One of the on-campus organizations, SPRUCE, hangs “Toilet Talk” articles in the stalls and the one put up most recently is “5 Reasons Why You Should Not Procrastinate.” Now, I have a feeling that everyone who procrastinates already knows why they shouldn’t, but a lot of procrastinators don’t have effective methods to help themselves from procrastinating too much. I understand that there are no universal methods for helping people battle their own apathy, and that change will not be immediate, but here are a few methods I know of and some that I use.
1. Make a to-do list
Write down the work you need to do, and then list it in order of importance. And by importance I mean is due the soonest and will take the most time to complete. Just knowing what you have to do can be a good motivator and allows you to visualize what needs to get done first and what may need the most time spent on it.
2. Find a place, a studious place
I have the hardest time concentrating on my work in my dorm; its too cozy. I prefer to work in the library or a computer lab where its quiet and everyone else is working. It gives me a sense of wanting to seem studious.
3. Find other people to do homework with you
Sometimes it just another person working to motivate you to work as well. You can both help each other keep on task if either of you become distracted for too long, and you can ask for help if you’re stuck. I find studying for a test with someone who is confused about the material works best for me because then I have to explain everything to them, which reinforces the material in my mind.
4. Set a specific time to study
Are you a morning or evening person? I prefer to get work done in the afternoon and evening because that is when I am most awake. Schedule homework time in between afternoon classes if you like working in the afternoon or before your morning classes if you prefer to get up early. If you have a hard time making yourself work then get someone with a similar schedule who might work with you as I mentioned above.
5. Do the homework immediately after class
If you don’t have another class or another engagement, do quick and easy homework while the material is still fresh in your mind. This is when I prefer to do math homework because it is usually just a reinforcement of the material we had just learned in class.
6. Record your procrastination time
I know there are some teachers who have made you record the amount of time you spend on the internet or watching TV to make you mindful of how much time you waste on them. But it does little to change your mind habits because it lasts for about a week and then you go back to your old habits and forget how wasteful you’re being. A friend of mine recommended using a little chess timer to record the time you work and the time you procrastinate during the day. You just carry it with you and switch the timer every time you being working and then when you stop working. It helps you feel good about the time you are spending on working and mindful of the time you’re not.
