How to Get Away with Procrastination

Every student knows that one classmate that does everything last minute but still manages to earn the highest grade in the class. These “kings and queens” of procrastination aren’t magic—they just know the secret of how to get away with it.

Procrastination is often seen as lazy or careless, and in some cases it is. However—when done right—it can actually be beneficial to your work habits, your time management, and to your grade.

Level up your procrastination skills with these helpful tips.

Organize and prioritize. Not forgetting your assignments is the first key to procrastinating effectively. Write down your assignments, whether on paper, in Microsoft Word or Excel, in a to-do app, on a website, or whatever you find easiest. Then you can allocate sufficient time to complete each assignment before its deadline. If you have an essay to write, give yourself a day or two before the deadline rather than an hour or two. Organizing your work helps you sort out how much free time you have before crunch time.

Mentally prepare. As you enjoy your allocated free time, give some loose, idle thought to your assignments as well. While playing games, consider your three writing points for an essay. Out with friends? Remind yourself of the quiz you have next week. Driving home for the weekend? Brainstorm some ideas. When it finally comes time to actually do the assignment, you’ll already have a starting point, which will help you finish quicker—and do better—than just diving straight in.

Work smarter, not harder. As you mentally prepare, develop a plan. Have an outline and choose discussion points for your essay before you ever begin writing, and you’ll know exactly what to say when you do begin. Have a template ready for the common essay styles (MLA, APA, etc.), and you can focus on content rather than formatting. Get a spelling and grammar checker like Grammarly, and you can focus on writing rather than revising. Don’t procrastinate haphazardly; procrastinate with a plan!

Stay focused. Limit distractions around you, and find a comfortable and productive place to work. Maybe you think better by pacing before you start writing; maybe you prefer a quiet spot under a tree; or maybe you like having headphones on in a bustling place like the Student Activity Center (SAC). You can even make use of tools like Microsoft Word’s “Focus Mode,” Apple’s “Screen Time,” or apps like “Forest” to help cut out distractions and focus on your work during crunch time.

Let pressure motivate you. Don’t let yourself crumble and shut down under stress. Embrace it. Harness it. Calm yourself and use it to drive your work, and deliver the best work possible. Place yourself in “work mode,” and by knowing that it either has to be finished or your grade drops, find motivation to enact your plan and finish the assignment. Don’t give up.

With these tips, not only will you have more free time, you’ll have less stress, better tools, and higher grades. Get organized, prepare, work smarter, stay focused, and keep motivated, and you’re on your way to a smarter procrastination.