T Nation

Procrastina... (to be cont.)

Off Topic
#1

Clever title huh? Ok maybe not, but seriously, I need to stop procrastinating because it’s causing a great deal of problems in my life (mainly school related). None of these problems are a big deal, yet. I tend to put off studying for exams until a few days before the test, and then cram for 2 days straight. That’s working for me now, but i’m afraid it isn’t going to work for much longer. The material i am covering in some of my classes is far too complicated to basically teach myself in a few days. My test grades are beginning to slip.

The obvious solution to my problem is to just study ahead of time and keep up with the material, but it’s not that easy. It’s actually extremely difficult for me to change these habits. It’s crazy how something so simple, like changing my study habits, can be so difficult to accomplish, even when there a huge benefits to changing these habits.

So, my question is, do you procrastinate? If so, have you had any success in changing some of those habits? If you don’t procrastinate, did you ever at any point in your life, and how did you change that behavior?

I’m probably going to buy a book on procrastination to better understand it and learn how to deal with it, so along with any advice, let me know of any books you may know of, because i’m sure everyone here has millions of these books on hand…

#2

Oh and part of procrastination I believe just has to do with maturity. The people around my age group (20), all seem to procrastinate much more than people in their late 20’s. So I basically need to just grow the fuck up and start organizing and prioritizing my life better. Growing up takes time though, and I’m enjoying the immaturity…

#3

I was too scared of failure in college to start off poorly…which is the cause of most of what you are discussing. Most people who literally coast through high school are likely the same way…because they aren’t used to needing to do that kind of prep work.

Fear of failure is what prevented that for me. I had too much on the line that I was trying to accomplish.

What you need to do is get to the point that you are one chapter ahead of the class. That means that class is a review and not some first attempt at understanding everything.

Yes, I do procrastinate at times. I just try not to let those things be very important.

#4

Ill tell you later.

#5

[quote]TD54 wrote:
Oh and part of procrastination I believe just has to do with maturity. The people around my age group (20), all seem to procrastinate much more than people in their late 20’s. So I basically need to just grow the fuck up and start organizing and prioritizing my life better. Growing up takes time though, and I’m enjoying the immaturity…[/quote]

?

Most of the people around me barely went to class. Some dropped out before senior year. I would leave the group and go study often…probably why they started calling me “doc” in college. You aren’t there for your friends. If you are still in a high school mindset where you have to follow the crowd…you aren’t ready for life, let alone college.

Your friends won’t be there if you fuck up.

#6

Ain’t nothing to it but to do It.

-Ronnie Coleman

#7

What helps me avoid procrastination is simply getting away from my computer.

Go to a quiet study area with no computers, no TV, no cellphone and only bring your textbook, notebook and calculator.

For me it was just about going to the library and doing ^ this. Unless my exam was less than a week away I could never study at home well.

#8

[quote]Professor X wrote:
I was too scared of failure in college to start off poorly…which is the cause of most of what you are discussing. Most people who literally coast through high school are likely the same way…because they aren’t used to needing to do that kind of prep work.

Fear of failure is what prevented that for me. I had too much on the line that I was trying to accomplish.

What you need to do is get to the point that you are one chapter ahead of the class. That means that class is a review and not some first attempt at understanding everything.

Yes, I do procrastinate at times. I just try not to let those things be very important.[/quote]

I definitely think i am the same way. I am very afraid of failure and that is motivating me to work hard in school. I should clarify that I’m not a bad student, I work very hard, just at the last moment, like a few days before a midterm. Through my two years at a jc i got a 4.0. I’m now at a university and I got my first B (Ochem) because I procrastinated and tried to teach myself half a quarters material in two days. That didn’t work out too well…

I am very well aware that this method of studying is not going to get me the grades that I need anymore. And I agree with what you said about staying a chapter ahead of everyone. I can’t imagine the difference that would make on my understanding and comprehension of the material. Did you stay a chapter ahead throughout undergrad and dental school?

#9

What is your major OP?

#10

I have had a lot of people try and break me of procrastination. It hasn’t worked but they all stress structure. IE a schedule and sticking to it. I’m sure it would work if I made a serious commitment.

Someday…

A lot of people are stressing environment. I think thats key. When I absolutely have to work I go to a coffee shop or library. Try and do as much work without the distraction of a laptop as possible.

I think if you set up your work space at home in a smart way that would help too. Accessible but not in view of TV/fridge. Clean.

