Procrastination
 

I know a few of you are studying and was wondering if I am the only one that is a chronic procrastinator :P

I have a massive essay due tomorrow but am on here (and facebook) and don't really see myself getting it done. I know I'll freak out tomorrow and I know its all my fault but aghhhh.

I do it with exercise as well sometimes. I am soooo bad. :?:

Anyone else awful at time management and procrastinating?

Any tips?

I think I'm fairly ok with time management but I definitely procrastinate on homework and studying til the last minute...like my last final is tomorrow and I just pulled the stuff out this morning, and I've had all the info since last Monday. I always do the worst with my algebra homework...I would wait til right before bedtime the night before it was due, lol.

I am usually the queen of procrastination. The only way I can really make myself do a lot of work is by making myself a really anal and obsessive schedule (I mean like a big chart on work with specific times, activities, and notes about each one, including meals and breaks). I then HAVE to stick to it as closely as possible. For example, today was one of those days where I had insane amounts of school work to get done, and it was necessary to whip up a schedule.

Because I didn't leave my dorm, I tried to make meal times into breaks as well, I watched an episode of Greek on hulu with lunch and dinner and used that as time to check facebook and 3FC. If it is getting really bad, try getting a friend you trust to change your facebook password for you, and only let you change it back once finals or the big paper is over with. I do this almost every midterm/final season. Or I at least log off and don't check it for two weeks or so. It sucks, but the longer you go, the easier it is. And think of all the things there will be to catch up on when you log back on!

When it comes to essays and papers, I think the best way to tackle them is to just start writing. I never start at the beginning, I just pick a point that I find interesting and that I think I can write about and I go from there. Sometimes I'll have a few word documents open on my computer at once all with different bits of the paper. Eventually, when I've said everything I can and it is long enough, I start to piece it together. The opening paragraph and the conclusion are always the last things I write because by the time I get to them, I've formed a solid argument and can better write a thesis sentence and a closing statement. Truthfully, I'd rather write a paper or essay than study any day. I put on good music, and get into a writing grove and am surprised when I've written six pages in two hours or something like that.

My advice, step away from facebook, shut it down for the night and do what you can for the essay. Facebook and 3fc will be there in the morning, but your essay won't if you don't start writing! Good luck! :)

I am a terrible procratinator...the worst.

YES ALL THE TIME. Last week I had a 20 page paper and a 10 page paper due the same day. I didn't start either of them until the night before. Bad me.

Why do we do this to ourselves! :P
I like to tell myself I work better under pressure but I really dont. Haha.

@ Effie12: Thank you so much for your advice. My flatmate has blocked facebook so I cannot go on there. I think its going to be a while till I'm back on. Its funny how I can have the will power to lose weight but not to spend 2 hours away from facebook. :P And I'm also thinking to take your advice about making a really anal schedule. I think I need to do something like that so I have no excuses. Thank you thank you!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who puts things off. You have made me feel human. Another girl who I am in postgrad with who is also one of my best friends is really far ahead of herself and never leaves anything to the last minute. I wish I had her motivation and will power.

Better get back to it. Just over half way now. :)

I love making schedules but I'm utterly horrible at following them. If the dead-line isn't looming over my head, I just tell myself there is always tomorrow. Or I'll fill in the time with something equally as "important". Case in point: I have 15 lesson plans due in three weeks that I haven't started. My house hasn't been cleaner in 6 months. Granted, my kitchen floor did need to be mopped, but did I have to do it during my scheduled homework time?!

For me, I just have to get out of my house. Here, I'm too tempted to do something else. But if I force myself to go to the campus library, Panera, or Starbucks, I actually have a hope to get something done. Places without wireless are my favorite, assuming I have everything I need.

I am exactly the same way. It's as if I am incapable of getting any work done unless I wait until the absolute last second. I hate it. The only thing that helps me is going to my office after hours - I work at my apartment complex, so I can walk over there, and the computers block forums and social networking sites. It's like having a parent there again saying "no facebook until you finish your homework"... you could temporarily block FB on your computer until you finish your paper

quite horrible, i just turned in a paper that i had to get an extension on. i have been trying to make detailed schedules this semester too but me following it hasn't gone as smoothly. but i'm not all to blame, one of my essay due dates has changed twice and another was changed once so it got my schedule chart all screwed up but its on track now, hopefully I'll follow it better, only have one week left of all of this (but 4 more papers and 3 exams ugh!)

Oh, yes I am so bad. For some reason, though, I can still make A's even if I wait until the last day to do something. That just makes my procrastination even worse because I am doing well. I have a research proposal tomorrow due. I have got it get it finished today. I will probably put it off until 1 or 2pm.

I am a really bad procrastinator. One year I did a semester long English portfolio in 3 days (and I had to read 5 novels to write all of the papers). All of this during finals week when I had 4 other classes. I will never understand why I put myself in such situations.

I have discovered that I write best under pressure. If I do a paper early, the perfectionist in me comes out, and I end up rewriting it 5 times before I turn it in. I probably do just as well waiting until the last minute. When it comes to studying though, I really see the effects of procrastination because I just can't cram that much information into my brain in a short period of time.

I know I am going to procrastinate as much as possible, so I usually try to at least organize my notes, make an outline, or do any necessary research before the last minute. That way when it comes down to it my task is a little less stressful.

Just thinking about this is making me happy I took this semester off, yet I am still procrastinating registering for fall semester :)

I have an audiology final tomorrow at 8am, and I haven't even looked at my note for an hour straight. I'm graduating, and any motivation of doing well has gone out the window.

i blame the internet for all my scholastic failures. it's just not a fair fight!

I finally got my essay done. Gotta get started on the next 3 assessments though. Gahhhhhhhhh. Postgrad is too hard. :(

I am finishing up mine now. ;) I am running off no sleep... not good I know. However, I will get plenty of sleep tomorrow.