Procrastination: The Bane Of A Student’s Existence

The start of a new semester always brings out my creative side. That is, I find the most remarkable and unique ways to distract myself from the load of work piling up on my desk.

And I know I’m not the only one. Many of us have trouble keeping focussed. According to the Grattan Institute, 40% of Australian school students are regularly unproductive.

I’m not going to tell you to stop procrastinating, let’s be honest, that’s never going to happen however, you can make the time you spend procrastinating more productive.

First off, you can do that thing that your parents have been asking you do to do all week that you just haven’t got around to. Or, if you’re out of home, complete that task that no one in your household ever does. In my house, it’s cleaning the kitchen. After struggling through that battlefield of dirty dishes and mouldy food, I would prefer to read 70 pages on Formal Equality in Australian Anti-Discrimination Law.

But you can also do that thing that you’ve been wanting to do for a while. Sorting through your wardrobe, fixing your heeled boots or working out which shoes go with those new gingham pants.

You can even take a more constructive approach to your procrastination and do other homework, whilst avoiding that darn essay. If you have four subjects, but just cannot bring yourself to study for one, try and distract yourself with the other three.

This doesn’t always work for me, but when it does I feel much prouder of the two hours I spent not writing my essay.

Eventually, everyone just needs a bit of ‘me’ time. If you’re struggling with distractions, maybe let yourself be completely distracted. Do what relaxes you for an hour, whether it be having a bath, reading a book or watching TV, and then return back to your work in full swing. Instead of wasting two hours half-heartedly doing my work, I’ll definitely get more done in one focussed hour.

Now, I know you’re browsing CrowdINK because you’ve got homework to do, so, scoot! Get back to work!