“I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Scarlett O’Hara was so right when she put off disturbing thoughts until the next day. Unfortunately, that philosophy isn’t valid when you’re a college student with a list of to-dos and other commitments. A lot of tasks require your presence here and now since the deadline is looming at the speed of light. However, even though your essay was assigned weeks ago, you (for some reason) waited until the night before to start working on it. That’s procrastination. Something that Wikipedia defines as the “act of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there will be negative consequences.” Below, you will learn some of the real reasons behind it and quick tips to combat this negative habit.
Fear of Failure
Believe it or not, in many cases, procrastination is caused by fear of failure. Students get so nervous about making the slightest mistakes in their book reviews and research papers that they feel stuck. Being afraid of receiving negative feedback from professors, undergrads tend to avoid working on the project at all.
The tip: If the fear of getting criticism on your essay has totally possessed you, using services like Bid4Papers writing service for essay help ASAP will save the day. At the same time, understand that fear of failure is part of learning. As you receive the next assignment, break it down into bite-size chunks, and set realistic goals. Instead of aiming for perfection like impostors do, choose to aim for progress.
Thrill Seeking
A lot of college and university students actually enjoy working on academic assignments right before the deadline. Odd as it may sound, many procrastinators like the feeling the intense time pressure that makes the process of work more challenging and, as a result, more exciting.
The tip: Well, no tips in general. If that’s the kind of routine that makes you thrive (and does no harm to your academic progress), don’t change anything. That’s the way you are.
Distractions
Sometimes students set aside an adequate amount of time to cope with homework, but somehow, they end up browsing Facebook newsfeeds or watching cute videos with cats. The distractions can be of two types – internal (your own worries, thoughts, memories, etc.) and external (messages, emails, social media, roomies, etc.). One way or another, young adults end up wasting time that was budgeted for coursework or a couple of chapters of “Run, Rabbit, Run.”
The tip: Ensure each of your study sessions is held in a clutter-free and brightly lit setting where minimal distractions exist. Siblings, TV, social media notifications, pets, and other things that may easily divert your attention from studying should be left in the other room.
Commitments Overload
If a student’s to-do list is full of scheduled activities while the timeframes are too tight, chances are they end up feeling as if drowning in the sea of chores and obligations. Having too little time to cope with the whole scope of work, undergrads tend to use procrastination as the only way to fake “free time.” Needless to say, the “free time” is usually overshadowed by a strong sense of guilt for doing nothing.
The tip: If you feel like you are about to be overscheduled, check out your to-do list and see what commitments, tasks, and activities can be postponed or even eliminated. Thus, you will have more time to cope with homework.
Poor Organizational Skills
Both organizational and time management skills may be the stumbling block that doesn’t let you cope with the projects within the set deadline. Check out the issues given below to see if you have any of the organizational problems:
- You experience difficulties with prioritizing your tasks;
- You overestimate your skills and ability to complete tasks within the short deadline;
- You fail to plan to-dos in advance;
- You usually try to cope with several tasks at the same time;
- You can’t cut off distractions.
The tip: Don’t try to multitask if you know you can’t focus on several assignments and projects simultaneously. The very moment your professor assigns a college assignment, check out all the requirements and plan how and when you will work on it. Write down all the deadlines to make sure you won’t miss to submit an important paper.
Inability to Say NO
Life is full of surprises, and many of them make us rather upset. If anything happens all of a sudden (something you can’t control), there’s nothing wrong with approaching a college professor and asking for a task delay. Whether it’s a serious problem in the life of a family member or your college mate being hospitalized, make sure to be there for those who are dear to your heart. However, if someone you know distracts you from work just to show a new Netflix film or a funny TikTok recipe video, it is crucial to let them know you aren’t available at the moment.
The tip: Say NO to someone who interrupts your work but make sure to explain that you will finish your lab report and get back to them to enjoy the web content together. This will help you establish boundaries, assert your needs, and maintain a healthier balance between college classes, social life, and personal well-being.
Research shows that almost 95% of undergrads are great procrastinators. Are you one of them? Cheer up! There is something you can do to overcome this habit. Just a couple of new habits integrated into your routine (cutting off distractions or saying NO to annoying roomies), and you will get out of the procrastination trap. Make sure to identify the causes that stand behind your procrastination, listen to your sensations, and do your best to make your environment motivating and inspiring. Finally, if you can’t win this battle on your own, reach out to your college mates or instructors you trust and, you know, they can help.