#11

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]TD54 wrote:
Oh and part of procrastination I believe just has to do with maturity. The people around my age group (20), all seem to procrastinate much more than people in their late 20’s. So I basically need to just grow the fuck up and start organizing and prioritizing my life better. Growing up takes time though, and I’m enjoying the immaturity…[/quote]

?

Most of the people around me barely went to class. Some dropped out before senior year. I would leave the group and go study often…probably why they started calling me “doc” in college. You aren’t there for your friends. If you are still in a high school mindset where you have to follow the crowd…you aren’t ready for life, let alone college.

Your friends won’t be there if you fuck up.[/quote]

I’m definitely not in that group that drops out of classes or treats school as a party. I work harder than basically all of my friends and have the gpa to show for it. All i meant was that I notice people in their late 20’s (i’m living with two at school) that tend to get shit done on time and keep up with classwork, whereas myself and other 20 year olds i know tend to put things off and try to cram last minute for exams, classwork, etc.

#12

[quote]therajraj wrote:
What helps me avoid procrastination is simply getting away from my computer.

Go to a quiet study area with no computers, no TV, no cellphone and only bring your textbook, notebook and calculator.

For me it was just about going to the library and doing ^ this. Unless my exam was less than a week away I could never study at home well.

[/quote]

Bingo.

It’s likely that you have some activity that you do when you’re procrastinating. My bet is facebook.

#13

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Ain’t nothing to it but to do It.

-Ronnie Coleman[/quote]

That is the one and only phrase i have in the “about me” section on my Facebook haha.

Oh and currently my major is chemistry however I will probably be switching that to engineering. I’m premed so it doesn’t matter what major i choose. I’m just trying to pick the most interesting one that will provide me with a good backup plan if med school doesn’t work out

#14

[quote]Vir wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
What helps me avoid procrastination is simply getting away from my computer.

Go to a quiet study area with no computers, no TV, no cellphone and only bring your textbook, notebook and calculator.

For me it was just about going to the library and doing ^ this. Unless my exam was less than a week away I could never study at home well.

[/quote]

Bingo.

It’s likely that you have some activity that you do when you’re procrastinating. My bet is facebook.[/quote]

When i sit down to study, I am distracted by very little. Nobody studies harder in a two to three day period than me. My problem is sitting down to study a week or two prior to a midterm, which i dont do

#15

[quote]TD54 wrote:

[quote]Vir wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
What helps me avoid procrastination is simply getting away from my computer.

Go to a quiet study area with no computers, no TV, no cellphone and only bring your textbook, notebook and calculator.

For me it was just about going to the library and doing ^ this. Unless my exam was less than a week away I could never study at home well.

[/quote]

Bingo.

It’s likely that you have some activity that you do when you’re procrastinating. My bet is facebook.[/quote]

When i sit down to study, I am distracted by very little. Nobody studies harder in a two to three day period than me. My problem is sitting down to study a week or two prior to a midterm, which i dont do
[/quote]

That’s why I lived in residence 3 out of 4 years. I would’ve never wanted to take the bus to the library in frigid cold. I was under a 10min walk to the library while in residence.

Living on campus is more expensive (at least where I went) but shit was worth it for me.

#16

[quote]Professor X wrote:

Fear of failure is what prevented that for me. I had too much on the line that I was trying to accomplish.[/quote]

It’s very interesting that you said that. Fear of failure can be a cause of procrastination as well: I’ve put things off by not having faith in myself and assumed the worst outcome will happen, but I got past that by knowing when the little thief in my head is trying to rob me of my ambitions.

If I procrastinate, I know it and snap out of it.

I’ve also known people who encourage procrastination in others. That’s happened to me as well.

So it’s not, as most people think, an exclusively self-perpetuating thing.

#17

[quote]TD54 wrote:

[quote]Vir wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
What helps me avoid procrastination is simply getting away from my computer.

Go to a quiet study area with no computers, no TV, no cellphone and only bring your textbook, notebook and calculator.

For me it was just about going to the library and doing ^ this. Unless my exam was less than a week away I could never study at home well.

[/quote]

Bingo.

It’s likely that you have some activity that you do when you’re procrastinating. My bet is facebook.[/quote]

When i sit down to study, I am distracted by very little. Nobody studies harder in a two to three day period than me. My problem is sitting down to study a week or two prior to a midterm, which i dont do
[/quote]

You’ve had an excuse for just about everyone’s suggestions. STFU and study.

Seriously, try sitting down and studying 2 weeks before a test and see if “very little” distracts you. People are giving you good ideas and you’re throwing excuses out as to why they don’t apply to you.

