As midterms and finals approach in college, life can start feeling overwhelming . As we all know, college is a huge responsibility and commitment especially when you struggle with procrastination. Procrastination can be due to mental health issues, a lack of motivation, or any other reasons. One of the biggest feelings some college students experience is the feeling that school work is so unattainable…so out of reach. This is usually due to a lack of organization. In order for our school work to feel attainable is to organize what work will be done on what day, and if necessary, at what times of the day. So let me help make your priorities attainable.
We can start off by getting a planner whether it's a digital planner or a hard copy. One of the things that helps us become more intrigued in what we participate in is the aesthetic of things. This being that we should obtain a planner that fits our definition of aesthetic whether it’s cute, cartoon-like, heart themed, anime-like, dark, etc… anything that simply makes us happy. You can even decorate it. Once we obtain this, we can choose the day (the start of the week is recommended) we are ready to prioritize our school work. Once we choose this day, let's look over at Blackboard. Go through all your classes one by one and look over at your syllabus or wherever it is that names the homework you have. Make sure to focus on the homework you have that week so you can take it step by step. Depending on what homework is due sooner, write that homework down on the day that you want to do it on, but make sure that day is sooner than later. If you feel that planning the time of the day that you will do homework on helps then do not hesitate to do that! Write down the time you want to focus on what homework and if you know breaks will help you focus more, make sure to give yourself a break between assignments. Also, if having a firm time stresses you out, just write down a vague description such as “ morning” or “afternoon.”
Once you have all the homework for that week written down, make sure you prepare for the start date. This means that you will prioritize the times you set yourself to do homework on and by prioritizing that means making sure you don’t make plans for that day or time. Another tip is to get yourself a drink to have while doing homework whether that be an iced coffee, boba, tea, etc., and if caffeine makes you jittery then make sure to get a low mg amount of caffeine. Setting also matters, meaning that if you work better in a coffee shop, your school library, your desk, your kitchen, etc., make sure to go there! Accommodate your accessories, schedule, and setting to your happiness. Remember, anyone is capable when one is consistent and puts in the work to straighten out their priorities so it’s just a matter of taking that one step that will make your goals a whole lot more attainable.
-Ximena Barrios