Heading into college is often a tough adjustment when it comes to completing homework and assignments. Professors don’t chase after you for late work, and there are so many activities happening that it is easy to procrastinate and put your classes on the back burner.
Procrastination can be the best friend of students or the worst enemy. Unfortunately, procrastination often leads to faltering grades, all-night study sessions and stress.
Using an effective form of time management can help eliminate all your procrastination problems. All colleges have some form of student services department that can teach you how to maintain manageable timetables, but here are a few tips to get you started.
Make triple to-do lists
Create three separate lists to schedule your time. First, look at the next month and plan out any major assignments, tests, social gatherings or other important events. Next, break your month down week by week. This way you know what you have to concentrate on. Follow that up by constructing a daily to-do list. Be sure to schedule some down time so you don’t feel bogged down with work.
If your schedule is getting loaded quickly, use one university’s “dump and sift prioritizing method.” Make a long list of activities you have to complete, including time with friends and family. Then sift through the list to create a shorter one, filling the new list with what is most important to be done. This gives you more time to accomplish the most essential tasks.
Many students begin with a schedule or day planner, programming every minute of their days. But soon they falter, writing down appointments and assignments on paper scraps that are eventually tossed into the garbage. Do not become that person! Stay organized.
Take 10
The first 10 minutes of work are the absolute hardest to get into. If you can force yourself through those first few agonizing minutes, you will have somewhat smooth sailing ahead. Ignore the commotion of your house and forget about that “Simpsons” rerun on television. Force yourself to type that paper, research that article or open your
textbooks for just 10 minutes. By the time the 10-minute segment is over, you will be enthralled in your work.
Spread the love
Spreading a study schedule over time is more productive than cramming studying into a single session. Trying to cram the night before a test can be detrimental. Amanda Tavares, a forensic biology student, says, “I pulled one all-nighter, which was a disaster. I was loaded on caffeine and while (taking) my exam the following morning, I was shaking and felt nauseated. I passed the class, but I could have done much better if I had started studying earlier.”
Architecture student Dave Spolnik frequently pulls all-nighters. “I see them as a spiritual event,” he says. “I keep telling myself that I’m a stronger person for getting through the pain, gut-rot and other nastiness that goes along with them. In the long run, it will be worth it because my work will be better. On a side note, I only pull all-nighters right before the project is due, unlike others I know who do it throughout a project. They take a few days to fully recover.”
Stay cool
One of the most important things to remember is not to sweat the small stuff, and stay on track. If you manage your time properly, you can avoid all the stress that comes along with missed deadlines and overdue reports. Stress can be a major issue in college. Spolnik ended up in the hospital with chest pains after some heavy-duty schoolwork and studying and lots of caffeine. He was informed that he was suffering from stress at the age of 22.
Manage your time efficiently and effectively to stay the course at college! Be smart, organized and determined. And most of all, keep your calm
