We’ve all been there. A big deadline is just around the corner, but somehow we find the time to wash dishes, watch Netflix, and scroll through a million Wikipedia pages… all while conveniently avoiding our work.
Procrastination is one of the biggest struggles university students face. We know we need to work consistently throughout the year to keep on top of our coursework, but somehow, we can’t help getting distracted.
The bad news is that procrastination isn’t just a university problem. Once you get your degree and join the workforce, self-motivation becomes even more important. Procrastinating on an important report won’t win you any points with your future boss!
The good news is that there are many tried and true ways to beat procrastination and get your work done on time. Watch our Procrastination recording to hear our Academic Skills Tutors share their thoughts, then scroll down for our top tips.
[Note: To skip the intro, jump straight to 05:40]
In order to beat Procrastination, we have to understand more about it. We’ll do this by quickly looking at the 3 Myths of Procrastination.
Myth 1: I’m the only one.
When we look around, it can often feel like everyone else is working so hard and getting so much done, while we’re the only ones who still haven’t started.
In reality, everyone struggles with procrastination, even people who get lots done. In our Lightning Session on Procrastination, all 18 participants admitted they procrastinate “most days” or “all the time”!
When do we procrastinate? The most common times are:
- When we’re anxious
- When we think a task will be difficult
- When we’re just getting started
- When deadlines are a long ways away
If you’re in this situation and you find yourself procrastinating, don’t beat yourself up! Struggling with procrastination in these situations is completely normal.
Myth 2: Procrastinators are lazy and don’t care about their work.
From the outside, procrastination looks a lot like laziness. Rather than working hard, you’re watching funny cat videos and learning tik tok dances. Ironically, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The truth is that procrastinators often care very deeply about their work. They care so much that they’re terrified to get started, because they might not be able to do a good job.
It won’t surprise you that procrastination goes hand in hand with perfectionism. If we think something needs to be perfect, it’s really difficult to get to work. After all, we know that nothing is ever going to be perfect, so why even try? It’s easier to scroll through social media and pretend that everything will be fine.
If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by your work, try these strategies instead:
- Take a break (getting outside for a walk is ideal)
- Set a timer and work for just 5 minutes. It’ll give you the boost you need to get started!
- Try the Pomodoro Technique
- Break down your tasks (instead of “write essay” on your to-do list, try “write 100 words of introduction”)
Myth 3: This is just how I am.
Sometimes, we talk about procrastination like it’s something that define us. Instead of saying, “I procrastinate sometimes,” we might say, “I’m a procrastinator.”
Why does this matter? If we see procrastination as part of our identity, then we don’t try to change it. We just get used to working on everything last minute and missing deadlines. We don’t even realise that we can improve.
The wonderful thing is that, if we implement some of the strategies in this blog and in the video, we can get better at handling procrastination. We may never be able defeat it entirely, but we can improve our organisation and focus. If we do this, it’ll make a big difference, both to our assignments at university and our future careers.
We hope these tips help you beat procrastination and focus productively on your next assignment! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at asc@dundee.ac.uk.
