A month into term and you will see the signs – the library starts filling up, the titles you request will suddenly vanish and students arrive at seminars and lectures (or not, in some cases) with puffy eyes signalling a late night. That’s right – essay deadlines have hit and students have started to hit the books.
Or have they? Many a student will be familiar with the urge to procrastinate, and how it oddly seems to hit when you need to be the most productive. A recent American study in fact revealed that 70% of students are prone to procrastination behaviour.
Don’t worry – Her Campus is here with some handy tips to help you beat the urge!
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Move out of your bedroom.
The library isn’t by any means the only place where students study – many don’t even venture out of the safety of their own bedroom, especially with the weather getting as cold as it is.
When feelings of essay anxiety hit, though, this can be a problem. With a bed so close by, students can procrastinate in the best way they know how: sleeping. We probably all know how inviting curling up in a warm duvet and forgetting about the world for a few hours may seem with a horrendous deadline coming up.
If you’re prone to succumbing to this kind of procrastination, then your solution is clear- get out of your room, either to reboot your mind with a different activity, such as going for a walk, or to find a better environment for your concentration.
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Bye bye Facebook.
Social media somehow becomes much more popular when deadlines are just round the corner. You’ll see it in the increased number of ‘Heard in Hallward’ posts during essay and exam time. However, a study at Carleton University by psychology experts Timothy A. Pychyl and Jena Roy reveals how poisonous Facebook can be for your work ethic, with participants detailing how the website had become an ‘addiction’. One even related how their friend had to get their roommate to delete their profile so they could concentrate on their studies.
While you definitely don’t have to resort to deleting your social media presence, taking a break from it will certainly help.
If you’re really struggling with controlling your social media habits, then you could always allow a friend/partner/parent to change your passwords and look after your profiles for a while – if you can find someone you trust enough that is.
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Set short term goals and rewards.
Completing a 3000 word essay may seem like a hopeless mountain of a goal to achieve. A 300-word paragraph, however, sounds much better.
What’s more, you can design yourself a great reward system to keep you going. Completed your paragraph on the English Civil War? Reward yourself with the latest episode of Corrie! Read through an entire journal article? Snack on a tasty treat! Your textbook will look far more inviting (and delicious) with jelly babies on the page indicating when your breaks are.
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Find a work buddy.
If you’re finding it difficult to motivate yourself, then why not get someone to do it for you? Whether for solidarity or to ignite your competitive side, having someone typing away beside you will definitely bring on that much needed frenzy of productivity.
Again, though, choose your study buddy wisely. If you end up just talking about the latest episode of TOWIE for two hours then that’s not going to help anybody.
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Make sure you actually sleep.
You might think that all-nighters are an unavoidable part of the student lifestyle. However, not sleeping properly long-term can have some serious effects on your concentration and your health.
According to a recent study by Susan Redline, professor of sleep medication in Boston, a lack of sleep can lead to all sorts of medical conditions including high blood pressure, depression and cancer. Perhaps then getting your 8 hours might be more important than you think – students have enough to be stressed about as it is!
Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2012/may/09/students-procrastinating-exams
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200804/facebook-whole-new-world-wasting-time
http://www.theguardian.com/edu…
Image Sources:
http://compfight.com/search/facebook/1-3-1-1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lozmospix/529941591/sizes/m/
http://compfight.com/search/sleeping/1-3-1-1