Procrastinating defines your life !

Ever wonder why you procrastinate ? Perhaps the real reason why you do so ?

According to many college students, they do it to avoid doing something that they do not want to do. Of course, it could either be homework, making appointments, study for an exam, writing a paper, going to class, and the list goes on.

What do procrastinators do to in order to avoid doing the above ?

They make excuse to avoid it ! Procrastinators deceives themselves by making a lie that they will do their work on time but in reality, they really don't. One example of a procrastinator is ME.

My Life as a Procrastinator

In my daily life as a college student, I feel like I am really irresponsible when it comes to getting academic work. Honestly, when it comes to homework or big projects to do; I procrastinate but I get the job done. I could stay up till 5 in the morning or 9 in the morning writing a paper but i will go to class and give it in on time, no matter how long i stay up. I really hate doing things at the last minute but then again, it is my fault because it's my choice to do so. If the paper is due Wednesday and i am doing nothing on a Monday, then i will just lie to myself that i have so much time and i can do it on Tuesday since i have one class. The Pro for this would be I get to have some ME time on Monday and do whatever i want but when Tuesday comes, I get hit in the face with so much CONS. Cons as in, writing the paper at the last minute, no organizers, no feedback from teachers, no revisions ! I hate this lifestyle but after a while through high school, i got used to it. Except when i came to Syracuse University. The writing teachers do not joke around when it comes to writing papers. Or when i would have to take an exam, I would have to at least study a 2 days before. For a midterm exam, perhaps a one or two weeks in advanced.

Several answers that helped me..
Several Anti-Procrastination Strategies that I found useful that Professor Blumin provided for PROCRASTINATORS was Time Wasters AND Chunking the Task.


Time Wasters

Time wasters is a perfect strategy that allows me to identify what I tend to put more of my attention to as opposed to my work. After writing down all my time waster, it makes me want to say " DAMNNNN! I waste so much time avoiding my homework just doing this. This is crazy !". I realize what are my time wasters and what not to have around me when i am doing homework. I have so much potential to finish everything on time if it wasn't for these distractions but as i realized, it was only up to me to change that. This is where Chunking the task steps in...


Chunking the Task

This is such an effective strategy that allows me to break up a whole project or a big task, into tiny little pieces ! I can easily use this fir difficult, large assignments that makes me want to avoid them. What i do is just divide the task into small sections so i can do each part everyday and when i break it down, i only put 30 or minutes into the work. When i want to start on a paper, i usually procrastinate to till the last minute. Now that i can break the task into small pieces, i can write the outline one day and then the next day, i can begin half of the paper. I used this strategy for my WGS 201 reading response which is usually 3-5 pages. Breaking it down the task usually gets me high grade, wouldn't you want that as well? This doesn't necessarily have to apply to academic work. It can apply to your personal life as well like me not cleaning my room. I am such a messy person and i rarely clean my room. It makes me feel bad when i have to bring guest over and i just kick everything to the side. Now i have this strategy that i have been using like a couple of week ago. I pick up after myself every day. Like hang up my clothes one day, clean the mirror another day. Clean the dust on my table and vacuum the carpet on a Sunday. Usually it would take me a whole day to clean my room and i would waste so much time but i don't plan on doing that anymore.


Likes and Dislikes

I really like using the Chunking the Task strategy because I use it everyday. I like using the time waster because it shows me what i have to avoid in my study environment.

Note Taking Stradegies: SU/Cornell Notes & Plug-In Notes

Sometimes, students go to class, copy the teachers notes, leave and never reviews the notes again. It is crucial for a student to review the notes because it helps to prepare for an exam and have an idea what the exam will be about. One possible reason the student doesn't look back on their notes is because their notes are UNORGANIZED.

If your notes are unorganized, your going to have trouble understanding or remembering the material that was said so you say," see you later" to those notes."Later" as in the last day before the exam. Well, the SU/Cornell Notes & the Plug-in Notes were the best note-taking strategies that helped me have better notes and they allow me to re
view my notes better! Here's how they worked for me...


Let's talk about the SU/Cornell Notes ...


What did i do ?.. (format)
Before class, i drew a vertical line 2 1/2 inch lines from the left side of the sheet of standard paper. That column is called the recall column. Then you trace the first horizontal line at the top paper. The box above will be your summary box. So you will have three boxes basically.


During class
On the right box = you record your notes


After class

Left box (Recall Column)= Put the information that you recall the most key points being used in that class or you can even put terms that were most used and define them.

