How to Avoid Procrastinating in High School

It is quite common to see most students to procrastinate, especially in high school. During this phase, most students undergo physical changes, and together with many other social dynamic shifts, these changes can make it difficult for students to concentrate on studies. However, it is of immense important for students to take some steps to avoid maintaining and sustaining this attitude, as it is often quite harmful for their future. 

If you're currently having trouble dealing with procrastination, here are a few tips that will guide you in the right direction. 

Set a Limit for Completing a Task 

The habit of procrastination develops when you think there is nothing wrong in leaving jobs until the last minute. It may be because you lack the motivation required to complete a task. To overcome this issue, you need to change your attitude, and the first thing you should do is set a limit for completing a task. 

You need to develop a habit of setting a deadline and finishing the task within the specified time. What you should bear in mind is that the deadline you select should be a lot earlier than the original deadline for completing and submitting that task. A change in attitude is required to take new deadlines as if they were the real ones. To make it more effective, you should also punish yourself if you don't follow the schedule – your punishment could be as simple as burning the power cable of your gaming console. 

Start Your Project without Wasting Time 

When you receive a project from school with a deadline of twenty days, you should start it right away even if you think it is possible to complete it in ten days. Sometimes, you can get down to working on your project during your break – visit the library and get cracking. Doing a bit of your project right away will go a long way in breaking the cycle and habit of procrastination. 

Whether you have to write an essay or another project, you should always spend some time creating an outline. Some students think it is a waste of time to construct an outline, but the reality is different – it could actually provide you with the motivation you need, as it tells you how much of an essay still needs your attention. You should also bear in mind that you would be highly motivated just when you receive the project, so you should use this 'newness' of a project and get going as soon as possible.  

Use Essay-Writing Services to Your Advantage

It is important to complete a task within the given timeframe, and if you think there is no time left to write your essay, you should use an essay writing service instead of not turning in the essay at all. Don't rely heavily on these essay-writing companies, and only use them when you have many other tasks to handle high in a short time. But be careful and trust only the largest and trusted services, such as College-paper.org and other high-quality services. Read more in the article by Richard Gunderman for The Atlantic magazine. 

Convince Yourself to Make a Start 

As mentioned earlier, one of the most effective ways of breaking the cycle of procrastination is to make an early start – you should start while you're still in the school after receiving an assignment. However, if this tip fails and you have not been able to make an early start, you will have to try something else. In this case, you need to convince yourself how important it is to make a start. You need to push yourself and set small goals. For instance, you can always say that you will write at least one paragraph of an essay before going to bed. Tell yourself that you're only going to write 7-8 lines, which should not take a lot of time.  

Divide Your Project in Chunks 

Most procrastinators don't work at all – it is mainly because whenever they try to work, they realize that the assignment is too large to complete in the specified time. They start to think about everything else but the assignment. The best way to overcome this issue is by doing your project in chunks. It means you have to divide your assignment in small sections and take one section at a time. 

As mentioned earlier, you should push yourself to write at least a few words of your essay as early as possible. If you have already written the introductory paragraph or your essay plan, it will become a lot easy to divide it into sections. You can then handle every part individually, which will help a lot in breaking the habit of procrastination. 

Find the Reason of your Procrastination 

What many students don't realize is that they procrastinate for a reason. In other words, there will always be something keeping them from working on their assignment. For instance, some students procrastinate and avoid working on a project because they want to watch their favorite show on TV. There may be other reasons as well – a games console or even the thought of the opposite sex may dominate your thoughts, keeping you from concentrating on the task. Whatever the cause, you have to find it, as this will make it easier to fix your attitude accordingly. 

Sometimes, you're not procrastinating but often find it difficult to concentrate on lectures. This may be because you're struggling at high school. If you want to study but find it extremely confusing to understand what your teacher is saying or you find most of the subjects extremely hard, you may need some extra help, as procrastination is not the basic issue here. 

Know When You are Tired 

Sometimes, students feel that they are procrastinating, but in reality, they are tired. If you feel bored or don't want to work occasionally, this could be because you are tired. The solution is to go to sleep. In most cases, a couple of hours sleep will work wonders and help you work with a new attitude and motivation. Tiredness is often the underlying cause of reduced energy and motivation, and taking some rest should fix things for you. 

Set Your Priorities 

You will never be able to break the cycle of procrastination if you don't learn to set your priorities. The thing is that you will find many fun things to do at school or home. For instance, you could easily go out play with your classmates or you could simply sneak in the library and work on your assignment. Similarly, you could simply watch TV at home or go to your room and study. You need to learn how to draw a line. Remember, there will always be many better things than studying or writing your essay, but you will better off using those pleasurable activities as rewards for completely your assignment. 

Develop Some Interest in the Subject 

It is often quite difficult to keep working on an essay if you don't like the subject. This is often a big cause of procrastination, and to overcome the issue, you will have to take some steps to develop your interest in that subject. For instance, if you don't like French or another language, you will benefit a lot by spending one Saturday every month speaking the language. 

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