How Not to Leave Things to the Last Minute
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. It’s an important life lesson, but one that’s hard to stick by; especially when it comes to studying. There are so many other things to do instead: party, sleep, trek to Canon Park and have a light-saber fight using Pringles cans until you get kicked out of Tesco. Or was that just me? Ahem.
With all the pressures on your time, it’s understandably quite tempting to put your studies off… until you suddenly realise you have an essay to write, a group presentation to prepare, four articles to read, and it all needs to be done by noon tomorrow. Suddenly, there’s nothing for it but the all-nighter. Eeek!
As a fellow adrenaline junkie/serial procrastinator, I understand the thrill of the late night work session. Doing things last minute generates an adrenaline high, and research suggests that procrastinators might actually benefit from this sense of competing against the clock. That said, getting started earlier means you have more time to think deeply, check for errors and improve your drafts. The results are (usually) better.
So how do you get a grip on your time?
Write the ultimate to-do list
Sometimes the biggest obstacle is just getting started. It can seem overwhelming! Try writing a to-do list that captures everything, no matter how big or small, related both to your work and your personal life. Getting it all written down means your brain doesn’t need to exhaust itself trying to remember everything.
Identify your priorities
Not everything needs to be done right now. Review your list and note any deadlines. What are your priorities? It can be useful using Stephen Covey’s Urgent vs Important matrix to figure out what to focus on first.
Plan everything in advance
Now that you’ve worked out what to focus on, think about how long each task will take. A good rule of thumb is to then double that! It can be helpful to map out a schedule around your calendar. Colour-coding your classes, time with friends, sports events as well as your study time will allow you to visualise where your time is going.
Stick to the plan!
The important (and difficult) bit is then sticking to the plan. Personally, I find it easier to stick to my study schedule if I have also scheduled in time with friends or time to just flop and do nothing. It’s impossible to be productive 24 hours a day, unless you have a Time-Turner. It might be that you need to adjust your plan – there’s no point planning to revise at 9am if you work better late at night, and alternatively if you find you just want to go to relax in the evening, then maybe think about how you could work in some study time during the day.
Study buddy
It can be hard to motivate yourself when studying alone. Why not try working with friends? On the other hand, if your friends are likely to distract you while you work, plan a night out as a post-study reward.
Minimising Distractions
Phone
- When you’re busy turn your phones onto silent.
- Use voice-mail wisely and set aside times to return missed calls.
- Schedule times in the day when you will receive calls – let others know your schedule.
- Have a personal mobile phone do not give the number to your boss or colleagues. Friends and family can then still reach you in an emergency.
- When making or receiving a call: be polite, listen and clarify but try to avoid excessive small talk keeping calls as brief as possible. See our pages Listening Skills and Clarifying for more information.
- Take calls standing up, research shows people who stand while on the phone keep their conversations brief.
- If you agree to take on tasks as part of the phone conversation act on them immediately – even if this means adding them to your ‘to-do’ list.
- Store numbers that you dial frequently in your phone or keep a list readily available near the phone.
- Only check your emails a couple of times a day. Close your email client when it is not being used. New emails flashing up on your computer screen can be a huge distraction and time waster.
- Set up folders and rules in your email client helping to automatically filter and file email messages.
- Schedule a block of time each day for sending and responding to emails. Don’t let emails build up to unmanageable levels.
- Delete all spam emails immediately.
- Delete all irrelevant emails immediately. This includes ‘general’ emails that don’t specifically involve you. People in organisations often use the ‘Reply to All’ function in their email client. Although such emails may be relevant to certain people or departments if you are not one of them then delete.
- Forward emails to somebody who can provide a better response if appropriate.
- Try to handle each relevant email only once, read and respond immediately within your scheduled time. Once done file the email away.
- Be wary of emails marked urgent or high priority… they may well not be.
- Open your mail near a waste-paper basket and bin what you can immediately.
- Deal with mail immediately if possible, read, process and reply or action. Aim to handle each piece of mail only once.
Computers
- Turn off any instant messaging applications.
- Close programs and documents when you have finished using them – file your documents in a logical way. This not only removes distractions but also means your computer has more resources for doing the next job.
- Close web-pages after you have finished reading them. This is especially important for news or social networking sites where information is updated constantly.
- If you are tempted to distract yourself with a computer game then either ration the amount of time you play or uninstall it from your computer.
- Make sure your computer is protected from viruses and malware. Backup your work; use a USB pen drive to carry important documents and files but don’t forget to password protect it.
- Work within your means whenever possible. Trying to learn new IT Skills when you are pressed for time can be a disaster, ask somebody for help or find a simpler way of achieving your goal. Schedule time in the future to learn specific IT Skills.
Arranged Meetings
- Only attend meetings that are relevant to you. Is the meeting necessary and does it have a specific purpose?
- Aim to arrive on time for meetings, neither early nor late.
- Know the purpose of the meeting and get a copy of the agenda in advance. Arrange to leave the meeting early if it is only partially relevant.
- Agree in advance how long meetings will run for. Start and end the meeting on time.
- Use a timed agenda, especially for longer meetings or where the chairperson is less effective.
Family Commitments
- Use a calendar for which each member of the family is responsible for recording their commitments and activities. Include clubs and societies, social events, days off, doctor and dentist appointments, planned events such as holidays and car services, hairdresser appointments, visits from friends and extended family – as much information as possible so that each day can be managed effectively.
- Use a tray or box for keeping important paperwork together near the calendar. Include appointment reminders, phone messages and other relevant documents. Throw away documents as soon as they expire.
Stress
- When we’re busy we are more likely to have a shorter temper than when we are more relaxed. Little things are more likely to irritate us and we’re more likely to feel stressed or angry. Stress and anger will both potentially waste more time – and you run the risk of damaging your health and the feelings of others. Always try to stay as calm as possible, let others know that you are busy and that you need time to complete your tasks. People are usually understanding and may even offer to help!
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| Summer Holidays |
References
The Study Blog. (Nov 3, 2016). 24-hour Library: How not to leave things to the last minute. Retrieved from https://studyblog.warwick.ac.uk/2016/11/03/24-hour-library-how-not-to-leave-things-to-the-last-minute/
Minimising distractions and time wasters. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/minimise-distractions.html
lollibeepop. (May 13, 2017). Summer Holidays. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/BT_i1_jDHjD/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
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