Procrastinating

[5678jg]

Does anyone have any tips or references to stop procrastinating? I start grad school in the Fall and really need to improve my habits. I have always gotten great grades but I always wait until the last minute to do anything for school. I know how much more stressful I make things for myself by waiting but I still can't bring myself to do things until I absolutely have no choice to wait any longer. I hate being like this and know this is not going to help me do well in grad school. It should be as simple as me knowing I have to do it and just forcing myself to do it but it's hard. I feel ridiculous and want to change. Any advice is appreciated thanks!

[bibliophile222]

I've been a horrible, chronic procrastinator since 3rd grade but managed to turn everything in on time during grad school! What helped me the most was using a planner. I would write down what needed to be done each day and then cross it off. Crossing things off was incredibly satisfying. There were plenty of times when I didn't get each day's tasks done, but seeing it there un-crossed-off would nag at me so that I still completed it before the deadline. 

Another thing that just naturally helped was when things were due. Generally, I would do my class readings during the week because they required less mental energy than writing. I therefore saved the bulk of my written work for the weekend, when I had two whole days to do nothing but schoolwork. Since things were generally due at the beginning of class, I always ended up finishing work a couple days before the due date. If something came up and I couldn't finish it on the weekend, I would still have a few days of wiggle room.

The third thing that really helped me was to break up tasks into smaller chunks. If you have to read 4 chapters, read one each day instead of putting off all of it. One day, do the research for a paper, the next day write an outline, and the third/fourth days write the paper itself. Write down each step in your planner so you can cross it off and feel motivated.

One of the good things about grad school is that a lot if your work will be practical: either clinic documentation or practical assignments. Theres more motivation to get the work done because it's less abstract and more meaningful. Also, this may vary by program, but we didn't have any long papers to write. All our teachers taught us to be succinct and enforced maximum page limits, so I hardly ever wrote anything longer than 4 or 5 pages, which made it easier to avoid procrastinating. 

[5678jg]

15 hours ago, bibliophile222 said:

I've been a horrible, chronic procrastinator since 3rd grade but managed to turn everything in on time during grad school! What helped me the most was using a planner. I would write down what needed to be done each day and then cross it off. Crossing things off was incredibly satisfying. There were plenty of times when I didn't get each day's tasks done, but seeing it there un-crossed-off would nag at me so that I still completed it before the deadline. 

Another thing that just naturally helped was when things were due. Generally, I would do my class readings during the week because they required less mental energy than writing. I therefore saved the bulk of my written work for the weekend, when I had two whole days to do nothing but schoolwork. Since things were generally due at the beginning of class, I always ended up finishing work a couple days before the due date. If something came up and I couldn't finish it on the weekend, I would still have a few days of wiggle room.

The third thing that really helped me was to break up tasks into smaller chunks. If you have to read 4 chapters, read one each day instead of putting off all of it. One day, do the research for a paper, the next day write an outline, and the third/fourth days write the paper itself. Write down each step in your planner so you can cross it off and feel motivated.

One of the good things about grad school is that a lot if your work will be practical: either clinic documentation or practical assignments. Theres more motivation to get the work done because it's less abstract and more meaningful. Also, this may vary by program, but we didn't have any long papers to write. All our teachers taught us to be succinct and enforced maximum page limits, so I hardly ever wrote anything longer than 4 or 5 pages, which made it easier to avoid procrastinating. 

Thank you! Definitely some good tips!

[speechpeachie]

I found that making a time-table for the week really helps me to get my work done. At first, it can feel a little tedious but as soon as you get the hang of it, it can be really helpful. You can use a planner but I found that having a whiteboard in the area you spend the most time (room, office, etc) is great because you will constantly be looking at it. I usually take Saturdays or Sundays to sit down and plan out my week. It can even go as detailed as scheduling individual study sessions or meals with friends. I found that with this technique, I have more free time to do sit down and relax with Netflix or a good book and not feel guilty because all my work is already done. 

I also have a dedicated "study" person that I go to the library with. It's great because we motivate one another to get our work done early and have fun while doing it. Surrounding yourself with motivated people, sometimes not necessarily from the same major, is a great tool to be productive. 

Hope this helps! I know procrastination is difficult to be rid of. 

[slptobe!]

So, I've truly never been a procrastinator...until grad school. Yup! I was the kid that finished their book report the day or day after it was assigned. And this past year, I've had to more actively attend to assignments and work harder to not procrastinate, so that was new for me.

I actively use a planner to keep everything together like due dates, meetings, study time. 

I have found that making a to do list of tasks (however big or small) has helped. If I have projects or big assignments on my list, I might work on one for a designated length of time, take a break then chip away at the next one. While I prioritize based on due dates, I try to chip away at the other assignments to avoid procrastinating one to the last minute. 

I also like to motivate myself by planning breaks (big or small). For example, if I work on this diligently on this project for the next 2 hours or so, I can take a break and watch an episode of a tv show and relax guilt free. Planning breaks helps me to look forward to something while I'm working so I don't get distracted as easily. 

I also think that being a reflective learner is helpful, to know things about yourself as a student. Like if you work better in the morning vs. night time, with background noise (TV, music) vs. total silence to be able to create a perfect study environment and not potentially dread studying as much that I've found can lead to procrastinating. 

Edited May 13, 2020 by slptobe!