RIGHT TURN
Postponement a real put off
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The moment procrastination gets into a student's mind, he's inviting trouble - be it reading a subject or writing an essay. It's better to act now than glide to failure later.
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ALL DECKED UP BUT CAN'T STUDY: Waiting for the right moment to get inspiration will not take a student anywhere and instead it will drive him to depths of despair.
BEING A student is certainly not all easy and pleasing as they show in movies and write in novels. Much of the work needs effort to start and willingness to complete.
Hanging on to the things till last moment, otherwise called `procrastination' is main problem for students. In fact, every one of us try to postpone tasks. Procrastination in Latin means `until tomorrow.'
Students postpone their studies taking shelter under the argument that they are waiting for `right moment' to get inspiration. A silly cause like `room being not tidy' maybe adequate to delay the right moment.
Dawdling: Some students spend hours before books but end up with no significant input after completion of their studies. Similarly, they stare at a blank piece of paper, unable to start writing. Instead of calling himself lazy, one has to understand the real cause for procrastination. The main reason is aversion towards the volume of hard work. By leaving everything to the last moment the student finds his work piling up, which leads to further procrastination.
Breaking the habit of postponing: Start something pleasant and slowly shift to more complicated one. Education psychologists suggest self-assurance process as under: "visualise what you can achieve. Imagine having all your work done before deadlines. Imagine getting good (may not be top) grades without having to panic and sit up all night. The quicker you find a way to get going on things, the quicker you will finish them. If you really don't like the college, your course or some subjects in your course, think about how you can make the changes you need. Better to act now than glide to future and then fail to pass your degree."
Obstacles and hindrances: If you come up against an obstacle, look for a way round it. Suppose you are unable to start writing an essay, make a rough outline and show it to the lecturer or check with a friend. It is important not to just put everything on hold when you meet a problem since the problem will then never be solved.
Don't be too optimistic: Make a list of priorities and a timetable. List what you have to do and estimate how long it will take. Then draw up a plan, mark the deadlines and fit everything in. It is hard to do more than one-and-a-half hours at one time without a break. Give yourself generous time for your timetable. Normally students are very optimistic while preparing the work schedules. They overassess their capacities and, in turn, become sceptic for not completing it in time. Only exceptional student can regularly study more than 40 hours a week and grasp everything.
Work out realistically what standard you can achieve and start working towards that. It maybe disappointing to decide you may get only a second class, but a second in your hand is probably better than the first that exists only in your dreams.
Consider your lifestyle: Staying up late then sleeping late becomes a difficult cycle to break. The best way is to plan to get up early, irrespective of when you go to bed. If necessary, shower, lay your clothes out and have everything ready for the morning before you go to bed so you can get going in the morning with a minimum of hassle. Try not to sleep during the day even if you feel tired so that you can get your normal daily cycle back.
(yandamoori@hotmail.com)
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