Procrastination

We've all been there. Your teacher assigns you a term paper that's due in six weeks. You tell yourself you'll do it tomorrow. You even make a plan. Suddenly, it's due tomorrow morning and it's already ten o'clock the night before.

Here are some tips to help you stop procrastinating and get right to work:

• Post reminders everywhere. Post them on your bedroom door, all over your study space, right by your bed, and even on the refrigerator. No one likes being reminded of what they need to do for school when it's snack-time. Eventually, you'll get tired to seeing your reminders and (hopefully) get down to business. 
• If you have a tablet or a computer, set e-reminders at a given interval. Try setting the alert to go off every five minutes. You will soon get tired of an annoying electronic voice begging you to do your homework. 
• Make a to-do list, and break an assignment up into little pieces. Cross off each item as you complete it. This will give you a sense of accomplishment that will keep you going through everything you have to do. Here is an example:

To-Do List:

Algebra Page 118, problems 3-7. 

1. Problem 3
2. Problem 4
3. Problem 5
4. Problem 6
5. Problem 7

English Paper

1. Introduction
2. Body Paragraph 1
3. Body Paragraph 2
4. Body Paragraph 3
5. Conclusion

Social Studies Vocabulary Review Assignment

1. American Revolution
2. Boston Tea-Party
3. Suffrage
4. Prohibition

• Get rid of distractions. Power off your cell phone, iPad, game console, or other distracting electronic devices. Put your dog downstairs. Enlist your parents to take care of your younger siblings. 
• Set a timer. Promise yourself you will do nothing but work for thirty minutes. Then take a break, and repeat. 
• Reward yourself by doing something fun after you are completely done with all of your work. 
• Buy a day planner or calendar to write down what you need to do so you don't lose track of your assignments. Some schools give pupils free planners in the first week. Use them wisely. 
• Don't get overwhelmed if you have a million assignments all due in the next week. Pick a place to start, and dig yourself out one assignment at a time. 
• Once you've stopped procrastinating, don't start again! It's all too easy to get caught in that rut again, but don't fall for the all-too alluring promise of the "I'll do it tomorrow" or the "This can wait until later" spiel. 
• Keep using these tips and tricks throughout your entire school career. They will help you get things done on time, and save you a lot of pain and frustration. 

Leave your anti-procrastination tips in the comments!