There are many differences between high school and college: more responsibility, more pressures from your peers and, most noticeably, more homework. However, it is in how one approaches homework that the greatest differences between high school and college emerges. While procrastination has always been a part of our lives throughout our school years, it has evolved into something completely different in college. Some (moms) may say it's a “problem," others (every college student) will say, "It's a lifestyle."
1. Recognize the due date of the assignment.
Okay, you have three weeks to get this done. Write it in your planner; start thinking about when you are going to get it done and how long it may take. You've got this; there is so much time! Just relax!
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2. Fake your way through some rough drafts just to get the points.
At this point, you probably still have two weeks left to fix it. Your group is going to need something to peer edit, but just explain to them that it's a preliminary version -- a preview, if you will (don't mention that you threw it together at 3 a.m.
This rough draft is only worth 10 points, so it's probably okay if you only have two sentences per paragraph. You don't even have a topic? It's probably fine.
3. Accept that this is going to get done the night before it is due.
You are going to keep glancing at your calendar, seeing the due date quickly approaching, but are you going to start it? Probably not. No matter how badly you want to tell yourself you are not going to wait until the last minute, we both know that you will. Embrace it. .
4. Start your “this assignment is due in eight hours" panic.
Cue the “I'm dropping out and living in my parent's basement for the next 40 years" thoughts. You have not started, your rough draft is useless because it really only has like ten sentences, and you hate your topic. This panic is inevitable.
Why didn't you realize before that this is worth 60 percent of your grade? Why did you spend all yesterday re-watching Orange Is The New Black instead of working? Is it too late to drop the class? The answers to all of these questions are irrelevant because you have something due -- so get your life together! Go!
5. Stay up until 4 a.m. and finish that homework!
The panic attack has given you a bit of an adrenaline rush while crushing your dreams, so it's really a lose/lose but you still have things to get done! This may mean staying up until the wee hours of the morning. However, you are probably used to it because, let's face it, this happens every time. You are a professional procrastinator, at this point, and sometimes bad things happen to good people. Even the best fall down sometimes. Eventually, you will finish the assignment and be proud of what you have accomplished (probably).
Just turn it in, and walk away.
Optional sixth step.
Try to convince yourself that you are never going to do this again. Next time you will start earlier and be more prepared. This step is optional because some people just know that they are serial procrastinators and they are perfect the way they are.
Happy procrastinating!
