A lack of urgency makes students procrastinate

Do you end up scrolling on your phone for the past two hours instead of studying? Do you postpone tasks and work until you can no longer avoid them? Last week EM opened a discussion to talk about procrastinating on tasks and what you can do to be more productive.

What is the secret to being more productive? People implement different techniques to help them focus more on the task they must finish. Using your phone can be a distraction and that needs to be out of sight. One commenter says: “Put your phone out of reach and on silent. Only check it in your dedicated breaks.” “Time pressure always solves it for me”, says one commenter using deadlines as their motivation to work. For others, the feeling of relief after completing their tasks is enough to push them to be productive. “I remind myself that I will only be free from that responsibility if I finish the task.” “I force myself to complete my work”, comments another.

Procrastination worries

“I worry about not completing my assignments on time”, says a commenter. People are anxious about how procrastination will affect their studies. For some, worrying about the task is not enough to stop procrastination. “I worry while procrastinating but don’t do anything about it until the very last minute.”