-
Leave your room.
This might very well be the first step towards success. While working in your room is nice and cozy, it can be very distracting. In your room you can find a million other things to do, like clean up, snack, or even hop into bed and watch Netflix. It’s much more tempting to procrastinate in the comfort of your own room.
2. Find a study spot.
If you do decide to take the first step, well then congratulations! You are almost there! You should try to find a space somewhere where you feel that you will be able to focus, but also a space that is not too stressful. This is truly based on individual preference and where you know you’ll be able to work best. For some people this is the library or for others it can be a coffee place downtown. One of my favorite spots to do work is Krankies. It’s off campus and away from all the stress of school.
3. Set goals for yourself and reward yourself for reaching them.
Just because you are doing work does not mean that you must get everything done all at once. Set mini goals for yourself, such as finishing homework for one class or working for an hour straight. When you finish and accomplish your mini goal, reward yourself with a snack or a special treat like watching a short episode of something. Just remember to get back to work after!
4. Remember to take breaks.
Sometimes it’s really tempting to just try to finish all your work at once, but it can actually take longer. If you don’t take breaks your brain can get really fried and it can take you longer to finish a relatively simple assignment. I try to get up and walk around at least every 45 minutes. Even if it is just going for a walk it’s giving your brain a little break and time to re-power itself for the next assignment. It’s also a good time to go to the gym and workout. This way you accomplish two things at once!
5. Try to get into a routine.
Once you have tried one or all five of these techniques you can pick and choose which ones work for you and which ones don’t. Try to get into a routine with the ones that work, so you can be successful every time you have to do work when you don’t want to.