We’re in college. Everyone has been through those sleepless nights because you waited until last minute to complete the most important assignment of the semester. I’ve gone through it and it’s miserable for me because like most people, I need sleep in order to function properly. It’s tough fighting the urge to hit the bars or just relax when you really need to just get work done. As a college student, I should know better and just do the work when it’s assigned, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I am a known procrastinator, but after two years of college I’ve figured out certain ways to help me get sh*t done! Here are some helpful ways I’ve been coping with the urge to procrastinate.
1. StopDistractions.com
This website blocks you from going on those social media websites that everyone loves to browse when they have something more important to do. All you have to do is compose a list of websites you want to block for a certain amount of time. This would help for those who write a paragraph of their paper then browse for hours at a time. (I’m so guilty of this.) However, this specific tool does cost 99 cents, but it’s worth sleep. Right?
2. Plan Out Your Entire Day – Hour by Hour
This sounds like a tedious task, but this really helped me. I woke up early every morning and wrote down what I wanted to accomplish by every hour of the day. This really motivates me to get tasks done and cross them off my list. I put things on my list like “Take a shower,” “Walk the dog,” or “Take a nap” so I’m not over-working myself. I think this is one of the best things to do when you know you are going to procrastinate.
3. Go Somewhere Quiet
A library or your favorite coffee shop will work for this step. There are so little distractions when you are in a quiet place. Being home and working on an assignment consists of many distractions like TV, roommates, food, etc. With these distractions you will be tempted to leave your assignment for another day.
4. Start The Assignment The Day It’s Assigned
When I start on a project, it’s hard for me to forget about it. I’ll come up with ideas as the days go on and that helps me finish in a timely manner. It seems so simple, but this step is extremely helpful. Plus, if you start on an assignment as soon as it’s assigned, everything that has been discussed in class will still be fresh in your brain!
These steps might not help everyone, but they have helped me with my procrastinating ways. Sleep is extremely important during college. There should be no excuse to miss out on those precious hours. If you’re going to spend hours doing one assignment, you’re going to wake up the next morning groggy and moody. Nobody wants to deal with that. So use these steps to avoid a horrible “morning after.”