Overcoming Procrastination

In this week’s university series, let’s talk about how to survive that thing that creeps up on us called procrastination. So far we’ve covered Surviving Online Classes and Surviving Difficult Classes. Today, let’s talk all things time management.

It was the day my assignment was due and I had snoozed my alarm for the umpteenth time. Then I realized it wasn’t 2am like I thought. It was actually 7am and it was time to get ready for school. I had ignored all of the alarms the night before that alerted me to wake up and get my work done. At that moment, I knew I messed up. I tried my best to complete the assignment on the way to school. Surprisingly, I got it done! However, if I had done it earlier it would’ve been much better. If you’re anything like me you have probably lied to yourself before and said you’ll wake up early the next day to finish the assignment because you were too sleepy to complete it that night.

Do you struggle with time management like me?

No matter what stage of your university career you’re in, you’ve probably had to deal with procrastination. Time management is definitely one of those things that challenges university students. I’ll be honest, I am a huge procrastinator. It is definitely not something I am proud of but over the years I have learned to prioritize my studies and get my work done.

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1. Set Reminders and Timers on your phone.

You probably have your phone in your hand most times so why not make use of your phone and use the various apps on it? You can set reminders on your phone for deadlines and important dates. This will help you not to forget important dates. I have tried planners before but they don’t really work for me but if they work for you definitely invest in one! You can also set a timer on your phone. You can limit the amount of time you spend scrolling on Instagram to one hour and once the alarm goes off that means it’s time to get to work.

2. Do work on your long journey.

This tip may not be applicable during this era of online classes but it will be valuable once in person classes resume. While in Birmingham, I had a 30 minute bus ride to and from university. While I usually had a show downloaded on Netflix to occupy my time while on my long bus rides, other times I had my textbook and tried to complete upcoming assignments. If you have a long car ride (and you’re not the driver) to school or work, this is your time to cure the boredom with completing work or listening to a lecture.

3. Stay at university to get work done.

This tip saved me in Bar School! Whenever I said I would do the work when I get home I was too tired to get work done once I got home. When I stayed to school later than usual, I was very productive (most times at least). Since I didn’t have the comfort of being in my house and the nice comfy bed to tempt me I had no choice but to do work (unless I had my earphones in watching my favourite series on Netflix lol). Sometimes I didn’t have motivation but I was still able to get assignments started at least which saved a lot of time later. Stay ahead of the game so you don’t end up like the gif below.

4. Ask a friend to hold you accountable.

I have an amazing friend who wrote this blog for me Mental Health in University She was definitely my accountability partner in university. If we ever needed help understanding a question we would ask each other. During our assessment period, we worked together and we checked in on each other to make sure we were being productive. Having a friend doing the same course as you is very important. Even if your friend is not on the same course as you, you can still hold each other accountable. My friends and I would plan to study together and this forced me to study in advance so that I was prepared when we met up to go over work.

5. Utilize your Fridays.

Don’t listen to the little voice in your head that tells you you’ll do it later. Trust me, I know. The lack of motivation later will be much greater than the lack of motivation now. Most universities don’t have classes on Fridays or just one class. Utilize your Friday. I repeat. Utilize your Friday. It can be tempting to utilize all that free time to watch a movie and catch up on that series and nothing is wrong with this but don’t forget your work. Make sure that you use your Fridays to get assignments done for the following week. When the night before the assignment comes you’ll be at peace knowing that your assignment is already done.

BONUS TIP: Value your dreams.

When you know what your dream is for yourself, envision that. That can only come with productivity, consistency and putting your best foot forward. Don’t sell yourself short because you were too tired or you just wanted to scroll for one hour more. Trust me the time that you’re spending being productive now will pay off on the long run. It’s going to be challenging and will require sacrifice but it will be worth it in the long run. Your dreams can come true but it all depends on what you decide to do today!

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I hope you found these tips helpful as you navigate university.

If you want more tips for surviving university or you have specific questions, feel free to message me.

What other tips would you add to this list? What else would you want advice on for surviving university? Let me know in the comments!