Sit down and study. That’s really all there is to it. There is no magic method or reasoning behind your procrastination, you’re just being lazy. Fuck all that “I work harder than everyone” bullshit you’re spewing in this thread. If that were the case you wouldn’t be asking for advice. Either that or you’re secretly looking for an internet adderall connection.

#18

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

Fear of failure is what prevented that for me. I had too much on the line that I was trying to accomplish.[/quote]

It’s very interesting that you said that. Fear of failure can be a cause of procrastination as well: I’ve put things off by not having faith in myself and assumed the worst outcome will happen, but I got past that by knowing when the little thief in my head is trying to rob me of my ambitions.

If I procrastinate, I know it and snap out of it.

I’ve also known people who encourage procrastination in others. That’s happened to me as well.

So it’s not, as most people think, an exclusively self-perpetuating thing.[/quote]

You make some good points here. I think noticing that i’m procrastinating is a huge issue for me, but i’m getting better at it. Often times i will plan to study for an entire day and before you know it, 10pm rolls around and i have done NOTHING. I can’t explain how or why this happens but i do know that noticing the procrastination has been helpful in preventing it. Also, when i notice that i am procrastinating, it has been somewhat beneficial to reflect on the other times i have procrastinated and compare them to what im doing now, so i know what will inevitably happen if i just say “oh i’ll get to work in an hour or so.” That reasoning doesn’t seem to work for me. Giving myself a specific time to stop something and start working/studying has been a bit more helpful, but there are still plenty of times when i’ll blow through that time limit i’ve given myself and continue on with the procrastination

#19

[quote]Vir wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
What helps me avoid procrastination is simply getting away from my computer.

Go to a quiet study area with no computers, no TV, no cellphone and only bring your textbook, notebook and calculator.

For me it was just about going to the library and doing ^ this. Unless my exam was less than a week away I could never study at home well.

[/quote]

Bingo.

It’s likely that you have some activity that you do when you’re procrastinating. My bet is facebook.[/quote]

Pretty much every aspect of society can be traced back to basic primate behaviour. Repetitive and obsessive behaviour is evident in everything from a Youtube clip of a captive chimp deep-throating a frog to a someone walking down the street checking their cell phone for texts every 30 seconds with no regard for their surroundings, and no thought to where they’re going (today or tomorrow).

Anthropologists call this ‘displacement’. Procrastination is a form of displacement because you have to be concentrating on something other than what you should be doing in order to be procrastinating. Displacement is a reaction to the stress caused by our in-built fight or flight response trying to decide whether to act on what the brain tells the body or to ignore it and tell the body to run away by pumping out hormones. Biologically, it’s a conflict between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

A kid ripping his shirt off in a fight and talking shit is an example; so is a tiger circling an opponent.

The expression “whether to think with your head or your heart” is an attempt to explain this before science was advanced enough to tell the whole story.

Facebook is a form of procrastination. Nothing wrong with using it, if you know why you’re using it. That was my message on another thread.

#20

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:

[quote]TD54 wrote:

[quote]Vir wrote:

[quote]therajraj wrote:
What helps me avoid procrastination is simply getting away from my computer.

Go to a quiet study area with no computers, no TV, no cellphone and only bring your textbook, notebook and calculator.

For me it was just about going to the library and doing ^ this. Unless my exam was less than a week away I could never study at home well.

[/quote]

Bingo.

It’s likely that you have some activity that you do when you’re procrastinating. My bet is facebook.[/quote]

When i sit down to study, I am distracted by very little. Nobody studies harder in a two to three day period than me. My problem is sitting down to study a week or two prior to a midterm, which i dont do
[/quote]

You’ve had an excuse for just about everyone’s suggestions. STFU and study.

Seriously, try sitting down and studying 2 weeks before a test and see if “very little” distracts you. People are giving you good ideas and you’re throwing excuses out as to why they don’t apply to you.

Sit down and study. That’s really all there is to it. There is no magic method or reasoning behind your procrastination, you’re just being lazy. Fuck all that “I work harder than everyone” bullshit you’re spewing in this thread. If that were the case you wouldn’t be asking for advice. Either that or you’re secretly looking for an internet adderall connection. [/quote]

I’m legitimately not trying to give any excuses, just explaining how i operate and how i procrastinate. Prof x, roybot, rajraj and eli have made very good points that I am paying attention to.

I never said i studied harder than everyone else. I know plenty of people who work much harder than me and that’s the point i’d like to get to. And i believe there is a lot more to it than me just being “lazy.”