Jason Jang / Staff reporter
The second half of June, which is quickly approaching, is the month when students put off their studies the most due to the summer break that is right in front of them. According to “What You Need to Know About New Data on Student Procrastination” one study highlights that nearly 50% of students report procrastinating on major assignments in June, often starting their work later compared to other months. The anticipation of summer break, the stress of upcoming deadlines, and tiredness are some of the factors affecting this behavior.
However, procrastination leads student to rush their work, producing low quality assignments, and insufficient exam preparation. Also, as the semester draws to a close, there are many important exams and assignments to complete, so it is not a good idea to procrastinate. Even studies have shown that students who procrastinate frequently tend to receive lower grades.
Problems
Students often have a hard time breaking the habit of procrastination, even though they know that it is wrong to do something, and breaking the habit of procrastination can be challenging for several reasons:
Firstly, when someone procrastinates, they often put short-term joy (such as watching TV or scrolling social media) over the long-term benefits associated with finishing tasks on time, and this is called temporal discounting. For example, a research that was published in the “Psychological Bulletin” journal found that people often choose smaller immediate rewards over larger ones that come later. People who focus on short-term pleasure above long-term goals tend to procrastinate more.
Secondly, without a clear sense of purpose or core motivation, it’s easy to procrastinate. One may put off tasks indefinitely if they are thought to be unimportant boring, or difficult. Goal clarity, intrinsic interest, and the perceived worth of activities are only a few of the many factors that shape the complicated concept of motivation. Procrastination is more likely when tasks are viewed as boring or unimportant since they are less likely to generate a motivation.
Lastly, the most prevalent root of procrastination is poor time management. People who lack the ability to organize their time and set priorities can get overwhelmed and use procrastination as an escape. Data has continuously demonstrated a connection between good time management and less procrastination.
Solutions
In fact, it is difficult to say that there is a good way to fix the habit of procrastination. Habits that are ingrained in the body are not easily fixed, and you have to control your mind and put them into practices, and those practices are:
1. Set specific academic goals: Make a clear list of your academic goals, like achieving a certain grade, finishing projects on time, or establishing better methods of study. Since it gives clarity, direction, and motivation, setting specific academic goals is essential for reducing procrastination. With defined goals, students can break down harder tasks into smaller, more doable tasks, which minimizes the feeling of overwhelm and worry which often causes procrastination.
Establishing clear objectives also helps in work priority and the creation of organized plans, which encourage effective time management and reduce time wasted. Students gain a sense of success from measuring their progress and achieving relatively small goals, leading to motivation and builds positive behavior.
2. Create a study schedule: Set up specific times to study, and try your best to keep to your schedule. Take pauses to keep your attention and prevent burnout. Making a study timetable will be essential for reducing procrastination because it offers an organized plan for effectively managing time and responsibilities.
Using a study timetable, students can set up specific times for finishing multiple assignments and studies, making sure that all their schoolwork get done in an organized way. This minimizes the chance of last-minute cramming and the stress that goes along with it. Students who plan ahead can break down challenging schoolwork into more manageable parts, making them a lot easier and simpler to get done.
3. Reward yourself: To maintain your motivation, reward yourself for your successes. Reward yourself with something fun when you accomplish a difficult work or achieve a goal.
Rewarding yourself when you achieve the goals builds a positive feedback loop that encourages consistent work and productivity. The rewards provide an actual proof of your efforts and improvement, improving your experience of learning or completing tasks. Furthermore, by offering intermediate rewards, rewards is able to help in breaking down tougher, large-scale tasks into smaller, more manageable ones, so reducing feelings of overwhelm and procrastination.
Conclusion
Ignoring and projecting problems onto one’s future self is a terrible approach for building an understanding with yourself and an easy way to lose respect for yourself. Procrastination leads to unpredictable task completion schedules, making it a tough habit to break, especially throughout the most difficult periods in a student’s life. It can seem easy to put things off and worry about them later.
Students can significantly improve their productivity and academic performance through encouraging discipline, minimizing stress, and rewarding positive actions. By using these strategies on frequently, students build the proactive study habit that leads to a more successful and balanced academic experience.
Source:
What You Need to Know About New Data on Student Procrastination
Procrastination: A college student’s best friend
How to Stop Procrastinating With 25 Tools
Image:
Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7, Image 8, Image 9
Featured Image: