Tips on how to be regularly productive
Most of us are guilty of procrastinating every once in a while. Leaving everything until the last moment, however, can be disastrous and does not always give us the best results or a peace of mind. Instead of downing multiple cans of Red Bulls and staying up all night for an assignment due the following day, try to follow some of these tips on how to break your habits:
Limit your time on Facebook. We see it every day: students at the PCL or the Union, sitting at tables with their textbooks opened out in front of them, scrolling through Facebook instead of studying for their upcoming tests, subconsciously creating more stress for themselves. Much to the surprise of many people who think they can multitask while on Facebook, doing so actually takes up an unusually large portion of many people’s day which they should have spent doing their homework. Though it may appear convenient to converse with your friends while studying or doing assignments, getting on Facebook while doing homework only drags out the assignment even more and doesn’t even provide a good break to clear your mind. To prevent excessive amounts of your time spent on Facebook, allow yourself to get on only after you have finished your schoolwork. This will motivate you to work faster and will prevent wasted time while doing homework.
Natasha Viteri, a public health freshman, balances extracurriculars, cell-related research, demanding science classes, and learning Italian following this method.
“I usually check my Facebook after I’m done with all my homework,” Viteri said. “This limits my time procrastinating and really helps me stay on track.”
Establish a daily routine. Creating a weekly schedule that includes doing homework, exercising, and some time for relaxing will encourage you to have a healthy lifestyle and manage your responsibilities. Having your week planned out will encourage you to do school work daily and will help you learn time management skills. Even though ideally it may appear easier to do your assignments all at once, breaking up your assignments into small sections will not only make them easier to accomplish, but will encourage you to complete them accurately.
Do not rely on study groups to completely resolve all issues. Study groups like the ones at Jester and Kinsolving on weeknights are great places to get your questions answered and do difficult homework assignments with the input of others. Even so, you ?shouldn’t rely on these study times to teach you the material for the first time without taking the time to learn and understand on your own. Going to study sessions without studying yourself will be useless and will take up your time without any benefits. Take the time to understand and learn the material on your own and view study groups as opportunities to ask questions. You’ll eliminate one of the many ways you unintentionally procrastinate.
UT natural sciences freshman Nicole Tran Finds starting homework right after class a convenient way to avoid procrastination.
“I find it helpful to start on my homework immediately after the class that it is assigned in.” Tran said. “You’re already in the zone, and it’s fresh on your mind so you do it more efficiently than if you waited until later.”
Have a balanced sleeping schedule: This is a tough one for many college students. With having to balance time with friends, schoolwork, and extracurricular activities, sleeping schedules can easily go haywire. Even though staying up all of one night and completely missing all of your morning classes the next morning may not seem like that big of a deal, it’s important to remember that sleep is important not only for thinking and alertness, but also for your attitude. A consistent sleeping schedule with a reasonable number of hours will help you to pay more attention in class, feel better about yourself, and get your schoolwork done well and consistently! Most importantly, having a balanced sleeping schedule will eliminate the need for taking naps in the middle of the day.
Priscila Cevallos, a pre-med freshman on the UT rowing team balances her time by limiting her naps.
“I’ve learned that taking naps throughout the day is a bad idea. Not only does a ten minute nap turn into a four hour nap, they leave you just as tired as before. I refrain from them!” Cevallos said.
Make to-do lists. Sometimes seeing all the things we need to do listed can be a reality check that encourages us not to leave everything for the last minute.
Pooja Mehta balances her academic work with community service and being involved in her sorority by making to-do lists.
“I’ve learned especially this semester it’s extremely beneficial to make a to-do list. It saves you from so much stress!” Mehta said.
Having a planner with your assignments and their due dates is a great way to enforce what you need to accomplish and can motivate you to finish them. As you complete the items from your to-do lists, cross them off so you know what you have left and to remind yourself what all you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. It’s no surprise that organized people are less likely to leave things for the last minute.
Find a place to study and focus. While some people find it easier to study in their dorm rooms, others prefer quiet libraries like the fourth floor of the PCL or the Life Sciences Library. What’s important is for you to find the place most productive for you. Knowing the environment where you are most productive can encourage you to get your work done more effectively. Don’t just look to where your friends study the best. Pay attention to your own studying tendencies and remember that a large portion of studying is learning things on your own.
The most important thing to remember when trying to break procrastinating habits is balance: knowing you don’t have a monotonous task to do all day can motivate you to start on your assignments as you go along and have a healthy lifestyle. It will even help you understand things better as you put an end to those stressful all-nighters cramming weeks of material for an upcoming test the next morning. So take a deep breath, get organized and realize how much easier life is without procrastinating!