How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Studying

As we rightly know, studying is a vital skill used not only in education, but also in our daily life. It builds knowledge and understanding of a subject area which helps us to prepare for the future. Be it progressing through education or apprenticeship or even starting a new hobby.

Education helps a person to develop critical skills such as mental agility, decision-making, problem-solving, and logical thinking. People often face problems in their professional as well as personal lives, and in such situations, their ability to make rational and informed decisions comes from how educated and self-aware they are.

Studying is worth it because one becomes independent and responsible and learns how to deal with everyday life situations on their own. Studying in an institution is useful for creating social connections. We are not only talking about friends, even though you will make a ton of them, but we are talking about professional connections too.

It is mandatory to study, especially for students. Parents debate on how children can study well and focus on what they learn. Firstly, a timetable is imperative. Children need to have adequate time to play and to study. Individuals should balance and proportion everything for good mental and physical health. Now, since we have understood that education and studying are important, let us understand what obstacles students face while studying.

Let us begin with procrastination. Meaning of procrastination: The very action of postponing or delaying something. To be late or slow about doing something that should be done in a timely manner. To delay doing a task until later because you do not intend to do it at this time.

This term is usually not used in general vocabulary, but it definitely exists. The meaning of procrastination in simple words is delaying a specific task because a child does not feel like doing it. Procrastination also happens with adults. Procrastination and laziness have different concepts: while procrastination involves delaying unnecessarily, whereas laziness involves being unwilling to do something necessary.

To know the meaning of procrastination, let us look at some examples. A person is procrastinating when they delay working on a task. A person knows that the task requires time and is an integral component of a large initiative, and the person has to meet the deadline. But the person waits until a few days or hours before it is due to even start.

To understand the meaning of procrastination, here are some common synonyms: dally, dawdle, delay, lag, and loiter. While all these words suggest “to move or act slowly so as to fall behind,” procrastinate implies blameworthy delay, especially through apathy or laziness. Procrastinates about making decisions.

Now that we know what procrastination is, let us talk about procrastination in studying. At some point in life, parents have also been children, so understanding the dilemma would be easy. Children do procrastinate, but procrastination while studying simply indicates that children are not using their time and complete ability.

Procrastination in studying has no room because procrastination involves putting off a task or goal and doing something that is less important instead. It is important to know that procrastination is a normal part of human behavior. Although it is a common challenge many students face during their studies, everyone procrastinates at some point or another.

Also Read: Best 12 Effective Study Techniques For Students

Tips to avoid procrastination.

1. Admit that you are procrastinating.
2. Pick a good study location.
3. Eliminate distractions.
4. Set goals you can reach.
5. Work with a study group.
6. Reward yourself.
7. Take a break.
8. Hold yourself accountable.

Why is procrastination bad for studying? Well, for students, procrastination is associated with a wide range of academic issues, such as worse exam scores, bad grades, having to repeat assignments, increased course failures, increased course withdrawals, longer study duration, and an increased likelihood of dropping out rather than graduating.

What is the main reason students procrastinate? Procrastination is the result of a lack of motivation. At times, because we lack interest in something, we choose the reason to do nothing at all instead of studying. It is, therefore, important to revive interest in the task.

Is procrastination a study habit? Well, procrastination has been linked to other adverse behaviors and outcomes, including poor study habits that lead to cramming for examinations, which leads to fear of failure, test anxiety, late submission of coursework, and fear of social disapproval by peers. All of this results in lower grades, a sense of guilt, and even depression.

Tips to organise focus while studying:

1. Make a plan.
2. Create a relaxed study environment.
3. Remember, social media is a distraction.
4. Eating well and drinking plenty of water is necessary.
5. Do not do all-nighters.

What is the best study method? Distributed practice is considered one of the most impactful learning strategies. Spacing out studying over several short periods of time or over several days and weeks is the most effective practice.

The disadvantages of procrastination: As for the cons, procrastinating often leads to increased stress and anxiety, as well as the likelihood of making errors when rushing toward the completion of a project. In worst-case scenarios, putting things off until the last minute can cause you to miss an important deadline.

Now that we know the disadvantage of procrastination, let us see what the solution for procrastination is:

1. Establish a routine and use a planner for time management.
2. Use the 10-minute rule when you have trouble getting started.
3. Start with selecting a specific task, such as three pages of reading.

Mentioned below are ways on how to stop procrastinating and start studying. These tips help to avoid procrastination and how to get rid of laziness:

1. Keep a To-Do List.
2. Prioritize your To-Do List.
3. Stick to the principle set; it is important.
4. Become a master of scheduling and project planning.
5. Tackle the hardest tasks first.
6. Set yourself time-bound goals.
7. Use task- and time-management apps.

If you feel you are going down the procrastination hole, mentioned below are steps to getting back on track and to start studying after procrastinating the whole day.

1. Acknowledge that you procrastinated and be okay with it.
2. Work on the task that was supposed to be done but instead was postponed.
3. Break the task into smaller parts.
4. Do not set an unrealistic time frame to finish a task.
5. Disconnect from digital gadgets.

Also Read: Top 9 Brain Foods for Studying

It is necessary that students learn how to stop procrastinating because it leaves an impact on the days to come. Procrastinating for a day leads to a build-up and backlog of work, and students can avoid it by simply creating a schedule and breaking up tasks. Accountability, partners, breaks, and rewards can also help you form better habits.

At EuroSchool, we understand the procrastinating studying effect on students. Hence, we ensure that learning is light and effective by having equal parts of fun and learning. We want students to achieve their goals without lagging and having a backlog of too much to work on before examinations. Therefore, we make sure we put a plan together that works best for every student.