<p>I am a junior and I am consistently starting my work at midnight because I surf the web/chat on AIM for 3-4 hrs. Thus I either pull an all nighter every 2nd day or just don't do my work and hence lag behind in my school work.</p>
<p>I need real remedy. Please offer your best solution!</p>
<p>well, the best solution to procrastination is discipline. it may be hard (i know since I also stay o the computer for way too long also), but force yourself not to turn on that computer. There's not really any other solution. disable the plug, maybe</p>
<p>Hmmm...one thing I've heard is to make a really long password with a mix of numbers and letters and then hide the piece of paper that you've written the password down on. Then you will probably not go online because you will have to find your password first! :)</p>
<p>Don't do it.</p>
<p>Just kidding. It's hard but like...I learned that "just 30 more minutes" really turns into another 3 hours. And reading that "paragraph" turns into half the book.</p>
<p>I guess, my solution was, after a lot of procrastinating...stick to a schedule. Not one that plans out everything from bathroom breaks to meal times, just write down what you want to do, try to get it done, and if you say 30 more minutes, mean it. And it's hard to be the first one to leave an awesome conversation, but well, once you do it several times it gets easier, promise.</p>
<p>A REAL solution?</p>
<p>group study. have friends over and keep each other on track. Then when you reach a goal like "finish half of this paper by 5 pm" then do something for half an hour for fun to reward yourself. Then back to work.</p>
<p>Work gets done when there's someone with you doing the same thing.</p>
<p>I know it works but i don't do it. I don't go online to procrastinate though. I'm usually out...with my friends. Lol. find a friend who has great time management.</p>
<p>"Real" solutions lol. If you don't have the DISCIPLINE to get something done, you're not going to do it. Just sit your butt down and get the work done. Don't get up till it's done.</p>
<p>^what I lack</p>
<p>So the next question is, how do we develop discipline, especially for people who have never had good self-control in their lives?</p>
<p>"Just kidding. It's hard but like...I learned that "just 30 more minutes" really turns into another 3 hours. And reading that "paragraph" turns into half the book."</p>
<p>Who procrastinates by reading books?!</p>
<p>yeah, i don't have any discipline. lol.</p>
<p>Delete your AIM...it's the only way...if you want to really focus, then dispel the thing that distracts you the most.</p>
<p>Have a friend change your password to Facebook/AIM/etc. and when you're done with your work, have them change it back. Or just turn the internet off. If it's dial-up or ethernet, just pull the plug. If it's wireless, turn off your computer's internal airport or turn off the router. Or take your work to the library where the internet won't distract you.</p>
<p>Or just do it slowly and multitask. I usually have an hour or two of homework per night, and I start at about 7:30, slowly do it, while also being on AIM and checking facebook every so often, and end up finishing it by 11. Sure it'll take you longer to do it, but you won't be procrastinating completely and only starting the homework at 11, nor will you be completely cutting off most forms of talking to people.</p>
<p>ccrunner...hilarious. and true. unless it's harry potter....it's a shame though. i like to read. i just have to read so much for school i never want to voluntarily read again!!</p>
<p>FINALLY a good thread. You say discipline, but how do you GET discipline. I look back on my high school days, and I definitely had it. I DON'T know where it went and it's been a struggle getting it back. </p>
<p>But here are things you can do.</p>
<p>-Break down work into tangible chunks. Write up a schedule describing each chunk. 50 minutes on, 10 minutes off. You MUST stick to just 10 minutes off. In fact, it's best to do something like take a walk or listen to a few songs than go check your email because that is easy to get carried away with
-Unplug the computer (unless you're writing a paper, of course -- and in that case just don't click on Safari or AIM)
-Don't multi-task, i.e. talk online and write your paper. If your full attention is devoted to the task at hand it will simply go faster.<br>
-Create a comfortable environment. Clean your room. Make the space around you organized. It will get you in the mode to study. Or, find a lounge / library space with a BIG table and spread out all your stuff on it. This is great for problem sets, math, chemistry, etc. This is what I did back in my freshman year and it was very helpful. Surroundings, for me at least, make a big difference in my comfort level and preparedness to work.
-Pick the same place to study almost every time, be it a nook in the library or the comfy chair in your room <em>points to self</em>
-Make your "cram" night (it's often unavoidable) 2 to 3 days BEFORE the test instead of the night before. It takes your brain a few days to soak in information and then be able to regurgitate it. Ever get that feeling 3 days after the test that you know the material so much better than you did the day of the test by just letting it percolate? Exactly. Avoid that by doing your major studying a good few days before, then chill out and MILDLY review the night before. Anything you do the night before will have little value. They've done studies on this.
