The one thing every student hates is procrastination. This is where a student knows what they have to do during their study but don’t feel like it. If a student has an assignment that they are not a fan of, they can easily push it to the side and do it at the last minute or rely on a fast custom essay writing service like AffordablePapers. There are a few effective tips a student can use to not procrastinate in college.
1. Make sure that you are very organized. While this may sound simple enough, many students find it hard to organize their tasks. They spend so much time on things that will not help them progress academically and less on things that are helpful to them. You can be organized by effectively using the calendar app that most smartphones have these days and marking assignments deadlines and other important dates.
2. Set yourself realistic goals. A big factor that contributes to students procrastinating is because they set unrealistic goals for themselves. An assignment becomes easier to do if the goals are realistic and easy to accomplish. This can be done by having a plan in place. You need to have an “I will do it” mentality rather than an “I will do it later” mentality.
3. Make sure that you have a timeline of what tasks need to be done. When you know the goals you want to achieve, it is time to create a roadmap. If your assignment is due at a certain date, break it into smaller pieces so that you can handle it. Biting off more than you can chew is not a good idea.
4. Do your work with a deadline in mind. The common trap that many students fall in has been mentioned above which is having an “I will do it later” mentality. If you know when a particular assignment is due, try to get it done one day or two before you hand it in. This gives you time to correct any grammar mistakes and make sure it is perfect. Leaving things until the last minute causes stress and anxiety.
5. Eliminate all your distractions. Before you begin doing your assignment, you need to make sure that anything that has the potential to distract you is eliminated. If you use social media apps like Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, make sure that you turn your phone off. Listen to music that is slow and soothing like classical. It will put you in writing mode while opting for genres like heavy metal is not a good idea at all. If you live in a dorm or with housemates and it is noisy, go to the local library and do your assignments from there.
6. Set yourself a timer. Studying too much or spending so much time on a particular subject can lead to burnout. What you want to do is make sure that you give your brain information it can handle for a certain period without feeling drained. Set a timer of 45 minutes to an hour to allow your brain to register what you've been studying before you touch on another subject.
7. Take breaks in between when you are studying. This point goes hand in hand with the one above. No student wants to exhaust themselves when they are studying. When you feel like you’ve been studying too hard, take a break of at least half an hour. Watch an episode of your favorite series, go for a walk, listen to some of your favorite tunes, or even do the washing. Do anything you can to ensure that you refresh your brain before you begin again.
8. Reward yourself. We all love to be given a little treat for a job well done and try to reward yourself when you reach certain milestones in your study. For example, if you write 3 pages of your assignment in one day, you get to go to the cinema and watch the latest film. You can also switch things up and opt for going to a 5-star restaurant and dining like royalty. It is small things like this or even buying yourself a few snacks that can make the biggest difference and prevent procrastination.
9. Do the most difficult things first. If you have assignments that are very challenging, try to get those out of the way first and attempt the ones that are easier later. Everything else becomes so much easier however, if you keep pushing things back because you find them challenging, you will not get anything done.
10. Let someone know about your accomplishments. When you tell a family member or a friend about what you have accomplished, it will inspire you to do better. Hearing them congratulate you and telling you what a great job you are doing can only boost your self-esteem and make you motivated to conquer any challenge that comes your way.There are a lot of effective ways to avoid procrastination in college. You can choose any of them and follow some tips to be a successful student.