BY: Hope Murphy

 

If you missed the Time Management LEAD event presented by Lindsay R. Masters, Learning Center Coordinator, on Oct. 26, no worries – here is the break down.

 

Do you ever hear yourself saying “I’ll wake up early tomorrow and work on it” or “I work better under pressure if I do it last minute” or “Social media is how I procrastinate”? You are not alone. These are the things Daemen students said during the event that enabled their procrastination.

 

Procrastination can be caused by many reasons, but the most common are: the fear of failing the class or assignment, not understanding the assignment, feeling anxiety about the amount of work you have to do, being angry at your professor for giving you this boring or hard assignment or feeling frustrated at yourself for not being able to get it done. There are many reasons, but once you dig deep and understand why you are procrastinating the easier it will be to find a solution.

 

Strategies that help with dealing with procrastination are:

1. Make a list of important assignments based on deadlines and assignment work load.
2. Create a personal schedule for when you should finish the assignment or complete part of it.
3. Set realistic goals for the assignment (instead of aiming for an A++ aim for a B+, it will help reduce stress.)
4. Focus on completing one task at a time instead of thinking about ten other assignments.
5. Set certain times of the day for homework. (i.e. in the morning before class, after your last class or during a gap period.)
6. Set a timer- work on an assignment for 5,10 or 30 minutes at a time.
7. Sit at a desk or go to the library instead of sitting in your comfy, warm bed.
8. Give yourself positive reinforcement by telling yourself “I will get this done!” or “I can do this!”
9. Remind yourself that this is one assignment of many and if you fail this one you can talk to the professor, you can do extra credit or try harder on the next assignment.
10. Reward yourself for getting the assignment done. (ICE CREAM!!)

 

Once you find the strategy that works best for you implement it in your daily routine to better manage your time and avoid the stress that comes along with procrastination.

 

For more information or help with time management or procrastination contact Lindsay R. Masters through email at lmasters@daemen.edu or set an appointment by calling (716) 839-8228.

To attend the next LEAD event go to https://daemen.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/LEADS to reserve a seat.