How to Beat Procrastination this Semester
Your assignments are piling up, your to-do list is getting
longer, time keeps passing by and you are not any closer to crossing anything
off your list. Well, you are not alone. Most college students are always faced
with this predicament. If you are in a similar position questioning how to beat
procrastination this semester, you have come to the right place.
Contrary to popular belief, procrastination does not mean
that you are lazy. There are actual reasons why you procrastinate and effective
strategies to beat procrastination in college. In this article, we will
enlighten you on how to maximize your time and give you tips on how to avoid
procrastinating this semester.
Why do College Students Procrastinate?
Procrastination is a universal issue and most students have
suffered this problematic setback. Before we get to the ways to beat
procrastination, it is important to understand that this is not a matter solely
based on poor management. Rather, procrastination can sometimes be rooted in a
deeper more complicated psychological reason.
The college school system is based on students being
constantly evaluated and puts an immense amount of pressure on grades.
Sometimes the reason why we procrastinate is due to the pressure that school
places on performance. Procrastinating in college is thus caused in part by
poor time management strategies, fear of failure, and ineffective study
habits.
In this digital age, one of the major causes of
procrastination in college is social media. It is not uncommon for students to
spend hours upon hours scrolling through the internet, clicking, liking, and
drooling over other people’s posts. This is a very unproductive habit and
contributes to your procrastinating in college. You find yourself slacking off
on your assignment because you spend too much time on your phone.
If you want to know how to overcome procrastination this
semester, here is a list of approaches that you can incorporate into your
routine.
Tips for Beating Procrastination
If there was a pill that magically helps people overcome
procrastinating on their pending work, we would all take it. Unfortunately,
there is no such pill and ultimately, you have to put in the work.
Lucky for you we have put together a list of strategies that
will help you stop procrastinating this semester.
1. Manage your time wisely
You have probably heard this quote by Benjamin Franklin,
“Never leave till tomorrow that which you can do today.” Well, it is true. If
you have an assignment or exams around the corner, this is the best time to
manage your time better and stop procrastinating. Have a well-structured
schedule accounting for all your class and pending work. In his way not only
will you overcome procrastination, but you will also have more free time for
other activities. Often students are under the impression that to beat procrastination,
you need to completely cut off all extra-curricular activities and only focus
on school work. However, this is a sure way to build anxiety and procrastinate
even more.
Time management includes building better awareness and
sectioning your time appropriately. If you master this skill, you will be able
to have enough time to do your school work and squeeze in that Netflix series
that you have been wanting to catch up on all week. It is all about balance if
you want to avoid procrastination.
2. Get rid of distractions
College life is riddled with all sorts of fun activities
that you can indulge in with your friends. We know that overcoming
procrastination is even harder when there are all these enticing things to do.
If you are struggling with sticking to your routines, then the best way to
overcome this is by binding yourself to your responsibilities.
Recognize your weaknesses, if it is texting with your
friends, going to parties, or spending hours mindlessly scrolling on social
media. This self-awareness is the first step if you want to beat
procrastination this semester. The next step is to create a schedule that binds
you to your work like joining discussion groups, getting a study partner, or
having a friend hold you accountable. In this, you will eliminate any
distractions because you’re the majority of your time is committed to school
work.
3. Create incentives and reward yourself
As a student, it can be difficult to stay motivated all
semester. Even though getting good grades is a great reward, you can also set
up a personal reward system to beat procrastinating. If you have an assignment
due and you finish it in time, you can reward yourself with a sweet treat, a
night out or a visit to your favorite coffee shop. The best way to beat
procrastinating is to create routines that keep you motivated.
Reward yourself regularly and ensure you remind yourself how
good it feels to complete your work. The next time you feel like
procrastination you will be reminded of the feeling you had the last time you
were successful in overcoming procrastination.
4. Stay active in your classes
One of the best ways to overcome procrastination is to be engaged in your classes. The moment you are struggling to make sense of your coursework, you will be demotivated. If you are passive in taking notes or attending classes, you will not have fun studying. The work will seem boring and cumbersome. If you have always been tardy with your schoolwork, this semester you should make more of an effort and avoid procrastinating later.
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