On the top box(summary)= You summarize your class notes a day or 2 later, by writing a paragraph from what you read from your notes.


*you review the recall column and/or the summary box once a week.

Why I used SU/Cornell Notes for my Woman's Gender Class ?
I think that the SU/Cornell Notes allowed me to have better organized notes for a class that the teacher just talks in most of the time.
In general, i feel like the SU/Cornell Notes forces you to review your notes a couple of times but in easier,organized way. Honestly, it was not time consuming because it was really quick to do a summary of my notes. i just had to re-read it and write down what was the main idea. If you review week, you will learn the information more efficiently especially if you put the information in your own words. * I used the recall box as terms that were mostly used and i defined each. For my Woman's Gender Discussion, my teacher doesn't really put up notes so she shows a lot of video. I can use some of the information from the video in my papers so i just jot down the key terms being used and the main idea.


My likes
I like how the format of the this strategy forces me to put the information in my own words and also forces me to review more. Putting things in my own words allows me to understand the material of that day. I like how it didn't take too much of my time and i found a new way to take notes better because before i would just write down my notes and when i come back to it, i forget why did i write this and that.


My dislikes
Although it helps me organize my notes and this is a really good strategy for note taking, i feel like i can't just study off of this material. I need to study off of more material whether its book or readings that the teacher gave us. This just organizes my notes and helps me understand better but i can't study off this ALONE. I have to have more strategies involved, so in a way this is just a better NOTE - Taking Strategy and not a study one like i thought i would be.


Another Note-Taking Strategy..


Using Plug- In Notes ( hand written)
When taking down notes, you can just use the right side of the notebook to jot down your notes for the day. On the left side of your note book, you can use the space after class to put plug in note of the major source of information learned in that class. Whether it is a graphic organizer or chart, or illustration. * You use this because you are breaking down the major source of information.
You can use 4-10 plug in notes as much as you want to support that the main information. At the end of class you can create 5 questions from looking at your plug in notes that you think your professor will put on the exam.



Why i used the Plug-in Notes for my Sociology class?
I used the plug-in notes for my sociology because there is a lot of information to remember but it's most people to learn about and definitions. I created a graphic organizer that allowed me to chunk the information in a efficient way. Since i was learning about people's theory and their significance use in sociology, i created a chart that listed their name, theory, an example of the theory and their significance in Sociology. For the definitions that had a lot of information which i didn't like to read and figure what should i learn, i created a term chart for that as well. I listed the term, definition and an example of it.




Likes
what i liked about the plug in notes is that it helped me see visually what's the major source of information in a more organized way. The information is chunked down into categories where i can review everyday. I like that it forces me to review the notes so i can create questions from and i know most likely the definitions will be on the exams.


Dislikes
Doing the organizer takes a bit of my time but in the end, its worth it.

Preping for your test for just 20 minutes !

Do you really want have a high grade for your exam but don't know how to study ?

What you can do is possibly try the strategy that i have been using called THE 20 MINUTE TEST PREP !

The 20 minute test prep is a strategy that helps you prepare before the big day of the exam and it also pushes you to study constantly without having to study for a long period of time. With the 20 min test prep, your memory improves because reviewing the information everyday allows your memory to recall the information faster.

Most likely, the question you are asking now is " HOW CAN I DO THIS " ?
The question you should be asking is "When can i do this"?

1. After each class, you should spend at least 20 minutes reviewing the notes from lecture or reviewing your study aid, flashcards, topic outlines etc. (Doing so will develop a habit on reviewing.) If you have a back to back class then you can do at the end of the day. You can also review your notes from yesterday to refresh your memory. Always have your study aid, you can always have a little bit of time to review even if its taking a lunch break or so. Look at the syllabus as well to see what the pattern is. Ex. If it is on definitions, then focus your time studying the definitions.
2. At the end of the week, you can spend 10 minutes reviewing the week of the course work and then another 10 minutes creating questions from your notes. After you can answer the questions without looking at your notes (sort of like jeopardy). Creating questions can also be the teachers questions on the test, you can do true/false questions, multiple choice, matching definitions or a short answer response. So if you have time, go to your teachers office hours and ask him/her if the question you've created will be on the test.
3. After one to two weeks, create an outline that lists all your topics in the course that you have just learned. Review one topic at a time. This allows you to be organize and if you want you can even put the date.If you are given terms to learn, like the main topics, create study sheet that indicates the term, definition and example.

