How to Turn your College Procrastination into Productivity
“Today is what? Oh my God, I am late again, why did I put off doing that presentation?” Does that sound familiar? -or- “I know that the paper is due in a couple of days, but my favorite show is on if I watch it now I still have time to throw something together.” -or- “I just cannot do this, what if it doesn’t turn out right and I fail?”
Procrastination, or the putting off of something that needs to be done, is a characteristic of many people, especially students.
Students may:
- Talk themselves into thinking that they have more time than they do to complete a task.
- Talk themselves into waiting until they feel more motivated tomorrow.
- Talk themselves into thinking that the professor is wrong on the syllabus, there is no way something should take that long to complete.
- Talk themselves into thinking that they could never finish the project anyway so just not do it.
- Spend so much time surfing the web that they talk themselves right into an “F”.
Students are not the only ones with this affliction, adults are chronic procrastinators. They pay bills late, taxes late, get to work late, work on projects the night before they are due. If you kids are watching you they are probably procrastinators too. How many times have you yelled at your kids for telling you their science project is due the next day, and this is the first you have heard about it?
Procrastination is a serious problem and can cause a domino effect when practiced continually. It can cause undue stress, arguments between spouses and frustration for students and professors.
When you procrastinate you are placing a burden on those around you, and they will eventually lose trust in your ability to come thru on important projects. This can cause partners that you work with on a project in school, co-workers, and your boss to become resentful.
We Make up Excuses-Why/ Justification
Not only do those that put off what they need to do, they come up with some excuses that are similar in all cases of those that procrastinate. Here are some of the excuses used:
- The material is boring- This was at the top of the list of why students and employees didn’t get the job was done on time and it may be still sitting on their desk. With the Internet full of so many distractions there are software programs now that will not allow you to surf within a block of time so that you can get your work done. When something is boring, for some of us it aches to the bone to pick it up and get it done.
- I don’t know how to do the work- This excuse was the one that we thought was lazy thinking. If you spend over 15 weeks in a class, or have been hired to do a job, you know how to do it, you just don’t want to. If you have a valid reason for not knowing the task at hand, then it’s time you told someone so that you can get back on the ball and get the work done.
- Fear of failure- Fear is such a little word, but can wield like a sword to self-esteem. Those that let fear choke them from completing tasks are big customers of best essay writing services, but what they should be doing is buying self-help books. Read up on why fear can block your progress, while you are surfing the Internet, type in the word “fear” and look at all of the content that comes flooding into your box. You are not alone in this reason. There are those that will not leave their homes because they are in the grip of fear. Get some help.
- Fear of success- On the flip side of fear of failure is fear of topping what you have already accomplished. Every time you accomplish something successfully, you are now on to bigger challenges. If you are the type of personality that needs to please others, this fear can grip you because you cannot please everyone all of the time. Your family expectations may be high, but you have to please you first, and see the successes as an accumulation of what you are capable of achieving.
- Power struggles- Your family adopting a rigid schedule for your education can sometimes backfire and make you feel like rebelling against their authority. They may expect you to take on classes that will help you carry on the family business after you complete your education. However, now that you are in college there are so many other avenues to explore. If you find yourself in this category there is a simple solution. Sit down with your parents and tell them you want to do something different. It may be hard at first and they may disagree with you, but your ultimate happiness and grades depend on it. If you don’t stand for something now, you will be following what others want you to do the rest of your life.
- Forgetting- There is not a lot we can do about this one, everyone forgets now and then. However, if it is chronic and makes life miserable for you when it comes to getting your work done, then here are a few things that can help with forgetfulness:
1.Sticky notes on your desktop/mirror/books
2.Set reminders to your phone/create calendar reminders
3.Keep color coded rubber bands on your wrists
4.Ask a friend to help you remember
- Not prioritizing- The rule of the day for procrastinators is first things first. You may have 4-5 things on your desk and although there are some tasks that may be boring, get to the ones that are pending first. Keep that in mind. Why not make a sticky note of that saying, “first things first”, and put it on your desktop now? Now, not tomorrow.
If you find that after trying all of these suggestions that you still are procrastinating, you may do well to read this article based on time management. Although it was written primarily for Psychology students, we found it helpful.