Waiting until the very last minute to complete your homework? Here are 10 tips for students on how to stop procrastination!
Over 80% of students have a habit of procrastinating. That’s a large chunk of people!
No one ever teaches us how to work on it or what the best practices are to avoid it. It’s time that those questions get answered!
Let’s get started with some basics…
What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something,
In other words, you don’t want to do your work when you should be. Homework and studying sucks, I get it.
We’ve all been at a point where we say, “I’ll get it done tomorrow.” Tomorrow comes around and suddenly, you catch yourself saying the same thing.
Let’s take a look at a few reasons to stop now that you know what it means…
Why You Should Stop Procrastinating
If you’re reading this, you probably already want to stop. Pat yourself on the back because you’re on the right track!
Here are a few reasons you should stop procrastinating:
- You’re failing assignments
- You feel stressed out doing things so late
- You want to develop better habits
- You’re afraid you’ll procrastinate your whole life
- You find that procrastination just leads to more problems
If any of these feelings sound familiar to you, then you’re part of a massive pool of students who are also looking to better themselves.
Ready to get this procrastination out of your system? Hang in there, because it’s going to take a bit of effort!
Related Post: How to Get Back on Track in College
How to Stop Procrastination
Here are 10 tips for students who want to stop procrastinating and finish assignments on time…
1) Work on Your Stress
The #1 reason you procrastinate in the first place is because you’re stressed. It may not feel so intense when you’re in the middle of it, but it’s there.
It’s common to procrastinate out of stress that you’re going to fail a task or that the task is going to be too intense for you.
Our brain’s natural response is to keep us out of danger. That’s exactly what your brain is doing when you say “I’ll get it done later”.
Work on relaxing your thoughts and be realistic about what you actually have to get done. I promise it’s not as bad as it seems.
2) Have a Schedule
A goal is just a dream without a plan… and that plan is going to be a schedule.
At first, a schedule may seem daunting. As if you’re obligated to write out every little thing that comes to your head.
Without an organized day, it’s very hard to get anything done efficiently.
Here’s an easy way to create a schedule:
- Write down your daily plans the night before (include time for homework)
- Create at least 3 things to do
- Categories them by time and priority
- Check things off as you complete them
That’s it! No elaborate plans or extra work.
You can write out your schedule for the next day in less than 5 minutes. Sticky notes are great for this. You can also get a planner and use that for more organization!
3) Set Reminders
Students have it hard enough as it is. That’s why you should take the load off of your mind to remember every little thing.
This is the best tool you can use when learning how to stop procrastination as a student!
Set reminders on your phone to keep you in check throughout your day. Even the smallest of tasks can be set into reminders.
Remind yourself to start studying at a certain hour or even to take breaks in the middle of homework!
Related Post: 10 Time Management Tips for Students
4) Use a Timer
Remember, the ultimate goal here is to reduce your overall stress when completing tasks such as studying and homework.
Using a timer during those tasks can help remind you when to take breaks so that you’re not overwhelmed with work.
There is a specially designed technique to help you work in the most efficient way possible. It’s called the Pomodoro Technique and here’s how it works:
- Work for 25 minutes
- Take a 5 minute break
- Repeat 4 times
- After the 4th cycle, take a longer 30 minute break
It’s quite simple, but WOW does it work!
I highly recommend that you try it the next time you work on a longer assignment and see how it makes you feel.
5) The 2 Minute Rule
If you’ve never heard of the 2-minute rule, here’s what it is…
If it takes less than 2 minutes to complete, do it now!
The more you remember this rule, the more it will start to work on you and take effect into your life.
Here are a few things that take less than 2 minutes to complete:
- Washing a few dishes
- Taking out the trash
- Getting a paper signed
- Writing a short paragraph
- Looking up something on Google
- Getting yourself a glass of water
- Getting dressed
You get the point. Procrastination can seep through all aspects of life; even the small ones mentioned above.
Use this rule until the day you day and you’ll already be WAY less lazy!
6) Create a Routine
Creating a routine is a super healthy way to get your work done on time. You might be wondering… how is this different from creating a schedule?
Well… a routine is a sum of daily habits that you perform throughout the day (no matter what you have to get done).
For example, you can develop a routine where you do your homework at the exact same time everyday. This will mentally rewire you to feel the need to complete it at that time after a while.
You can also work on following a similar pattern while you’re studying or make your schedule for the next day at the same time every night.
Related Post: How to Remember What You Study
7) Work with Friends
Sometimes, all it takes is a little push, and your friends can be that push.
You might all be procrastinators as individuals, but together, you can motivate each other to keep working on your assignments.
You don’t even have to be working on the same thing. Sitting next to someone else while studying is enough to keep you going.
Plus, being around friends will turn study time into an enjoyable experience.
Just make sure you’re doing it with the right friends (aka the ones that won’t make you procrastinate even more).
8) Start Small
It’s important that you divide up tasks into smaller, more digestible pieces to learn how to stop procrastination.
The point is that you start. Otherwise, nothing will ever get done.
Of course it’s hard to feel motivated to get anything done when you don’t care too much about what you’re doing.
However, you have to look at the end goal…
Do you want to graduate with good grades? Are you trying to go to a good college? Do you want to look back and say you could’ve done better in school?
All of these questions can help you find motivation to start with the smallest of tasks (like pulling out your homework).
9) Develop Useful Habits
Along with your daily routine comes your habits.
Your individual habits are what’s going to give you a little push into getting your work done.
Here are a few good habits to develop to stop procrastination:
- Take out your homework right when you get home
- Place it right in front of you at your desk
- Always complete 1 question/page before doing anything else
- Gather necessary tools before you start working
All of these habits can be enough to get you to start. That’s what matters!
Related Post: Daily Routine for Teenage Girls and Teenage Guys
10) Turn Work Into Fun
Once again, reducing that overall stress is the key to stop procrastination.
Here are a few ways to turn work into fun:
- Listen to music
- Reward yourself with a snack when you’ve completed a task
- Make studying a game
- Look forward to something exciting when you finish
Simple things like this will make or break your success when working on your laziness.
The moment your brain makes the switch from boring to fun, it will also turn procrastination into productivity.
Hopefully these 10 tips have helped you start your journey to becoming more productive and reduce that laziness.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions leave them down below. Thanks for reading!
3 comments
The Pomodoro technique works well. It’s like an ultimatum or a self-deal – 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of well-deserved rest. This way you can do even the work you don’t like, which you put off until the last moment.
But procrastination as a thing is bad, an indication that there is something in your life that you are not happy with. And you need to rethink your routine and your goals and plans.
Well said Philippa! The only tough part about that is the thing that most students are unhappy with is the work itself. Take care!
i really appreciate these tips, as someone who struggles with procrastination! thank you for doing what you do!