Getting started is one of the most challenging aspects of school. Students who struggle often have a difficult time getting going. This year has put this skill front and center. Virtual learning has given students more free time and more work to get done. Even though having more time and flexibility should help, it has made getting work started even more difficult. Let’s examine 3 of the many reasons that students procrastinate.
Losing Track- In order to get started and do something, students need to be aware of the work they need to complete. Many students don’t know or forget that they have work to do. Their planning skills are weak, and they lose track of assignments. To counteract this, students need to step up their planning systems and make sure they’re using daily and weekly to-do lists, a calendar, and constantly checking their class sites. Losing track of an assignment should never be the reason for not completing it.
Not Knowing Where to Start- This can be paralyzing. When students are unsure what to do, overwhelmed, or perceive an assignment as much more difficult than it actually is, they can become stuck. It’s really important for students to analyze a task. They must get a thorough understanding of the assignment and then be able to break it down into manageable steps. The most important step is the first step. This will help students break through their procrastination and set out on one, small goal that they can accomplish.
Overly Optimistic Time Estimates- It is human nature to convince ourselves that we can complete tasks faster than reality. This can create procrastination problems. We believe that an assignment won’t be too bad or that we can just zip right through it. In actuality, these assignments will take much longer than we expect. However, this belief can lead students to put work off longer and longer. This can lead to missing assignments, lots of stress, poor quality work, and poor grades. It’s not a recipe for success.
These are just three of the many reasons that students procrastinate. By becoming aware of these issues and working through them, students can begin to improve and conquer their procrastination issues.