Procrastination

Have you ever had one of those assignments that you thought you could let slide for a few days? You think that you have enough time to do it but end up procrastinating till the very last second. The entire time you’re thinking, “I can finish this tomorrow,” but you keep pushing it off until it’s a few days before the due date. I see nothing wrong with this, however, when it starts to pile up - that’s when you know it’s time to stop.
I’m going to be completely honest, I’ve pushed homework off until the last second like most people. You have an essay due in two weeks. Rather than doing it a week in advance, you’re sitting there the night before typing everything up and lying about the date it was written. I’m positive that everyone has done that at least once in their lifetime. The only problem with doing this is that your work tends to suffer; whether it suffers a lot or a little all depends upon the person and the quality.
As we near summer, I’m starting to do this more and more. There’s an assignment due in two days, but rather than working on it then - I choose to push it off until the day before. There’s that moment when you feel like what you have to do is more important than the work itself; but trust me, it’s really not. Suffering grades are not something that everyone wants to experience.

Here is a list of things to do if you cannot stay focused on your homework and the due date is approaching.
1. First off, stay away from the television. Unless, in some odd way, it’s a part of your assignment. The best thing to do is to turn off the TV and focus primarily on the task at hand: homework. You may think that you can focus while watching TV, as you are a great multi tasker, but trust me when I say that it’s for the best.
2. Turn off the computer. Of course, some may have online homework - in which case, close everything but the homework. The internet can be a great place but it can also be your downfall.
3. If you’re in a loud or crowded area, head for the library. The library can be a fantastic (and quiet) place to get work done and study. You won’t have to worry about anyone shouting, any noises (including a stereo being played) disrupting you, or neighbors being obnoxiously loud.
4. Put away everything but your school books. I believe this one is a bit obvious. It’s easier to focus when you just have the work in front of you and no distractions.
5. Turn off your cell phone. If it’s important, they will call/text you back later. There’s no cell phone involved excuse that should make you miss your homework. Cell phones can be used as a way to avoid your homework on purpose; don’t do it. Just turn the phone off and put it out of sight until the homework is done.

Hopefully my tips have helped you in avoiding putting homework off. If not, and you find tips that do work for you, please let me know! I would enjoy to hear some other ideas on how to avoid procrastination.

Self-Doubt

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."

- Mark Twain

Have you ever had any doubts about life? Where are you heading? Did you make the right choice? What would life be like if you had chose the path opposite to the one you did take? The ‘what ifs’ are an endless sea that will lead you to no shore.  Even worse, the what ifs force you to doubt yourself and your abilities.  You’ll wonder where you went wrong and how you could have fixed it.

Perhaps fixing the problem isn’t the answer.  Maybe there never really was a problem, but you’re the only one who knows.  Never doubt yourself or your decisions.  Doubting things will never end well, so avoiding it would be best.  If you feel like you’re doubting yourself, I recommend 10 Ways To Stop Doubting Yourself.  You’ll find tips on how to stop the issue when it comes to hand.  The best thing to do is to think “I chose what I did for a reason,” and keep doubt far from your mind.

Self-doubt is inevitable; everyone will come in contact with it eventually, whether they want to or not.  You just have to learn how and when to deal with it.  I’ve been going through a lot of self-doubt these last few days.  Finals are coming up sooner than I anticipated and I’m nervous that I’m going to fail my classes:  typical freshman worry.  This worry has caused me to think about the 'what ifs'.  What if I had chosen not to go to college? Where would I be? What if I fail out of college? I’ve been trying my hardest to push all of those thoughts to the back of my mind and focus on the now.  I can stop myself from failing, but I need to keep the self-doubt at bay until then.

Now is the time when I need to figure out how to keep focused; maybe make a plan/schedule marking the appropriate study times.  There’s also the issue of studying, as I am a procrastinator, which puts a tremendous amount of stress on a person.  For once, I have no resources on how to help with this issue.  To all of the students who read this blog, what are some ways that you cope with finals? And do you know of any resources on campus that could help me out?

Good luck to everyone!