Procrastination/distraction Before the Exams?!

[IgnoranceIsKind]

I have just about over a week before my mid terms begin. I now realise that it has become a ritual for me to feel extremely nervous and lose my ability to focus just one month before any examinations. I start to procrastinate so much more than I would normally; I would start reading extremely irrelevant books to escape from the situation that beckons; all of a sudden, everything that didn't interest me before now do. I'm in trouble because there is just so much to study but I haven't quite begun yet. For the times that I should be studying, I'm either (a) watching a dvd, (b) on the computer playing a game I don't even enjoy, (c) read Stephen King, (d) play with my toes and (e) play the guitar, (f) sometimes both e. and f. simultaneously.

Now, I really need advice on how to get back to my work. On the rare occasion that I find enough energy to drag myself to the nearest coffeeshop to begin studying, the problem eases. I get very absorbed with my work and I enjoy my time. This doesn't happen very often because I'd much rather be in the comforts of my own room, so telling me to keep going back isn't a solution. Plus the coffee's expensive and I'm still a student living on my parent's money. After I'm done, I would tell myself that I should continue when I get home. But it never works! The hardest part is always to get started. This procrastination is causing me much stress but I find myself unable to do anything about it! Almost as if an invisible barrier has erected itself somewhere inside my head to keep me from rationalizing my situation and start to do something about it.

What would you guys do if you were in my shoes? If you had very little time and still want to ace your exams, what sort of strategy would you employ?

I'll be waiting to hear from you guys. Thanks in advance!

[Homini Lupus]

Did you try to write down a timetable? Like "study form x to y, eat from z to w...." AND "This book has 3 days to be read, then this one has 4..."

I don't use too strict timetables, just a broad one wich can survive in case of contingent problems.

Do you have a method? It may be like superstition, but if you have developed one and know that it will work...

Find a good place to study. Use it for studying and nothing else, if it's possible.

Think to the worst bastard of your course. Would you like to do better than he does?

Think to the most attractive girl. Is there any possibility that she will need help from a real expert?

Think to the professor. Would you like to show him that you can beat him?

I know all those things are not rational, but studying needs also irrational forces to cooperate; these are some ideas to trick them.

[IgnoranceIsKind]

Did you try to write down a timetable? Like "study form x to y, eat from z to w...." AND "This book has 3 days to be read, then this one has 4..."

I don't use too strict timetables, just a broad one wich can survive in case of contingent problems.

Do you have a method? It may be like superstition, but if you have developed one and know that it will work...

Find a good place to study. Use it for studying and nothing else, if it's possible.

Think to the worst bastard of your course. Would you like to do better than he does?

Think to the most attractive girl. Is there any possibility that she will need help from a real expert?

Think to the professor. Would you like to show him that you can beat him?

I know all those things are not rational, but studying needs also irrational forces to cooperate; these are some ideas to trick them.

In almost everything I do that requires a repeated revisiting of sorts (such as studying, writing etc) I would always have a time table for it. Not a rigid one, but one that says how many hours to spend on it and preferably when. It just doesn't work out! It would normally do, but the examinations has just changed me into a sloth.. I can't seem to follow structure and do ANYTHING work-related.

After reading Einstein's biography, I wanted to model after him in that all studying/thinking must be done preferably by your study desk. It makes sense because after awhile you become familiar and comfortable with this placing. But again, the dreadful examinations isn't making me function well.

Great motivators! Those really helped. There are just so many bastards I can't wait to beat, and the professor too. Unfortunately my class is lacking in real 'women'. They.. I don't know what they are.

[Marcus]

Yeah, making timetables (how many days for a subject, and how much of a given subject per day) and thinking about an INTP girl (the smartest I've ever known) helped me to focus on studying.

[quest ion]

Study with a friend helps alot. Bear in mind the friend should be one who's 'hot' about studying as well...

[Double Victory]

I don't necessarily think that procrastinating before exams is bad, as long as you know how long you'll need to prepare, and you get to it eventually.

I had my finals last week. I waited until the day before to write two essays for one class, and then I waited until 3am the day of to study for the actual exam part. It's the longest I can hold off while still getting the best grade I can get.

It's normal to find things you wouldn't normally give a second glance to really appealing when you have to do something undesirable. If you want to change your procrastination, then you're just going to have to do it the good old fashioned way--hard discipline. Just get up and do it. Do it even if it makes you want to rip your hair out. If you really want to change, you will.

[Shadow]

My high school mid-terms begin tomorrow. Luckily my exams are spread out over the week and the teachers have handed out a few revision sheets. Physics, chemistry, German and English this week then my yr12 maths in a couple weeks.

For revision I'm just going through old tests and writing all that I got wrong + what I needed to know for the test + whatever else I need from the revision sheets. That's the advice the teachers seem to be giving as well as from the 27 page booklet they gave us on how to study. The booklet also suggests prioritising whichever exams you need to study for the most, timetabling, making study notes, doing practice quizzes and questions on the subject and there's also a list of 20 different learning strategies (acronyms, making an audio file, study groups, teach it to other people). Even though I'm procrastinating at the moment (kinda ironic) I still have a read of whatever notes I have every now and again which helps.

Hope it all works out for you.

