Balancing Homework with Your Social Life

Since the topic of the class blog is about college life, I thought I'd give a few tips on how to stop procrastinating on your college schoolwork and get things done so that you can actually do what you want (like have fun!).

1. Don't schedule in fun activities if you know you have a big project due around that date. It's okay to say no to a friend who wants to hang out if you know your term paper is due soon and you need to finish it. If you schedule something in advance, then check on the syllabus so you know when assignments are due. That way you can get some schoolwork done early and it won't interfere with your designated fun time.

2. Give yourself breaks in between working. It's very hard to do something for several hours at a time. Why do you think you get a lunch break at work? Depending on how much time and effort the assignment takes, make sure you're getting enough of it done between the breaks. If you need to, snack during those breaks to get a little energy boost, and do something relaxing to clear your head for a bit. When you come back to your homework, you won't feel so overwhelmed.

3. Do prep work ahead of time. If you have to write a research paper, then gather your research materials and the information you are going to use ahead of time (at least a day before). When you actually have to sit down and write the thing, all the information you need will already be compiled, giving you less work to do.

Those are my three steps to procrastination success! Although I must say, I'm not always the best at following them. The key is to plan ahead!