In high school, being a procrastinator wasn't that big of a deal in my own opinion. But coming from a school that didn't really have strict deadlines on things, meaning you basically got points for turning it in be it exactly on or before the deadline, or 4 weeks later when you realize your grade needs to be raised up. So, when I came to college, I knew it would be different. It hasn't really been hard transitioning into a good student when it comes to out of class work and projects, but it hasn't been that easy either. I will use myself for example. I am enrolled in Introduction to Public Speaking, and it's not that is a hard class, because it isn't, but I just get lost in other things and before I knew it, I had to present a persuasive speech the next day. I also realized this at about 11:15 the night before, and had about half of my outlines done, and my visual aid hadn't been started on. Though I got it done, I promised myself that I would not ever just wait until the last minute with specifically this class, but with any other class also. After that little dilemma, I decided to look for ways that I could get things done in a timely manner. So, here I have listed a few things that I now use in order to get things done before the deadline so that I do not have to rush and worry about it the night before:
1. Marker Boards.
I got a simple marker board at Wal-Mart, the one that doubles as a calendar, and so I list the days of the month and then when I get an assignment, I write it immediately when I get back to my dorm room on the exact days that I received it, and also when it is due. I do this wit hall my classes, so my calendar looks full, but it isn't. Then, when I finish an assignment, I clear it off or mark it out so I know it has been finished. At the end of each month, I clear the board and start all over.
2. Planner.
When I was in elementary school, we received planners and would be graded on them, the points coming from whether or not you wrote the weeks agenda in the right spot and got it signed by your parent. But after elementary school, I never saw another planner. I made my own decision to buy myself before college and vowed to keep it up. Using that planner has actually helped, and I'm not much of a "planner person" but changing that habit has definitely helped. You can pencil in things that you need to do even if they are not academic, so you'll also remember those too.
3. Setting Reminders on Your Phone.
If you're anything like me, you are on your phone or computer most of your day, be it socialization or for school. Either way, you can set your reminders up for all your assignments with a specific time for when you either need to submit something or when you need to start on something. This can help you tremendously especially when you're constantly on technology.
So, whether it be completely electronic, or DIY, you can easily change your habit of missing assignments, or procrastinating simply by writing things down, or setting reminders. May you never procrastinate again.
