Procrastination in College

Procrastinating is a habit, and it likely took years to learn. Therefore, you can’t expect to fix it overnight. But with time and dedication, you can learn new ways of doing things.

Keep track of the amount of time it takes you to complete tasks. For example, if you only gave yourself 2 hours to study for your first science test and got a C, then studied 5 hours for your next exam and got an A, you can use this information to plan and schedule study time for future exams.

Make it a habit to check your organizer daily and review both weekly and daily tasks. Make sure you are constantly keeping things up to-date and adding new assignments that come up. You may need to change your timeline and milestones for assignments if new tasks get added.

Be sure to add in breaks and personal activities, as these may affect your timeline of getting things done. It’s okay to set aside time for yourself and time to have fun and enjoy college.

Disorganization is often a major part of procrastinating. If you feel overwhelmed, you may be more likely to procrastinate. Get a calendar, organizer, scheduler, or appointment book to keep track of your tasks. You can also use apps on your phone, tablet, or computer to help with organization. Remember, these tools can be great to have, but you need to actively use them for it to work!

Each task can be broken down into smaller parts. Breaking things down makes them easier to tackle. Each part should be given a milestone, or a date it should be completed. For example, writing a major paper can be broken down into smaller parts such as:

1. select a topic
2. research the topic
3.  use the information to make an outline
4. write a rough draft
5.  review it or have someone else review it
6. write a final draft
7. review it or have someone else review it
8. submit on the due date or earlier

Each of these parts should be assigned a realistic due date for completion and this should be in your organizer.

It’s important to remember that you’re not going to be successful every time, especially when you first start. A few setbacks does not mean you are a failure. Keep at it and eventually new habits will form.