Procrastination can be a student’s worst enemy, so it’s important for them to develop strategies to combat it.
Many factors can lead students to procrastinate and it can affect both their grades and mental health.
“When you are not doing the work, you are thinking about how you should be doing the work, so it’s just sort of this constant strain and stress,” said Rylan Spenrath, academic strategist at Lethbridge College’s Learning Cafe.
Spenrath said procrastination can be detrimental on a student’s studies and lack of interest can be a reason for putting work off. He said a good way students can combat it is to try to be more interested and engaged in their work.
“Sometimes, that’s just picking a topic that might not be the easiest, but that you find really fascinating,” he said.
Time management skills often hinder students. Spenrath says it is important for students to create a schedule they can stick to.
“Some people come from high school, where it is very regimented and they come into college or university and it’s really difficult to keep your own schedule,” he said.
A tip he often gives to students is to break assignments up into sections to make it less daunting. The college offers support for students through the Learning Cafe and Spenrath said it can be helpful to schedule meetings with staff, who can help hold them accountable.
The Learning Cafe offers a quiet place for students to work, this according to Spenrath, is helpful for combatting procrastination. He said often students will get distracted by things in their workspace, so it is important for them to learn where they work best.
“If they procrastinate, then they are procrastinating for a reason. Is it because they don’t think they can do it or are they scared to do it? Are they scared to put their ideas onto paper?” said Ina Baczuk, a member of the information services team at Buchanan Library in Lethbridge College. She said when students do work last-minute, they will never produce their best work.
Perfectionism, according to an article about dysfunctional procrastination by Mental Help.net, can be a cause of procrastination. Often perfectionists will put off work because they fear once it is done, it will not be perfect. Fear of failure can make students put off work, but the same fear forces them to get it done when deadlines near.
“Often for papers, it’s kind of like submitting your first draft,” said Spenrath.
When trying to combat procrastination, he says it is important to figure out exactly what is causing it before it snowballs and affects future assignments.