let's talk about REAL solutions to procrastination

Pre-College Issues High School Life
41

<p>i too, struggle with procrastination.</p>

<p>some tools i use are:
- leechblock[/url</a>] firefox extension that allows you to block yourself from any website. you can make it annoying to disable it so that you are unlikely to (ie, a really long password). i use it to block gmail, google reader, this board (lol) and a bunch of other forums, facebook, etc.
- [url=<a href="http://rememberthemilk.com%5Dremember">http://rememberthemilk.com]remember</a> the milk a great online task management tool
- procrastinators</a> anonymous a community for people like us (:</p>

42

<p>This was a miracle for my D in high school (and some adults use this or similar to break addictions with gaming or worse sites) - it's called "Enuff" ENUFF</a> Review and Download,Parental Control,Internet Software - it is both a web blocker, and a computer "timer" - it shuts off after a cumulative total of minutes in a day (you set the time). Yes you can override, but you have to type in a password. I suggest a pw that would shock you into thinking about whether you really need to override the shut off for a few more minutes. </p>

<p>PS Good for you, admitting it's an issue is the start of the solution. And you are SO SO right...the GOAL is the key...you're actually very sharp and you will soon find your solution.</p>

43

<p>^Well... I'd hate to have my internet blocked for whatever reason. (Especially if my parents do it). </p>

<p>Doesn't the fact that you'd have to do it anyway make you do it eventually?</p>

44

<p>^ it used to be like that for me. i used to always manage to hand things in on time. but now, i just don't get things done!</p>

<p>op: check out david allen's GTD (getting things done) methods. i haven't done much research on his stuff though.</p>

45

<p>The only thing to do is just be disciplined! There is no magical pill for pocrastination! You can do things to make you less prone, but we can't tell you. Turning off the computer works for some people and not for others!</p>

<p>I find if I work in a library, with a study buddy or in a place that other people are working, I am more prone to focus. Even when I have to go home, I am less likely to procrastinate. Also, I keep competition in my head. I want to be better than someone.</p>

<p>That's just me. Really, the only thing you can do is grow up and mature a little. Realize that you have control and will-power and use it! Don't stop using it. Keep using it until its not so hard anymore and even then you must use it! Just push! You can do it, really! Just push!</p>

46

<p>lol,,,, true dat ^^^^^^^</p>

47

<p>"Also, I keep competition in my head. I want to be better than someone."</p>

<p>eww!</p>

48

<p>the thing about college is, you don't learn to study better. you learn to procrastinate better.</p>

49

<p>Ever since I was little, I did my homework RIGHT after school. Even to this day, I grab a snack, go to my room, and do my homework.</p>

<p>This way, when I'm on the computer for hours on end at night, my work is already done and there's none of that "oh ****, I need to go do x, y and z". </p>

<p>It takes a certain amount of discipline, but if you motivate yourself to do it, it's possible. I'm a very self-motivated person, and this type of thing has been learned, I guess over time.. as a habit. So other than doing work RIGHT after school, I don't know any other tips...</p>

<p>Hope I helped.</p>

50

<p>this is a very stupid thread... quit whining</p>

51

<p>We're all entitled to whine sometime (it really doesn't matter whether it's justified or not), and if you don't want to read it, you don't have to read it. It's not like you have to hear it... it's a thread on the computer, for goodness sake (no bad feelings intended!) </p>

<p>IMO, procrastination is normal and an important skill to learn, to a certain extent. Most people do it all the time...but somehow they still get all their work done on time. That's a skill you fellow procrastinators must perfect. Now, for those of you with a "A- is an A, A+ is an A" you have it easier. If you want straight A's, you can plan to work as little as you can for a 90% (if that is your scale), as it doesn't matter whether you have a 104% or 90%. This leaves more room for procrastination/slacking. But you can only procrastinate up to a certain point. Then it becomes a bad thing. Procrastinating is one thing. Not ever getting something done is another. </p>

<p>For those of you who use the A-, A, A+ system, it is a little trickier. But there's the same principle: get the minimum percentage for whatever grade you want to get, if you are lazy like me. And make sure you only procrastinate up to that point. You have to set certain limits for yourself; otherwise, procrastination will harm you in more ways than one. </p>

<p>Even so, procrastination can be sucessfully used without demeaning the person's work ethic. You can be an extremely hard working, motivated person who does 5 trillion things, gets straight A's, and still be a major procrastinator. Hey, whatever works... and to those who say that procrastination is not an option in college, that is a flat out lie. You can do it at any time. And the fact that some teachers claim that they can catch a BS essay every time? Not realistic. But the meanings of procrastination vary, so there is no one standard. </p>

