Rina Factor/Contributing Writer
Freshman year of college is a big transition from high school, especially when it comes to assignments and tests. Yes, you also had tests and deadlines in high school but it was very easy to save your studying or work for the night before.
In college, however, this method simply does not function well.
Procrastination, in general, is not just holding assignments off for the last second—it’s also starting an assignment or any other activity and then sporadically working on it while indulging in distractions.
It can lead to a significant drop in your grades, and if you are taking challenging courses, this can result in a failing grade which will not count towards any credit. This, in turn, prolongs our stay in college.
I think I speak for all us when I say our goal as college students is to graduate in four years. None of us want to pay extra tuition because we messed up.
Because of this, it’s important that students, particularly freshman, avoid procrastination, which is key to building good habits that will stick for the remainder of college.
One way to successfully avoid procrastination lies in managing your time well.
Writing tasks down can be very helpful with reminding all of your responsibilities. Having a written record of tasks you can check off helps you stay aware of how much is on your plate.
If you have a test or written assignment, it’s imperative to get started with completing it as soon as possible.
Actually, as soon as you are assigned homework or a test, start working on it because you never know if another professor might decide to assign something or if another priority might arise.
Pushing these assignments off will only decrease the amount of time you have to accomplish them.
Maximizing your time is also essential in submitting quality work, which are often rewarded with high grades. If you have a test for a difficult class, study a little bit every weekend instead of cramming all material the night before.
During the school year, I balance my schedule so that I maximize my time. School days can be exhausting, and to combat this, I try my best to schedule my week so that on Friday I do not have classes.
This enables me to have time for volunteering and working on campus, while also setting time to work on my assignments.
Another important tip would be to utilize breaks between classes to either study, work on homework, or do something you enjoy like take a fitness class.
Since procrastination often involves distractions, there are ways to avoid this and improve concentration.
For instance, I put music on whenever I study because it helps me focus. Each student must find a study technique that helps them concentrate.
I also find that when I am studying math, if I put a timer on for half an hour and allow myself a ten minute break before I begin studying again, I end up studying much more efficiently.
Finding success during your freshman year may be difficult but with practice, you can build excellent and useful skills that will help you not just in college, but in life afterwards.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
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