PROCRASTINATION AND HOW TO TACKLE IT

As a student, assignments, exams, and group work can not be separated. We have to deal with these things during our time as a student. Moreover, for students who have other jobs or tasks besides college, which means extra workloads. With the many tasks that a student has to finish, it is not advisable to procrastinate, otherwise those tasks will pile up and make it harder to finish them. So, what does procrastination actually mean? Procrastination is an act of delaying activity that can be done right now. Avoiding procrastination is a good habit for preparing yourself for career life in the future. In this article, we are going to discuss tips and tricks to avoid procrastination. Let’s get started!

1. Eliminate distractions
One of the most common reasons for students to procrastinate their work is the many things surrounding them that can be considered a distraction. These distractions can be gadget notifications or an unsupportive surrounding environment. There are a few things you can do to prevent these distractions, such as putting your gadget away or out of your reach, or you can try to find a supportive environment like a study room or a quiet place. It is the same for career life, the workload is heavier, and it is important to keep your focus by eliminating any distractions.

2. Motivate yourself
Self motivation plays a big role in preventing procrastination. You have to motivate yourself by implementing a mindset like “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”, which means if you can do your task, do it now. Self motivation can also be done by giving yourself a little gift after achieving or finishing something. Self motivation is also important in your career life, because the pressure is bigger, and it is better to get used to it as early as possible.

3. Divide your task
A bulk of tasks can be overwhelming for some people. In order to tackle them, it is better to divide your whole task into smaller tasks to make it easier to finish rather than finishing them all at once. You can divide them based on their urgency or deadline, and priority matrix can be implemented in order to determine what task should be done first. Task management is also very beneficial for career life, it is better to divide your workload, so it won’t be a burden for yourself.

4. Set a clear timeline, schedule, or deadline
If you have a big project, task, or assignment, make sure to have a clear timeline or schedule, because doing it in a hurry can lead to unnecessary mistakes. Arranging a detailed schedule minimizes the possibility of procrastination. Here is a tip: to maximize your progress, you can make a daily schedule or deadline. It helps you keep track of your progress better than the actual deadline. Having a clear schedule helps you manage your tasks more efficiently, which is very beneficial for your career life in the future.

We have reached the end of this article. So, we all agree procrastination can lead to many problems in the future, like tasks piling up, unfinished work, tasks done non optimally, and many more. It is best to
build up your habit by implementing the tips above, so that you are ready when facing career life. That is why there is a saying “the faster, the better” which perfectly sums up all we have discussed above.

References:
3. 8 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Start Studying. (n.d.). Retrieved from Student Cribs:
https://student-cribs.com/blog/student-life-advice/8-ways-to-stop-procrastinating-and-
start-studying/
4. Xie, K., & Cheng, S. L. (2020, November 20). 4 tips for college students to avoid
procrastinating with their online work. Retrieved from The Conversation:
https://theconversation.com/4-tips-for-college-students-to-avoid-procrastinating-with-
their-online-work-148154