How to Avoid Procrastination in Academic Matters
- 1). Look at the deadline of any new assignment you get and write it on your calendar. For assignments with no deadline - a frequent phenomenon in graduate school - impose a deadline yourself.
- 2). Imagine how the world will look on that date, to make it real to you: What will the weather be like? What else will have changed? Don't allow those changes to pass without finishing the assignment.
- 3). Calculate roughly how many hours the assignment will take.
- 4). Decide, before bedding down each night, how much time you're going to spend the next day on the assignment.
- 5). Remind yourself, upon waking up, of this amount of time.
- 6). Tell yourself that you won't allow yourself any leisure activities that day until you've put in the promised amount of time.
- 7). Reward yourself, when done for the day, in whatever way you see fit. This reward is key - having a positive incentive can make all the difference.
- 8). Don't be afraid to call your student services office. There are well-trained people out there who can help you.
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