You have an assignment due on Blackboard at 11:59 p.m. and it is now 10 p.m. and you have done absolutely nothing. You go into panic mode and wonder: where did the time go? Or what have I been doing all day? Then you think back to the beginning of the day of when did it all go wrong? Many distractions occurred that day and deterred you from focusing on your work. You didn't have to binge watch that whole series on Netflix or take a three hour nap after spending a hour and a half in the mall with your friends and that discussion in your group chat about the latest celebrity gossip could've definitely waited. As college students why do we feel it is almost second nature to procrastinate on our assignments? Why is it important that we don't procrastinate and actually manage our time wisely? Lastly, in what ways can we prevent from going into this unhealthy cycle? With the help of peers and my favorite professor I was able to answer these questions and learn some interesting things on the art of not procrastinating.
I asked several peers and friends 'why do you procrastinate?' and I received many interesting answers ranging from "Because I am lazy" to "I work better under pressure." I even get the occasional shoulder shrug. After hearing all these responses, I wanted to look into the most common answer: "I work better under pressure." Does one really work under pressure? I asked my favorite Professor Kyle Harris and he said "I can tell when students have procrastinated on an assignments because of the many mistakes I come across and run-on sentences that sometimes have nothing to do with the topic. Some papers don't even meet the requirements I originally set for that particular assignment. The students that receive the best grades in my class I can tell took time to write it because the assignment is clear and precise and have little to no mistakes." After Talking to Mr. Harris I read some of my peer’s assignments that they rushed to finish because they procrastinated and was easily able to see the errors and some that they didn't even catch. It goes to show that one cannot work better under pressure.
As a college student, we must break the horrible habit of procrastinating because in the "real world" you won't be able to put off a task or an assignment given to you by your supervisor or client. Procrastinating in any career post- college could cost you money or your job. Employers won't understand why you missed a deadline nor will they care. So here are three major ways to prevent yourself from procrastinating:
1. Silence Your Phone and Turn off The TV
Studies show that the cell phone and the television are the main distractions from college students completing their work. By silencing your phone and turning off the TV it allows you to focus more on the work in front of you and not lose your train of thought fromnotification alerts or the vibrant colors on the television screen.
2. Listen to Jazz or R&B instead of Hip-Hop
Many students say they can focus more on their assignments when listening to calm soft music such as Jazz or R&B because the slow melodies allow their thoughts to flow more, whereas, with Hip-Hop they get distracted by the rapper and the fast paced beats and their mind begins to wonder. Some students have even made the mistake of typing song lyrics into their paper.
3. Change Your Environment
The hangout spot in the library may not be the best spot for you to study or complete an assignment. Most likely in a noisy setting, your mind will focus on all the noise surrounding you before you can focus on your assignment. Find a quiet place that allows you to think without many people walking by or talking loudly.
