Let’s be honest, procrastination plagues all of us… Especially when it comes to studying.
In this post and video, Rowan from #AOSTV interviews Emmerson who scored a 90+ ATAR while maintaining 10 extra-curricular activities during her HSC. Emmerson shares:
How being honest about how you are feeling helps you deal with procrastination
How to remove all distractions, including using Facebook blockers and more
How you need to earn your distractions and rewards
Here’s the step by step guide on beating procrastination!
1. Be Honest with Yourself
The first step is being honest with yourself about what you need to get done, but also about what you are capable of getting done!
It’s all good to tell yourself you’re going to get 3 hours study done tonight, but if you’ve had a really long day and are running out of motivation, are you really capable of studying for 3 hours, or will most of your time be spent on Facebook?
If you’re being honest with yourself, you probably know that your goal of 3 hours study is not realistic.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Be honest about what you need to get done
This is the most important part.
When you sit down to study or do work, make a list of what you need to get done and prioritise based on due date or importance.
For example, if I had homework due tomorrow morning, an assessment due in a couple of weeks and an assessment to finish that’s due at the end of the week, I would start on the homework due tomorrow!
Step 2: Figure out how much time you’re capable of doing
After you’ve worked out what you need to do, or have a list of what you’d like to get done, think about what you can realistically get done in your study session.
If you’ve had a really long day or are feeling sick or tired, you’re not going to realistically do a massive study session. If you’ve just woken up on a Saturday and had a good morning, you can realistically do more hours of focused study!
If you are honest and realistic about the time you actually have, you can be honest and realistic about the work you will be able to get done and that will help you beat the urge to procrastinate!
2. Get Rid of Distractions!
This step might be a bit harder! The key is forcing yourself into a situation where you can’t be distracted.
Try using software like SelfControl and ColdTurkey to restrict your access to sites like Facebook and Youtube and put your phone in another room or with someone else while you’re studying.
3. Earn your Rewards and Distractions
Once you’ve done the study you planned to do, you can reward yourself!
So, if you planned to do 2 hours of study, once you’re finished reward yourself with something you want to do. This could be one of your distractions, looking at your phone, going on Facebook or watching Netflix, whatever you like!
You can also reward yourself during your study session. For example, if you want to do 3 hours study, at the end of each hour do something to give yourself a break. It’s basically scheduled procrastination!
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Isabella Hanley loves science. She loves science so much she’s making it her career. While completing her Bachelor of Medical Science she is also a Coach and Digital Content Manager at Art of Smart. She is super passionate about sharing her knowledge on surviving the HSC since completing the HSC herself in 2014. In her downtime she enjoys Netflix binging like a pro, singing in the shower and hanging out with her awesome rescue dog, Ruby.
