This blog post commences where my last one left off – some tips and tricks that I have found useful throughout my university studies in preventing excessive procrastination.
FIND A STUDY BUDDY: In my experience, finding someone in your course to bounce ideas off and voice any concerns about structure and assessment requirements does wonders for preventing excessive procrastination, in fact they don’t even have to be writing about the same topic. I’ve found a study buddy is also an invaluable tool for gauging progress as well – for example, if I’ve only just chosen my topic and started research while my buddy is up to the editing stage, chances are I might want to think about picking up the pace. Working with a buddy is also great for exam preparation; you can work together to check that all course content is covered and test each other.
CHOOSE A TOPIC THAT INTERESTS YOU: While this is not an option for all assessment items, where options are available for essay topics, always choose something that interests you rather than the topic that you think will be easiest or the least work. Believe me, when you are researching and writing about something that you actually enjoy, the pull towards procrastination is drastically diminished!
SET YOURSELF SMALL GOALS: Rather than attempting to force yourself to write your whole essay in one sitting – a feat almost certain to result in procrastination – break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. If you set yourself up early enough it could be as easy as writing a paragraph per day, much less daunting than 1500words in one go! If you write more, then great, but if not at least you’ve met your target. These smaller tasks are far more realistic and putting less pressure on yourself is also an effective way to diminish the probability of resorting to excessive procrastination.
While this list has been in no way comprehensive, it has provided an overview of some of the tips I have picked up along the way that I have personally found useful. Maybe they won’t all work for you, and maybe some of them will work really well – hopefully the list will provide a starting point from where you can discover your own style!
Have you got any amazing tips that you use to prevent procrastination? Let me know!
– Elizabeth
