In a lot of situations, procrastination is a pretty big part of a college student’s life. Let’s be honest, whether it may have been due to lack of time, lack of motivation or just pure laziness, we’ve all procrastinated the workload we have acquired at one point or another. And let’s also be honest about the fact that in the times we have procrastinated, there is a possibility the results of those situations did not turn out so well.
While procrastination is not an uncommon cause for any amount of stress or workload in a college student’s life, it’s not always the case. Sometimes the stressfully high amount of work we have to get done was not acquired, but was, in fact, given to us up front and in the first place.
Jessica Robinson, a senior studying political science pre-law, has most recently been stressed out due to juggling 21 credit hours along with an internship.
“Having all of this work to juggle has been really tough for me because not only do I have to go to class, but I also have a political internship campaign where I have to go door to door and talk to people, and then once I finish that, I have to go back home, do homework, go to class again and then do it all again,” said Robinson.
College students know all too well what it is like to have to balance multiple different aspects of life, including an academic life, employment, social life, family life, extracurricular activities and clubs, etc., all at once. While it is not always an easy thing to do, managing many different things at once can be done fairly easily and without unnecessary added stress, so long as a proper plan is taken.
When it comes to planning anything out, it is very important to begin by prioritizing. Before beginning anything, take a step back and look at the picture as a whole.
Ask yourself, “Out of all of the tasks that I need to accomplish, which one is the most important?” Make a list of all of the things you need to get done, and then repeat this same process with each task. Once you have identified this task, the next step is to create a schedule for yourself.
Instead of just jumping into your responsibilities blindly and “winging it,” as we college students tend to do a lot of the time, creating set times to complete each one can be much more helpful.
Buy a planner or notebook of some sort that is for the sole purpose of keeping a schedule, and write down the specific times in which you are going to complete each thing going on in your life. While it may be difficult to keep up with maintaining this schedule at first, consistency will pay off, making it easier to sustain in the long-run.
Throughout the process of prioritizing and scheduling your responsibilities, there is one last thing to keep in mind, and it is probably the most important of thing of them all: breathe.
It may not always be the easiest thing to do, but it is imperative that amidst all of the chaos life is throwing at you, making time for yourself and the things that you enjoy to do is so, so vital to carrying out a healthy lifestyle. When life gets to be too much for you, set everything aside, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and appreciate the goodness that life has to offer; it is OK to take a break if need be.
Always remember that you are not the first to stress out about having so many things needing to be accomplished. You are not the only one, and you most definitely will not be the last.
Bri Shaniuk is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. How do you stop yourself from procrastinating too much? Let Bri know by emailing her at bs714714@ohio.edu.