[SongofSeptember]

My exams are already over. I had everything planned out--I had typed up a blank schedules with all the dates and times for three weeks leading up to the exams, and I suppose I WAS going to fill in study times. Except I never did. I never threw out the blank sheets, but I'm kind of glad I bothered with them.

That was very pointless, so I shall now attempt to make a point.

If the exam is in the morning, the night before, I will go through a hopeless, endless cycle of... stupidity. Yes, that's right. I would first attempt to study, but be so distracted that my brain jumps automatically from one question to another, sometimes between different subjects, and not give myself enough time to look up the answers. Exhaustion takes over, then exasperation. I throw down all my books with a dramatic air, and declare, "Okay, who cares. I'm going to fail either way", even though I've never gotten below a B on any major assessment and know that I'm not going to anytime soon, either.

Five minutes later, alarms start sounding in my head, mostly along the lines of "omgoshIcan'tdothis", and I begin to study furiously, once again. This cycle usually repeats itself at least four or five times before my mum comes storming in and demanding I go to bed.

If the exam is in the afternoon, I procrastinate all the way until about three hours before the exam, when I suddenly realize I don't know a damn THING. (Not literally, but that's what it feels like.) Then I start looking everything up--except it's too late, the teacher is already announcing the seating assignments, but I'm still trying to remember a date or so...

But I never fail. It always works. Somehow, I've always managed to study enough to not only pass, but also do fairly well, and everything's happy.

The End.

Kidding. Good luck. I know I haven't helped much (I mean, please do not follow my example. 'Tis a bad thing.), but I suppose you're happy to know you're not the only one? -sheepish grin-

[Uytuun]

This procrastination is causing me much stress but I find myself unable to do anything about it! Almost as if an invisible barrier has erected itself somewhere inside my head to keep me from rationalizing my situation and start to do something about it.


Agreed, but also

But I never fail. It always works. Somehow, I've always managed to study enough to not only pass, but also do fairly well, and everything's happy.


I keep being surprised at what I can get away with...it seems like no matter how much I procrastinate, I still do well. /me knocks on wood :p

I don't think I'll change my method unless it turns out not to work anymore.

On that note...I'm going to do some work for school. :D

[rokxal]

Its difficult getting into any unfamiliar routine in the beginning. The first time that I've ever followed a timetable schedule was very recently when I began systematically studying for the GRE's and had to set some reachable bars every so often. Yea, procrastination is the woe of GRE cramming so I had some caffeine help to get the impetus going. In college the bad habit of not going to half my classes except for exam days didn't bode well for procrastination either.

My opinion, once you get the regiment going, it becomes easier to maintain given the "right" incentives.

[ssrprotege]

I rarely procrastinate when the exams come. But when I really know my stuff, I can't help procrastinating. In biology classes I did the study cards assignment like five or four classes before the test, so even though I procrastinated going over my notes and textbook (I go over them last-minute, pretty much) I did fine anyway.

Have done the same thing for Spanish exams. Exams have been so easy that I didn't have any motivation not to procrastinate.

Other than that, I rarely procrastinate.

[Oscarvan]

Aaahhhh procrastination. It's been a few decades since I was in College, but that doesn't stop me from procrastinating. Usually from doing the family books. Even though I have minute and detailed record keeping (spread sheets) I have to force myself to do it, and usually at the last moment.

I remember from College that it was a challenge to sit down the night before with a pile of books and whip out a 12 page paper straight from brain to finished draft. And mind you, this was before the days of cutting and pasting.... using a manual type writer. Go to your local museum and you can see what they look like.

Only at the last moment could I force myself into hyperfocus...... Ironically my 15 year old daughter is doing the same thing.....

[tichila]

I’m a procrastinator. When I was in school, I started worrying about it a month before the exam. I felt like I’d a lot to prepare; however, I did nothing before the last few days. This made me feel so guilty for years.

I just found out later it’s because of my perfectionism trait – doing it all or nothing. I fear I can’t prepare myself well enough for the exam. So, I delay everything.

I don’t know if your situation is similar to mine, but this is what I did.

- Try to relax. Don’t be overwhelmed. Actually, I knew all can be done in a few days but I started being panic for a month. It consumed so much time and energy thinking that, making me bored as well.
- Cut my lessons into small parts. It helped me feel good when I finished some of them. I knew my progress like “2 out of 10”, not “not finish it yet”. Feel different.
- Force myself to start it. Doing something is better than doing nothing. After I started, I usually found out it’s not as bad as I thought before.

[SongofSeptember]

I started worrying about it a month before the exam. I felt like I’d a lot to prepare; however, I did nothing before the last few days. This made me feel so guilty for years.

:scared:

[IgnoranceIsKind]

I’m a procrastinator. When I was in school, I started worrying about it a month before the exam. I felt like I’d a lot to prepare; however, I did nothing before the last few days. This made me feel so guilty for years.

I just found out later it’s because of my perfectionism trait – doing it all or nothing. I fear I can’t prepare myself well enough for the exam. So, I delay everything.

I don’t know if your situation is similar to mine, but this is what I did.



You couldn't have put it any better. I've always known that the perfectionist in me contributed a big portion to the procrastination. Your advice is sound, and along with the others here in this thread which I must amalgate to form the perfect strategy. Only 4 days left!

And yes, it has been making me feel guilty for years too. And just like you the worry came about a month before. And I never got down to work till now. We are all too alike ;P