube with your roommate! It’s the oldest trick in the book; what is really so wrong about working out when you ‘should’ be studying? You’re only improving yourself! An added bonus? Exercise is also seen to improve your learning comprehension and retention rates, which are key to pass any high-stress exam.
Keep calm and procrastinate on!
Images obtained from:
http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcmlhrjyR51qf76m1o1_500.png
http://www.thebraininjane.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/montreal1.jpg