i'm absolutely terrible procrastinator, and i've only got worse with time. right now i'm in my final year of university and i have an absolute shitload of work to do, all of it more important and requring more time and effort to complete than anything i've done in my first and second years.
yet i'm leaving things ridiculously late to the point that i never, ever get the grades i'm capable of achieving, quite simply because i don't allow myself enough time to get the work done and end up handing in something shoddy at best, unfinished at worst, probably fucking up my sleep patterns in the process and spending the following week feeling shitty because i spent the night before the deadline sat in the library drinking cans of red bull to stay awake. even right now i'm pissing around on the internet instead of doing work, for christ's sake.
i'm genuinely worried that i might fail the year because of this, and even though it's all my own fault i can't seem to motivate myself to do anything. so, uh, any tips?
Yeah, my college course is drawing to an end. I just watch the work pile up because i've got an unconditional.
I find the best cure to procrastination is to put on some classical music and just force myself to do the work.
>>3
I sort of agree. Sometimes I listen to chanting too.
Try to sit down and at least do something. If you need to read a book, sit down and read 6 pages and don't get up or do anything else until you've done that. Then maybe have a quick break, then do the same. Eventually you'll get used to concentrating for longer and longer periods. If you are writing an essay, try to sit down and write a couple of paragraphs (a couple of hundred words, nothing major) and then take a break for a few minutes then come back to it.
I personally prefer to do all this with no music on, because even instrumental stuff can distract me if I am already a bit distracted.
It all depends on what country you go to Uni in... I'm in 2nd year uni in UK (although I spent a couple of years at collage before hand) - I kind of know how you feel... I have 2000 words to write for tommorow by 5pm and i;m drunk and haven't done any reading (although I swore I would take care of this essay 3 weeks earlier) Also DON'T BUY RED BULL (unless you have a heap of money to spare)... Honestly red bull is £1.70 (on average) in this country (not sure about US equivealent) instead I use "stimulation drink" - it's has 0.2 mg less caffine and 0.02% less taurine, but it costs fucking 24p !!! a much better deal... also you can buy 2 litres of 5.6 proof cider for £1.70 - a much better deal!
Uh... OK.
On to the actual "advice"....
The impression I get from uni's these days is that they fuckjng spoonfeed students.. i'm not a model student or anything, but they really do... I know a bunch of people that are repeating years, not to mention the amount of resits you get to do if you fail... as a result I don't d my best - I kno from experience that I ussually can scrape past with minimum work.... its a pretty unhealthy mindset to have, but it's pretty much encouraged by Uni's these days whose main aim is to make money, rather than actual education. If tons of students drop out every year, it dosen't effect them... it just means more money (where the fuck does all the money go anyway! I;m guessing certain people's salaries)...
At the end of the day, you can't expect the uni or anyone else to encourage you to work - it's all up to your own willpower. Personally, I recognise the value of money (not like some fucktards that spend £1000s on fucking booze in their first week). Uni education is a privallege. It costs money to attend. A lot of people can't afford it... Use everything in your power to get your money's worth - Don;t drop out no matter what - it just means more money for the uni an nothing for you.
OK here;s the actual useful advice - First make sure you have the will power to pass.
What I find helps is having a clock right next to you when you work and forcing yourself to work for an hour no matter what..
with me anime, friends and games is always a distraction. I force myself to work until a certain time until I pay attention to any of that shit.
At the end of the day it's only your own willpower that can help you at.
Hopefully you can find a tiny bit of helpful adive within drunken bullshit...
Anyway - I hope you pass whatever course you're doing!
aaaaahh
I HATE IT.
I am too a compulsive procrastinator. I end up working myself to death because I have a scholarship and I have to get awesome grades, or else... But I still waste tons and tons of time doing everything BUT what I'm supposed to be doing.
Seriously, one time I wasted 3 hours online checking out new hairstyles. It was completely unnecessary but I felt compelled to do it. It is a serious disease.
I really have no idea how to help you. I have the same issue, and the only reason why I have kept my scholarship is because I pretty much gave up on sleep. Trust me, it is not a compelling solution.
>>7
Sleep is overrated. Imagine if nobody slept how much more productive we'd be in our lives.
My way of procrastination...
Thinking about the project -> Get scared -> Postpone to avoid project -> Some time later, think about the project again -> Get scared again -> Postpone -> ... -> Panic attack.
I used to put things off to the last minute because I would think of how much I hated doing them or how difficult it would be to get it done.
I got over it when I realized it was all in how I felt about it, and I had complete control over that feeling.
As far as coursework goes, if I have a choice of what I can do than I can pick a topic that at least interests me. If I don't, than getting it done and out of the way is like shaving with a fresh razor as opposed to the dull, rusty blade of procrastination.
I have a really bad procastination problem, too. What usually helps me is listening to music while I work and putting a little reward at th end. If I finish whatever I get a little something and if i don't I take away a little something. Also, try to do work in places with less distractions.