-Set schedules that you REALLY STICK TO work great. In sophomore physics, we had test on Thursdays, and homework every night. I did every homework assignment right when i got home from school. On Sundays I would go through and do every problem in the entire chapter. Monday I would go in and ask questions on the ones I didn't understand. I would do them ones I didn't understand Monday night. Tuesday I would go back in and ask questions about problems I still didn't understand. Tuesday night I would do ALL (even the ones I understood) of them again. Wednesday I would ask any final questions. Wednesday night I would briefly review. I had over 100% (some extra credit as available) in the class for a good part of the year -- pretty unheard of -- this class was known as a "GPA breaker". This was high school. OH WERE DID IT GO?!!??! </p>
<p>I have a faint idea on where it went. A lot of it has to do with motivation. A lot of it has to do with the love of the subject. When I was in high school I was incredibly interested in science. So studying was a borderline joy. And I got a lot of satisfaction from working hard and then doing well. Since then I have had medical problems that have basically turned my brain into pudding (i.e. severely limiting my concentration and cognitive functioning), and that, combined with a shift in personal interests, has led me away from science and a lot of "academics" all together. So I have a hard time with motivation, 1, because it's less interesting to me now, and 2, it's just so frustrating how good i used to be at it and am not now. </p>
<p>But more importantly, back then I had a GOAL. In high school, it was all about getting into Brown. When I was at Tulane my freshman year, it was all about transferring into Brown. I was so goal-oriented that I was so motivated to work. But now that I'm AT Brown, and without a clear set of goals for the future, I'm having a hard time getting that motivation back. And I strongly believe that motivation is key to success -- and good study habits.</p>
<p>So if you find yourself without motivation, try this: (this is what I am trying to do for myself)</p>
<p>-Remind yourself how much you like to learn and that what you are doing is, at least at a fundamental level, interesting. Or if it's not interesting, it will expand your brain and inform other areas of study that do interest you. (they've done studies to show that the simple process of learning math forges pathways in your brain that increase ability to learn other stuff).
-Remind yourself that you are wicked smart, like, and can face a challenge
-If you are at a school you really like, your dream school, even, like I personally am, remind yourself of how thankful you are to be there multiple times a day. How hard you worked to get there. It will give you perspective and teach you to value the amazing opportunity you have, and how you don't want to throw that away! And that will motivate you. Even if you aren't exactly where you want to be, think of how you are being given the opportunity to get an education that so many across the world could only DREAM of -- even if that's a 4th tier school.
-Make learning your goal. And that should be goal enough.
-Don't do it for med school. Don't do it for mom and dad. Do it for you.
-Think about your long-run priorities. Are you really at school to learn, or are you really at school to party? A balance is great, but sometimes one needs to take precedence over the other. You decide. And I would hope it's the former!!</p>
<p>peace</p>
<p>I used to start my homework really early and get it done by bedtime. Now I have the "Just 30 Minutes" syndrome. =/ I promise I'm just going to check my e-mail, but then I get on other stuff and watch movies/anime on Veoh and Youtube. Then it turns into 3 hours and I spend until 2 AM writing my English paper. So I have no idea where my motivation went. Maybe it's because I'm a senior. I don't know how to get back on track either. DX</p>
<p>If you must use your computer then disable the wifi/router/whatever gets you on the internet. Most people use the internet way to much when they really don't need it. Internet makes you lose time and makes your mind drift off topic more easily because so much information as at your fingertips (ITS JUST TOO TEMPTING!!!). I know its hard, but you have to do it or else you'll definitely run into problems later on.</p>
<p>Study in a library.</p>
<p>People procrastinated long before there were computers to distract them, deleting your AIM account will just force you to procrastinate some other way. </p>
<p>Sometimes procrastination is necessary, as part of the creative process. It's letting the ideas percolate a bit. But only sometimes. ;-)</p>
<p>The most insidious form of procrastination is based on fear of being imperfect. This cripples you and gets you nothing. Just do it, you can always revise later. And remember, 9 times out of 10 (99 times out of 100?) good enough is good enough. It doesn't need to be "perfect". </p>
<p>One piece of advice to get started is, pretend you are just writing an email to your friend. Just tell them about the essay topic (or whatever) casually. That can become the first draft of your essay. Getting things down is the key, it's the blank sheet that scares people so much.</p>
<p>I also support the idea of rewarding yourself for time spent on-task. Work for an hour, and then do something fun for twenty minutes or so. You might need to take more, shorter breaks depending on your personality. I don't recommend doing a lot of stuff at once- that's how I always end up losing sleep. It's better to get it all done and then have fun.</p>
<p>(BTW: CCRunner- I procrastinate by reading books! I have a problem that if I'm close to done, I HAVE to keep going even if I end up staying up all night. )</p>
<p>i dunno i can't study in a library. i get antsy...</p>