It’s true that procrastinating is the thief of time. I’ll do it later turns into days of undone homework and assignments. This later becomes something more serious and damaging when your grades take a nosedive and now it’s all panic stations for what your future holds. But all this can be avoided if you can find a way to stop procrastinating and get back on the study horse. In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to stop procrastinating.
Stop Procrastinating
We’ll probably talk a lot about what you’ve already heard before. Nonetheless, these are proven steps that can help you stop the damaging habit.
How to Stop Procrastinating and Motivate Yourself to Study
1. Figure out why you are procrastinating.
You’re probably a few years into your college life and the earlier enthusiasm to study is getting snuffed out by everything around you. It’s more fun to party than to read a book. Or social media is getting a lot more interesting especially since you discovered a handle or site that churns out tons of your favorite videos. All these are just a few things that may get in the way of your studies. That said, here are general reasons why students procrastinate;
- The homework is just too hard
- You are trying to rebel by refusing to do your assignments
- You are no longer interested in the topic of study
- You still haven’t found the “perfect” time to start
- The assignment is overwhelming
When you figure out why you are taking longer to start studying, you can then work on motivation to study. Think about all the reasons that make you procrastinate and then apply the following steps to make a U-turn.
2. Small chunks are easily digestible than large bites.
Ever heard of “don’t bite more than you can chew?”
Well, one of the major causes of procrastination is students trying to take down an entire assignment (albeit overwhelming) in one sitting. There are plenty of reasons why many do this; to get back on the fun, last-minute rush, and many other reasons.
If the assignment is overwhelming, try breaking it down into smaller chunks. You can then assign time to those chunks. This trick is widely used by professional essay writers who are getting thousands of tasks daily. Depending on the difficulty of the task, one chunk should be allocated a day or a few hours. That means your focus is narrowed down to one small chunk at a time. You can choose to read a few pages of your textbook or complete 5-6 multiple-choice questions or find a few references for your paper.
3. After the battles come the rewards.
Rewarding yourself can be a huge motivator to get even more done and stop procrastinating. We would recommend rewarding yourself after you complete a chunk of your study. These rewards could vary from a few minutes of playing a game on your smartphone to a short walk, or a few minutes of your hobby activity.
These rewards can also act as little breaks you take after taking down a study chunk. Ensure these are regulated and don’t overdo an activity even when the temptation seems irresistible.
4. The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.
Humans are creatures of habit. It’s easy to get enticed into bad habits. However, you can turn around and develop good study habits that will secure your future. One thing with habits is they tend to stick. Once you develop a study routine it’s difficult to relax when you know you should be studying.
Sure the first few days will be challenging, but once you get over that everything will stick. Create a study schedule and go from there. You can tweak the schedule now and then (especially during the first few days) to make sure you are comfortable with the times. A little hard work never hurts anyone; especially if the hard work is rewarding in the long run.
5. We get good grades or poor grades based on our attitudes.
Good things indeed come to those who wait. But it’s also true that good things come to those who want them. If you want to stop procrastinating and study hard to get good grades, you need to be very clear about why you want this in the first place. Make a list of why you want to excel in your academic life.
College is not just a place you pass by and the rest doesn’t count, it’s a place that shapes what you become later on in life.
Good grades mean a better future, bad grades mean an uncertain one. So, make up your mind about why you have to study hard and get those good grades. You can stick the list on the top of your desk to act as a motivator each time you feel like procrastinating.
6. Stay organized.
One of the reasons for procrastinating is that the subject or topic is hard. This can be solved by staying organized. Organization here refers to many things; it could be the way you take your notes or the techniques you use to memorize what you studied in class.
Once you figure out how to approach hard tasks or topics, you will be motivated to keep working rather than stop and stare. Use lists and mind maps to remember relevant information during your study.
7. Understanding works better than memorizing.
The reason school takes longer is so you understand relationships and connections between different concepts. Memorizing takes a short time and so does evaporation of anything you try so hard to memorize. Developing an understanding of a topic gives you a better chance of applying its principles to a given set of facts or drawing a conclusion from them.
The best memorization can do is help you grasp very little information over a short period. Once you can’t remember how to handle a task, everything tumbles down.
These are just a few things you can apply at school to ensure your study goes on smoothly. Don’t take too long to decide what you need to do. Don’t let procrastination stand in the way of your goals.
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