My Innate Friend The Procrastinator

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Okay so we are all dreading the first few weeks of school – trying to get our new timetables sorted out and daily routines back in order (or maybe not so much for those dedicated students that attended school for the summer as a part of their program requirement…or maybe you just had no choice because you might have failed a course or two – ouch!!)…either way, we’re back in full swing after a little summer break. Things are a little big hectic and if it is your first year into higher learning institution, you might be sharing the same fearful thought as others wondering HOW on earth are you going to survive??? So what will YOU do to try and be a successful student? Whether or not you are aiming to achieve those “outstanding” honor roll marks the purpose of this blog to try and provide useful and effective tips for students to make it through the term. 

The first effective tip which I always found important after many (I repeat many) years of being out of high school is to avoid ‘procrastination.’ I think the reason why this first tip comes to mind is because not only are we repeatedly told in school to avoid this bad habit, but it also applies to everyday life. 

Essays & Reports – Among all of the homework and assignments from your other classes, you are absolutely dreading to start that written paper, especially if you are not so great at writing. My tip to students is simple…just avoid the procrastination aspect here altogether! Just try to make a habit of thinking about topics or ideas that you can use and build from there. When you are driving on your way home or waiting in a line-up take some time to gather your thoughts. When you actually think about something, the ideas should follow. If you are really stuck then try asking friends or family or even do some research online. Usually, I have always found deciding on the main topic and building upon that was the most difficult. If you get a head start on things, you will at least have some time to change topics in the worst case scenario that you have come to a complete dead end. In addition, I would always recommend for students to have the final copy of the paper assignment done and printed a few days in advance, if at all possible. I have found that having a fresh mind and fresh set of ideas has allowed for me to discover some really awful components that I, for whatever reason, thought was a good idea at the time. As well, the fresh set of eyes helps to catch the very last errors that I may have missed in the editing stage.  

Exam Time - When exam time rolls around, you will often hear students say, “I learn things

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better under pressure” but I once read something along the lines of, “it takes repetition and more exposure to something in order to become better at it.” This very instance is occurs without you even really being conscious of it. Remember when you go that brand new smart phone and didn’t even have a clue how to use it? Your own exploration and consistent use of the device has now turned you into somewhat of a Samsung Galaxy Guru now hasn’t it? Better yet, I bet you are even more impressed with your own ability to type 8546632587 words per day to your friends, family, coworkers, etc. I know when I first got my Blackberry Torch (yes I know, I’m not quite as fancy as the rest of you yet…), I was holding the device up to my face trying to acquaint myself with the location of each tiny letter on the keyboard – ugghhh, after spending all those years at mastering the T9 function on my previous flip phone! 

I hope these examples of avoiding procrastination will be somewhat of a helpful tip to get students through the term. If you can think of any related situations where you would have been completely screwed due to your innate friend the “procrastinator” please feel free to share! 

For more related topics, visit my EFFECTIVE TIPS FOR STUDENTS FACEBOOK PAGE