If there’s one thing that so many students have in common it’s procrastination – putting off work and studying in favour of things that seem more exciting at the time, but ultimately hinder your studies in the long run. It’s not about having a poor work ethic or anything like that; procrastination is a curse on us all. Here are some ways you can beat it…
Find a quiet area in the library
Most if not all university libraries will have a quiet area. This is a completely calm space where people are specifically encouraged to be silent while working – if you head here to get some studying done, you’re much less likely to be distracted by anything or anyone!
Make use of your phone settings
Most phones will allow you to access certain modes and settings which mean you won’t get notifications unless they’re urgent or from certain selected people; there are apps which won’t let you unlock your phone for a set time period and there are other apps which, if you *do* go on your phone during a self-imposed work period, will punish you for it by killing your cartoon tree. These little tricks can definitely help you stop procrastinating by scrolling through social media, and get your work done instead.
Let your flatmates know you’re busy
One excellent form of procrastination is hanging out with the people you share your student accommodation with – of course it’s tempting to join them for a supermarket run, film night, or daily debrief in the common area. But you need to get your work done, so let them know you’re busy and will hang out afterwards so that they’re less likely to disturb you and encourage the procrastination…
Promise yourself a reward
No matter what it is – a trip to the student union bar, a bag of chocolate buttons from the shop, a lie in the following day – setting yourself up with a reward for doing X amount of work is a great way to stop yourself procrastinating and getting it done. You want that thing, and the way to get it is by finishing your essay or mapping out your presentation!
Break the work down into smaller pieces
When we’re tasked with one large piece of work, it can seem overwhelming. This is why we might procrastinate – because there’s too much to do and it seems a bit out of reach. By breaking down tasks into smaller pieces like half an essay at a time, or just the bullet points of your presentation for now, you will feel a much more recurring sense of achievement and accomplishment.
These are five simple ways to help you beat procrastination as a student – it’s not always going to be easy, but it’ll be so worth it when your work is done and you can enjoy your downtime guilt-free.