<p>There really is no point to this and this is just the ramblings of one frequent CC visitor, so ignore me/point out my lack of argument if you'd like. But I just don't see what's so horrible about procrastinating. Sure, I'd ideally like to do my homework early, but I just don't care anymore. I'm a senior infected with a heavy dose of senioritis, granted.. so don't take my word for it. I just want to get out of High school asap... in the long run, procrastination in h.s. means nothing. And most often anyway, the students that call themselves the biggest procrastinators are the students with 4.0 GPA's, 2300 SATs and President of 4 clubs/sports.</p>

52

<p>
[quote]
-Remind yourself how much you like to learn and that what you are doing is, at least at a fundamental level, interesting

[/quote]

Stopped reading right there.</p>

53

<p>my freshmen yr i remember i'd do my hw first thing when i got home every single day. soph yr i was pretty good overall...toward the end, i sort of started to procrastinate a little (but just a little). and now, my jr yr...i waste my time on the internet (like on here) for hours b4 doin my hw. or i'll just do 10 min of work, go eat somethin, watch a little vid on youtube, chat w/a friend for sometime, then go back to work. around 10...i start workin seriously. </p>

<p>last night was actually the latest i've done -- 4 in the morning. i had to finish an essay (hopefully for scholastic competition) memoir and study for precalc test. finally around 4 i gave up b/c my brain just wouldn't function anymore...i was lookin @ tangent and i was like, 'what r the ratios of the sides again?'</p>

<p>now, i seriously think i should just ask my dad to monitor the time i spend on the internet. he doesn't know but oh boy if he knows i'll be dead.</p>

54

<p>DS pulls the Internet connection and takes the laptop to the kitchen or living room. In nice weather, he takes it outside and works under a tree. Gets him back on task. We don't have wireless, and apparently, neither do our neighbors. :D</p>

<p>We have a houseful of procrastinators-by-reading.</p>

55

<p>delete aim .. you'll find that you're much better off without it anyway</p>

56

<p>Doesn't anyone else think its funnny how we've all (or atleast a ton of us (me included)) have been using not just this site..but this THREAD as a useof prorastination!!!
Hahaha--the things we do so we wont have to work---I'm over, </p>

<p>get-er-done!</p>

57

<p>Yeah generally, just turn off anything in the house that has an on/off button. That might be the hardest thing to do. </p>

<p>Don't you guys get sleepy after school or class? That happens to me all the time when I get home. After eating something and getting myself comfortable I can't resist taking a nap. So that took away at least one hour. Is there anyway that I can start working on homework right away without that nap?</p>

58

<p>When it comes to avoiding procratination I have tried every remedy in the book. I cannot say anything has worked for me long term but a few things i have learned... </p>

<ul>
<li>a clean room helps</li>
<li>sometimes you need to REALLLY MESS UP to realize that you do acutally need to do work</li>
<li>take on a day to day basis</li>
<li>there will always be a point when you hit a wall-- it is 1.49 am. I hit my wall about 2 hours ago but I still have work left</li>
<li>Have a goal (both a big broad goal and a small nightly goal) </li>
<li>if you aren't sure what you want work to prove that you should be where you are. If I get into penn i will spend the next four years working like crazy to prove that I deserve to be there. </li>
<li>don't let things pile up-- that is why i am awake at 1.51 am</li>
</ul>

<p>... of course it is 1.52 so you should take everything I say with a grain of salt</p>

59

<p>the library really helps me. i get distracted, but when i see others working it makes me more inclined to do the same.</p>

60

<p>Great thread. Naive question from a parent of a HS Sr whose work ethic I can safely say has been challenged by the web surfing gods: can college students tell me what the computer configurations are at their colleges?</p>

<p>What can we expect to see at college, computer wise?</p>

<p>How easy is it to surf?</p>

<p>Wireless everywhere (student center, library, caf, classrooms,dorms)?</p>

<p>Internet only in prescribed places and it is wired?</p>

<p>I assume that internet, in whatever form it is delivered, is part of the cost of being a student at the college. There is not another cost over this. True?</p>

<p>I assume internet is unfiltered, true?</p>

<p>Are there any rules or prohibitions placed on the use of the internet at the college? This is done routinely at private businesses where an internet feed is delivered to its employees.</p>

<p>I recall the Va Tech student (who killed a bunch of people last yr) who was visiting some pretty extreme sites, for example. He was using Va Tech's infrastructure and internet service to do this. The college reasonably has some place to know what is going on, I would think.</p>