Stop Procrastinating and Start Studying

Procrastination - a common problem for all students. COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the structure provided by classrooms and students are forced to study through online modes.

The challenge for students is to complete the assignments without being distracted. Distraction - that is the second nature of online gadgets (for most of us) - keeps the students from completing their assignments and completing their study goals.

However, the points given below helped me as a student and may help you complete your assignments and your study goals without (much) being distracted.

One Bite at a Time

How do you eat an Elephant? One Bite at a Time (Book By Bill Hogan)

This statement says all. Divide your assignment into tasks, and tasks into sub-tasks (if required). Want to complete a chapter, see them as several topics.

When you see you have to complete multi-page assignments you get fear, how will I complete it? Break down your assignments into parts or topics. And complete them one by one.

Schedule Time

It's time to schedule your work. Create a to-do list and write down the tasks or sub-tasks you want to complete today.

The task you scheduled should be according to your other works and responsibilities. The to-do list must not have too many tasks to be completed in a day. It may exhaust you.

Another benefit of scheduling is measuring your efficiency and creating accountability.

Study at Desk

At first, you must study at the desk. Never study in bed. Every place has a different cue related to it.

When you study in bed, you start feeling sleepy as your brain associates bed with sleep and thinks it's time for sleep.

Always study at your desk or at least don't study in bed.

Remove Distraction

Before sitting for your study session, remove all the distractions. Remove anything other than materials related to study from your desk.

Put your phone on silent mode and place it at some distance or a place where you can't see it. If your assignment is on phone or it's necessary to use the phone, then mute all the notifications and focus on your work.

Be Organized

There is a principle in management that says - A place for everything and everything in its place.

Be organized. Put what is required on the study desk. Remove everything else from the desk. Being organized also helps you focus on your work and feel less distracted. An organized person has another advantage, he knows where is the thing he needs at the very moment.

The Pomodoro

Pomodoro is a technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It is 25 minutes during which you work with a full focus followed by a short break, usually 5 minutes.

Common estimates for sustained attention to a freely chosen task range from about 5 minutes for a two-year-old child, to a maximum of around 20 minutes in older children and adults.

- Wikipedia

The duration of a normal person is small. This technique helps you to take small breaks after a duration when your concentration starts declining. If you have a problem concentrating on your study, you should give it a try.

Create Accountability

Accountability can help you avoid procrastination. It's easy to avoid tasks. However, if you have a way to hold yourself accountable, it will motivate you.

You may make a group of friends where you all can discuss your progress and motivate each other. You can write a journal to measure your progress daily.

Decide a Time

Everybody has a different routine, nature, and work habits. Some people are night owls and some are early birds.

You should decide the time to study accordingly. If you love to study in the morning, good. If you want to study at night, that's also good. But do it daily at the same time.

Set a Deadline

In most cases, there will be one. Yet, in some cases, there is no deadline, so you should set a deadline for yourself. You should set a deadline considering your daily routine, capacity, and your goals.

Creating a deadline also helps you to create pressure (a healthy one) on you for completing your work within time.

Ask for Help

We are not "Wikipedia". So don't hesitate to ask for help. Ask your friends, family, teacher, or anybody for help.

The right person can save you lots of time and help you complete your assignment within time. It's not a big deal. You just have to ask any person, whoever you think fits if they can help you out.

Relax!

Don't get stressed about completing your assignment or preparation for the exam. Relax. Release your tension and it will help you think clearly.

Stressing out may also reduce your retention capacity. It will slow you down from learning faster.

Get a good amount of sleep. Not getting enough sleep will also affect your concentration and may create health issues.

These are some tips that you can implement to get some good and fast results. Please comment with your views, I will be glad to hear from you. Thank you.