Time, Task, and Environment Management
In high school, I had always struggled with procrastination. I would never turn in assignments late or forget about them entirely but, I would tend to hold off on my assignments until the day they were due. Usually turning them in hours before the deadline. By doing this I would decrease the amount of time I could spend on my assignments producing good quality work. Procrastination led to silly mistakes that I would have not made if I were to have completed the assignment earlier and checked over my work. While I was in high school, I also chose to do a lot of my homework in my bed at home. I would find myself dozing off, or even pushing aside my homework time so I could sleep instead. This study environment was affecting my success in the classroom. I did get decent grades throughout high school but, I knew that when I went off to college I would need to buckle down and try my hardest not to procrastinate on assignments.
Now that I am a college student I have changed my study habits in numerous ways. First off, I complete all my homework either in the 18thAvenue Library or at my desk in my dorm. Globokar (2010) “Try to situate yourself in a location that you will enjoy, or, if your household situation necessitates otherwise, take steps to increase the appeal of the area where you will be working.” By studying at my desk or in the library, I am not tempted by the comfort of my bed to sleep instead of doing my homework, and I have ample room for all my supplies and tools for studying. To help my study habits I also bought a dry erase board calendar for my desk so that I can keep track of all the due dates for my assignments, exams, and quizzes. I also make lists for myself that keep track of everything I want to accomplish in a day’s time. Leach (n.d.) suggests, “Create a weekly plan for each class, ensuring that you are doing some school work every day.” I plan on implementing a weekly plan for all of my classes to help me stay on track with studying to prepare myself for upcoming exams. I have noticed a lot of improvement when it comes to procrastination. Now that I have a lot more time to work on my assignments I have found that I am working more diligently on my assignments and getting them completed early before the due date.
References
Leach, A. (n.d.). Time Management Tips for Non-Traditional Students. Retrieved June 26, 2017, from http://spsblog.cofc.edu/blog/6-time-management-tips-for-non-traditional-students
Globokar, J. L. (2010). 3 Getting Organized. In Introduction to Online Learning: A Guide for Students. (pp. 29-44). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc)