For many students, procrastination is a huge problem that often leads to late assignments that are far from well-done. You’re lucky if you’re only occasionally affected by procrastination. For most of us, procrastination is a daily occurrence. Disregarding the reasons behind our procrastination, there are ways to get ahead on other things while not focusing on what we should be getting done. Based on my longtime experience, here are a few productive things to do while procrastinating:
Make a To-Do List
This should be the first thing you do before you procrastinate. Determine what you need to accomplish for the assignment. Once finished that, also make a to-do list for everything you have to get done as a whole. I do this very often and always on paper. There are many apps that are great for this like Evernote, Todoist, and Wunderlist. However, I prefer writing it all out on paper because it’s tangible and I can make it look pretty if I feel like it. One of my suitemates spends a lot of time making her to-do lists very aesthetically pleasing (color-coded with a very minimalistic design). Though there are times where she spends longer on the to-do list than getting anything done, she does manage to be quite productive.
Discover new music and shows
Check out that up-and-coming artist that your friend has been obsessing over the entire semester. Go watch that cool YouTube series the same friend has been telling you to watch for months. There are so many interesting series and brilliant musicians and artists online that you’re bound to stumble upon something that really appeals to you. Also use this time to check out your campus radio station or film club!
Apply to Jobs/Internships
Use websites like LinkedIn, WayUp, Quadjobs, and InternQueen, and even college career databases, to find jobs and internships for the summer and next semester. Once you’ve found that dream internship, fix your resume and craft that perfect cover letter! This may seem like it shouldn’t be included on this list as job hunting can be rough, but once you’ve found that dream job or internship, it feels great being able to connect all your experiences to the skills required for that position!
Clean
Clean everything! Vacuum your room for the first time in forever. Do your laundry, because waiting until you run out of underwear is cutting it too close. Rearrange your suite’s common room to make it a more open space to hang out in. I recently cleaned out my college radio station and found old documents from 1979, our founding year! Because of how organized everything is now, I have also received much appreciation!
Catch up with Friends
If your schedule this semester is extremely hectic, you may not be seeing all of your friends as often as you’d both like. Use this time to chill, catch up on each other’s lives, and have deep meaningful conversations about how taco bell still doesn’t deliver. If you do all this while you’re both procrastinating eventually one of you will realize how much time has gone by and you will both get down to business. Ah, the power of friendship!
These are only a few things I’ve done in the time it takes me to actually start my work. I’ll never know the reason why I procrastinate so much, though I know there are countless articles analyzing procrastination and extensive research being done to discover why. Personally, I like to think it helps with my creative process but you can be the judge of that. I hope you enjoyed this article, even if it was completed mere minutes before the deadline! ;)
xoxo, Laura aka Procrastination Queen