As students, it’s all too tempting to procrastinate. That essay isn’t in for about a month – It can wait… right? Or maybe you’ve already started the essay but are attempting to multitask it with Facebook, Twitter, sessions on FIFA and copious amounts of tea making. Whatever your reasons, a common trait among students is that essays that should take a couple of days to complete end up taking weeks. Without your parents there to nag you, you end up bashing away at your keyboard until the dying seconds before your deadline, turning in sub-par work and narrowly escaping the late submission penalty.
However, this is easily avoidable with a little self-discipline and motivation. Just follow these top tips – you’ll thank me when you’re earning the big bucks in a few years’ time:
• Deactivate your social network accounts – This is the biggest time waster. It may only take a few seconds to a minute to check your news feed, it all adds up. Plus, the distraction means your mind isn’t focused on your work and you make glaring errors.
• Get away from your friends – With housemates around, you mindlessly chat and five minute breaks soon turn into two hour ones. Also, they’ll try to coerce you into going out, meaning you’ll have less time to complete your assignments and be doing them with a hangover. Take yourself out of your normal environment and get down to the library – there’s nothing to do there but work.
• Allocate time slots – It’s no secret that lectures don’t take up all day. It’s all too tempting to spend the afternoons in the pub with the promise that you’ll get the work done in the evening. Be honest though, it doesn’t – evening television is far too interesting. So, set aside 9am to 5pm during the week as working hours. If you finish early, great. This way, you have your evenings free and produce better work as you’re less tired during the day. Come deadline day, you’ll be laughing.
• Get books out early – University libraries only have a few copies of each book. Get the books you need out as soon as your essay is set while your mates are busy updating their statuses. This way you won’t be forced to turn in an assignment full of references from Wikipedia. You’ll get a higher grade and have peace of mind.
So there you have it – follow those tips and you won’t go far wrong. You’ll still have plenty of time to socialize but your grades won’t suffer. Why, you might even get a first – it’s all about structure.
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