Doing Everything Last Minute: How a Student Should Avoid It

Time will always look adequate until it ceases to be. Many students find themselves stuck with quite a bunch of tasks to handle within a short time. It is not like all these tasks suddenly came up yesterday. The problem is the belief that “there is still time.” Life remains comfortable, with a party here and a football match there, until all hell breaks loose when you realize that you have only one week left. Trying to figure out how to write two essays, prepare for a group presentation, and a paper to review, all in one week, is a difficult one. The biggest problem is that even after the stress it takes you through, you will still find yourself there next time. How then, can a student pull himself from the snare of procrastination?

Have a comprehensive to-do list

If you find yourself stuck with all that work at the last minute, you are probably not planning well. Student life has a lot more than just attending classes and writing an essay here and there. You also have your personal needs to tackle. The only way you are going to succeed is by putting down all that you have to do in an organized manner. Write down all that you will need to do in, say, a month or two weeks. Try to fix everything within the list and allocate enough time for each of the tasks. A to-do list will help you prioritize appropriately. If you realize that the workload is too much for the time, you can identify alternative ways to handle some of the tasks. For example, you could consider getting reliable help from sites like one minute essay to help with writing your essays. This way, you can fix the other tasks within the available time and ensure that everything goes as planned.

Set your priorities right

As much as everything needs your attention, not everything can fit in your immediate schedule. There are times when you will need to sacrifice a few things, like watching movies or going out with friends. Even for your assignments, you will need to plan according to the order of urgency, so that you don’t start with work whose due date is still far away. In your work plan, always spare some time for emergencies. There is always going to be a lecturer wanting you to perfect your last paper based on his reviews, and that always comes with short notice. A few impromptu academic tours are also typical. The point is that you must allow for some eventualities.

Plan everything in advance

I know this sounds a little confusing because your plan includes eventualities. However, it is possible to plan even for the things you do not see. Just get all the known activities and line them up, then leave “blank spaces in your to-do list that will take care of anything that comes up. If nothing arises for this time, you can always extend the preceding task, so that the free time is pushed forward for whatever may come up. If you think planning is a problem, you can get online help from experts who have been doing this for a long time.
Making a good plan may not be that tough, but implementing it is never a walk in the park. There is no better way to face it than self-discipline.
Also, try getting a study buddy with whom you can walk the journey together. Having a friend helps to motivate you. It brings the comforting feeling of “after all, I’m not alone in this.”