You have a huge project coming up, a test to study for or a paper to write and your procrastination has hit an all time high. WHAT DO YOU DO??? Why College Cure it of course! If you like how this sounds: Organized, library, Beer, read on!
Procrastination Tip #1: Get Organized
The best way to deal with overwhelming feels of stress related to an overwhelming pile of school work is to take a step back for a moment and organize your tasks.
The best way to thwart procrastination is to stop it before it starts.
Once you have it printed, start filling the days in with items from the list you made with all of your upcoming tasks. I like to use a different color for each class so I can tell from a glance what I have to do on any given day.
Once it’s filled out, tack it up on the wall next to your computer so you are forced to look at it everyday!
Procrastination Tip #2: Make a List
Whether you do it on your computer or you write it out the ol’e fashioned way, you’ve gotta make a list. Instead of making some crazy list with everything you have to do for the rest of the year, take it one step at a time with these easy tips.
Make a weekly list of the tasks you need to do in order to complete the bigger upcoming goal. For example, if you have a test on Friday, you should schedule an hour or more of studying on your list every day until the test is over.
Take a piece of paper and scrawl Monday-Sunday across the top or however you want it organized.
Make a list of tasks you have to do each day in order to survive the week with your sanity in tact.
Have a project due next Thursday? Maybe you will want to schedule in “get started on project” for Sunday evening. Know you need to study a lot for your math midterm even though it’s two weeks away? Add an hour of Math studying each night until midterms are over.
Need an online system for your tasks? Try Tasktoy.com. This SIMPLE and very easy to use program (NO download necessary) will let you schedule in the tasks you need to complete for each week or even into the next year. It lets you color-code tasks and organize them by category; it’s the easiest way to keep track of your tasks online.
Procrastination Tip #3: Schedule in the Library or Study Hall
It is easy to make a bunch of lists and print off a calendar and claim you will do more work, but it is quite another to actually do it. Make time to get your work done!
Get out of your dorm room.
With so many distractions in your dorm, neighbors blasting loud music, or friends wanting you to go out, it’s hard to believe anyone gets ANYTHING done at college. Hence, the library.
It may sound lame, but if you schedule in time every day (or at least every other, whatever works for you), to go to the library or quiet area to do work, you will see how much easier it is to actually get your work done.
You don’t have to spend six hours a day at the library, but if you are already out at class, there is no reason why you can’t stop at the library afterward and catch up on some reading or look over your practice exam.
Procrastination Tip #4: Reward Yourself!
Once you have established a schedule and put all of your tasks in order, you will see an improvement in your grades and experience a lot less stress in your life.
If you made a schedule and stuck to it all week, reward yourself after a long day of studying with a movie, hanging out with friends, or having a drink. Your mind will associate doing work and being organized with a reward and you will continue to do it out of habit!
