As a chronic procrastinator, I know a thing or two about waiting until the last minute to get work done. I know the processes you go through to convince yourself it's okay to not start on a rough draft for a paper, or to wait until the morning it's due to even look at your homework. I know the stress that comes with procrastination and the fear that comes with possibly not having time to finish an assignment before it must be turned in.
As I eased into my sophomore year of college, I came to the realization that there needs to be some sort of change. I need to cut down on being lazy, or at least figure out a way to be lazy but still productive.
1. GET A PLANNER.
I cannot stress this enough. I promise that planners save lives. It can get so hard to balance due dates, classes, clubs, and events without any sort of structure. Trust me, it is so much more effort not to write stuff down and have a panic attack trying to figure out what you're supposed to do.
2. Actually write your rough drafts.
I know that in your head, you think, 'oh, it's just a rough draft, it's not going to count for anything, I'll just write the real thing later.' Trust me, this is definitely the lazy girl way, not the productive one. Think about it, if you actually try to write your rough drafts well, the teacher is going to critique it, you're going to end up with a better grade, and you won't have to fix as many errors on your final paper. It's a win-win.
3. Actually do your own homework.
I know it may seem like the lazy way would be getting the answers from someone else, but let me tell you, it's not. If you do your own homework, or maybe do it with a friend, so that you fully understand it, you're going to have to study so much less for the tests. When you get your study guide, you're already going to know majority of the stuff on it, so you can go have fun instead.
4. Do assignments when you have time to do them, not 10 minutes before they're due.
Okay, hear me out. You're going to get bored at some point during the week. It's inevitable. So why not do an assignment when you're bored, since it's guaranteed that you are going to be bored more than once? This way, you can spread out doing your homework throughout the week. Then, when the due date rolls around, you won't have to freak out. It's going to feel like you barely did anything, since you didn't pile it all into one day.
5. Do assignments while doing something you actually want to do.
I don't know about you, but I've been known to get my work done while simultaneously watching Netflix. I like to say it's my favorite balance of being lazy while being productive.
