Passing Class for the Procrastinator

A Simple Guide for Students who Procrastinate

By Kelsey Miller TECM 2700.022 Formal Project

Table of Contents

iii

Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................................. iv Chapter 1: The Three Core Rules ........................................................................................ 3
Go to Class.............................................................................................................................................. 3 Do Your Homework ........................................................................................................................... 3 Study a Little ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Get Your Friends to Help .................................................................................................................. 7 Break Everything Down into Increments .................................................................................. 7 Create a Reward System ................................................................................................................... 7 Build Momentum ................................................................................................................................ 7

Chapter 2: Identify Different Tricks ................................................................................... 7

Chapter 3: Create Your Niche ............................................................................................ 11

Identify Where You Work Best ................................................................................................... 11 Build that Environment ................................................................................................................. 11

Glossary..................................................................................................................................... 15 Index........................................................................................................................................... 17

iv

Introduction
From late-night cramming to rushing major projects, procrastination leads to horrible consequences. Every student knows this, yet, for some, procrastination is as hard to stop as any lingering bad habit. Procrastination possesses any number of temporary rewards for these students that makes change all the more difficult. Their reasons for procrastinating are just as varied as each individual: relief from anxiety or pressure, lack-of-motive, overestimating or underestimating projects, intimidation, outside stressors, distractions, and even difficulties with memory. This manual provides easy steps to begin breaking this habit concerning classwork and breaks down a daunting task into smaller sections.

Chapter 1: The Three Core Rules

Go to Class
This is the simplest one of the three core rules. Just go to class. Tired from your job? Go to class. Nothing is due today? Go to class. You have other things to do? Go to class. You already know the material for todays lecture? Good for you! Now go to class for a refresher. This class has a hefty price tag that every student must pay, but before they hand over the money, they must sign up for this class, especially if the graduation plan requires the credits. Make the most out of this and go. You never know what you might miss that day, especially if you tend to forget the dates on the syllabus. Who knows? Someone might bring snacks for everyone after class, the lecture might actually be interesting, or you might make friends with one of your classmates. For classes that count attendance, you must go. This could be the thing that saves a grade from failing. If not, attendance pushes the grade into safe levels. Especially in this scenario, refusing to go to class only offers negatives. However, sometimes students just cant make it to class. Family emergencies, funerals, illnesses, traffic problems, and work-related issues all happen in the world. For this, the following is suggested: Contact the professor or one of your classmates and ask about any new material. Check online for any notes or power points. Find the subject for any additional information on a preferred search engine. Make sure you have the information so you dont fall behind.

Do Your Homework
This rule gets skipped very often by procrastinators. The task value is low, the work becomes tedious, and more urgent things call for your attention. Tricks to eliminate procrastination are further in the manual, but for this section, understand that grades need homework. Additional practice, buffers against low grades, and even test material can come from the homework assignments. Imagine them as an additional small investment into that high grade. Even if the investment isnt much, the amount still beats a zero. As the investments accumulate, the chances of achieving a higher grade increase. In the end, for such a menial task, the long-term pay-off helps make the effort more than worth it.

Passing Class for the Procrastinator

Study a Little
This subject brings the most frustration out of all three rules. You went to class, did your homework, and now you need to study. Work and chores take up too much time, homework gave enough opportunity to study, you are ahead of the class, or you just cant bring yourself to study. However, study sessions can help with fact checking, filling in additional notes missed in the lecture, and giving extra exposure to the subject, making mastery easier. For those who have trouble with this rule, start in small study sessions. Put in thirty minutes of studying per day and gradually increase as good study habits sink in. Dont look over every single detail or take on entire chapters in one session. Simply skim a section of a chapter and then go back for any details. Keep everything in small increments to minimize how heavy the workload feels. This makes study time more bearable and easier to manage.

Chapter 2: Identify Different Tricks

Every individual is different. What works for one person might not work for another. Procrastination requires some mental work to overcome the different pitfalls of procrastination. A few different tricks are as follows:

Get Your Friends to Help

Tell your friends that you will do this work at this time and have them hold you to it. You now have a deadline without the panic and a way to keep yourself accountable. However, be sure to provide something in return for pushing you into doing what needs to be done. Not everyone enjoys feeling like a nag, even if no one else is bothered by their behavior.

Break Everything Down into Increments

As mentioned before in the study section, breaking down work and time helps make things more manageable and less intimidating. One of the things that bring about procrastination is an intimidating amount of workload or difficulty. What seemed like a mountain is now just a molehill. Additionally, with everything broken up into parts, you can alternate between work and play, creating an immediate reward for doing something normally unpleasant.

Create a Reward System

This goes hand-in-hand with the previous section. The lack of an immediate reward can discourage people from working until the fear of consequences motivates them. Studies have shown that the fear of consequences produces worse results than under normal circumstances. Avoid this by alternating work and play. With X number of minutes of work, play X number of minutes on a video game, or even with X number of pages finished, get X finished on a favorite pastime. Be sure to set a timer if your reward system is based on time.

Build Momentum
One thing that some writers find that helps them continuously work is to build momentum. They write little things, and then write longer pieces, and longer, and longer, and even longer until they find themselves writing with ease. The same holds true for other tasks. If you find yourself having difficulty doing something, go do something else that needs to be done, especially if the subjects are connected to

Passing Class for the Procrastinator each other. This runs the risk of creating an additional distraction, but this trick can easily help put you in the mindset to work.

11

Chapter 3: Create Your Niche

In other words, create your workspace. An environment free of unnecessary distractions gives you a sense of comfort helps productivity. All school-related work starts in your niche; execute the tricks that work for you and find productivity yet little unwanted pressure in this area.

Identify Where You Work Best

Perhaps there are already a few places where you tend to work more: a coffee shop, in your home, in class, in the library, or outside. Maybe productivity needs certain items around, such as food, a drink, various knickknacks, or maybe even people. Does color, temperature, lighting, or noise level influence your productivity? Identify what these factors are and how they contribute to the workload and overall mindset. Remember: the goal isnt building a place for total relaxation but a comfortable place for productivity.

Build that Environment

Replicate your ideal study habit as much as possible. If you work best in the classroom, go to class early and work outside the door. Friends help you study best? Gather up a study group or work on your homework while you socialize. Nighttime environments suit the most? Study before bed. Dont skip meals, dont rush yourself, and just settle in this place. One person might have a single niche that helps them and another might have multiple. Just replicate the scenarios that help you the most.

13

15

Glossary
Incrementan increase or addition in reference to a fixed scale Nichea comfortable or suitable position, place, or environment in life or work Procrastinationthe action of delaying or putting off an action, deadline, or event Reward Systema system to encourage a type of behavior using positive outcomes as a means of encouragement

17

Index
Attendance Increments Reward System Niche 3 4, 7 7 11