Waiting until the last minute to start assignments is one of the worst things that students can do.
Even if a student is physically capable of completing assignments at 2 a.m., there is a litany of negative long-term consequences to procrastination: tired and stressed students make more mistakes, cramming decreases retention for later mid-term and final exams, and looming deadlines cause students anxiety well before they sit down to start assignments.
The two keys to avoiding the ill-effects of procrastination are to learn how to break up tasks and to actively celebrate intermediate successes. That is why this month’s study tips are:
→ Create a timeline for each of your current long-term assignments.
→ Identify a person who you can trust to hold you accountable to your deadlines.
Effectively setting and meeting short-term goals can be a challenge for students and parents alike. Helpful resources that we will be discussing this week include:
- iStudentPro – An app for tracking assignments and setting goals.
- Remember the Milk – An app for creating and completing to-do lists.
- Plant Nanny – An app to help make sure you drink enough water each day.
3 ways Breaking Up Tasks makes students more college-ready:
- Research indicates that “80 percent to 95 percent of college students procrastinate, particularly when it comes to doing their coursework.”
- Studies demonstrate an intimate connection between setting goals and maintaining motivation toward tasks.
- Celebrating small wins is an essential component of building productive habits and routines.
Take it to the next level!
- Use your student planner to write down both long-term and intermediate deadlines for assignments.
- Take time each morning to establish a daily to-do list.
- Always budget more time than you think you need to complete a task.
Remember, developing great habits takes consistent practice so keep at it!
