Early morning rush, last-minute all night reading and endless mugs of caffeine-rich coffee — such is the general state of students’ academic routines. But is this the best way to complete your assignments or to study for exams? Of course not!
Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the “last minute” before a deadline.
By justifying their delay – often with the phrase, “I work better under pressure” most students mistakenly believe that procrastinating will help them become more efficient or produce higher quality work.
But the truth is quite the opposite. Procrastination is a recipe for disaster that can not only hurt the quality of your work, but can also have negative impacts on your physical and mental health.
Read on to learn more about the top three procrastination myths, as well as why you should be motivated to start your work right now.
1 – “I work better under pressure.”
As discussed above, this is an exceedingly popular procrastination myth. But claiming that you work better under pressure is almost always code for, “I’m not motivated to do this assignment right now.”
While waiting until the last minute to study or finish an assignment will force you to complete your assignment, it does not ensure that you will produce the best work possible. In fact, rushing to finish a task will only lead to stress.
You have a much higher chance of earning an A on your test or assignment if you review or address it when you are calm. If you have trouble with motivation, try establishing your own earlier deadline for that task. This will prompt you to complete your work before you have the opportunity to procrastinate.
2 – “This isn’t a good time to start.”
Between attending classes, participating in extracurricular activities and managing a social life, teens are busy. It is thus better to make smart use of the small periods of time throughout your day than to wait for a free stretch of hours.
3 – “I’ll be more motivated to do this assignment later.”
Another common procrastination myth is that it’s best to accomplish a task when you are most determined to complete it. But this is far from a great idea. Think about it: Would you rather delay an important assignment when you have the time to accomplish it but not the motivation? Or would you rather rush to finish it when you’re still not motivated?
Though procrastinating on a task when you’re not feeling motivated can be tempting, try to remember that the item will still be there later, and your state of mind will likely be the same then. Begin the task today, regardless of how you feel about it. Once you get started, your motivation to finish it will likely build.
