By: Jenna Wirth –
With final exams quickly approaching, it’s easy for us to feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, the best way to deal with stress is to completely ignore what’s causing the stress. But the longer you wait to study or outline that final paper worth 25 percent of your grade, the more you hurt yourself. To help you get things started, we’ve created five tips to get rid of those procrastination habits.
Create A Monthly Timeline
Use a dry-erase calendar board to visualize days you have exams, presentations, and papers so deadlines don’t creep up on you. Do you wait until the last moment to write a paper? Or cram studying into the night before an exam? This calendar is a reminder of what’s to come weeks ahead.
Set Daily Deadlines
Prioritize your tasks by making a daily to-do list. Write down all your must-do tasks, such as math and Spanish homework that’s due tomorrow, and one big task you would like to tackle, such as studying for an exam you have next week. Pop your list on a post-it note and cross off each task you complete. Once you’ve checked off your mandatory tasks, take some time to start on a bigger task.
Change Your Environment
Being in one place for a long time can cause you to lose focus. Not ready to stop working? Move to a different location to clear your mind. Perhaps you’re studying in Bird, go to Carnegie, Food.com, or Schine to shake it up. You’ll get ahead of the game with all the work you’ll crank out.
Cut Up Big Projects
Working on a huge project in one day puts you in a foul mood. More importantly, your work usually turns out mediocre. If you have a big essay due next week, write a paragraph once a day, allowing for time to catch mistakes and overcome obstacles. Suddenly, big projects are no longer a struggle.
Ditch the Distractions
Achieve razor-sharp focus by clearing mental clutter. Turn off your phone, or even leave it at home. Find a playlist to tune out everybody else and get in work mode. Before you secure your study spot, make sure you are equipped with everything you need, from chargers to snacks. Being well-prepared will ensure you’re not getting up every 30 minutes.