(Picture above. My best friend; Mr. Topic outline)
My experience using the 20 min test prep for my Sociology Class and Woman's Gender

Using the 20 minute test prep has forced me to review at least 20 minutes a day but not only does it help me review, it allows me to understand what the professors has said over their lecture. When I would go to my Sociology and Woman's Gender class, I would have a difficult time understanding the topics my professors would discuss and i would feel lost and confused in that class. For these classes, i created a topic outline and i listed the topics that was discussed each week, list the definitions and examples that was related to the readings as well. Using the 20 minute test prep, i would actually re-read it over and over and finally understand what the notes meant. After reviewing so many times, i wouldn't get stuck on recalling the information from before. The questions I had to create also made me think about all the concepts that i have just learned and forming to to one question which was often difficult but at the same time, it benefited for me. I would have a lot of breaks between my classes which i would use to socialize or eat. Now that i carry my study sheet or my flashcards with me, i study when i walk or when i go eat with my friends. Sometimes i even explain what i had learned in class so it can help me recall the information faster as well. For both of my classes, i would focus more on the readings and the definitions because on the syllabus it had little hints that the course would focus on those aspects. So word of advice; THE KEY TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE ON YOUR EXAM IS IN YOUR SYLLABUS !

MY LIKES

What i liked most about this strategy was that it didn't take to much of my time. Before i would study for 12 hours straight before the day of the exam which HORRIBLE ! This strategy prepares me with managing time and helps me get a better grade, i mean who wouldn't want that ?

DISLIKES

NONE.. seriously.

IN CONCLUSION

My sociology exam is on Monday and honestly i can say that I'm not nervous about it because this strategy has prepared me to take the exam and get a HIGH GRADE on it. Today was my last day to review so tomorrow, I'm just gonna reward myself with some relaxation and some fun time with my friends... hopefully they are not studying the last day before the exam though. Perhaps they should read this blog and put it to the test as well, wouldn't you ?

Coping my Problems using the COPER

Stressed of not finding the solution to your problems? Frustrated because you can't be happy ?
Tired of thinking 'WHEN IS THIS GONNA END' ?
Anxious because your thinking the problem would resolve itself sooner or later knowing that it won't unless YOU take action? ...




This is exactly how I felt when I couldn't do my Woman's Gender Reading in PEACE ! Fidgeting in my seat, distracted by my friend's loud voices, hearing music on people's laptop made me just want to tell everybody to BE QUIET ! ... but then who would actually listen to me. In reality, NO ONE!

While reading Dr.Blumin's book "It's all about choices", I realized that the title was really true and in order for me to solve my problem, it would be my choice to fix this annoying situation I was in.

Let's go into depth what that "annoying situation" was and I'm pretty sure everybody has had one of these...

MY PROBLEM


For my Woman's Gender class, I would have assignments for homework to read at least 10 set of pages for each particular chapter. Although they might not seem a lot, it's hard to process everything in your head and understand the terminologies. I would have to be extremely focus and re-read the chapters over again to fully understand the main concepts. What was bothering me was that I couldn't do so because of the surrounding around me. It was either...

• My room but my bed would be so inviting for me to sleep so that was a NO !
• The study lounge at Day Hall but my friends were always there which meant DISTRACTIONS !
• The bad staircase at Day hall, although it was quiet and peaceful, it would be cold there and it got UNCOMFORTABLE to sit on the steps for a long period of time and there wasn't any tables so of course, a BIG NO !
  

My solution to end this problem ?

I decided to use the COPER which was really helpful for me because it was visual and actually allowed me write out each step to my problems and what i would do to fix it. This method would allow me to organize what my problem was and it allowed me to focus my attention on what i can do to fix it or to have options on fixing it as well.
How do you use this brilliant method ?

First, you make 5 rows and two columns and then you write in each row..

• Current conditions
• Options
• Plan
• Execute the plan
• Reflect

On the second column you summarize your responses.

1. For current conditions, you write out what was your problems, when did it happen, where does it happen and what were the consequences of it. This step helps you analyze the problem.
2. For options, write out what options you are willing to take to solve your problems and why do you think this would work? Also, write out what do you think the results would be. This step allows you to brainstorm solutions for your problems.
3. For plan, write when will YOU take action for the Options. *include the date and time. This step allows you to have a set date and commit to it.
4. For execute, I didn't really understand what to write for this column but i just wrote what i did to accomplish my solution. This allows you to see what you've done to solve your problem.
5. For reflect, write out how effective your plan was and explain the impact of it. Also, explain if you need to continue this plan or have to consider another option.This allows you to see what was a successful or unsuccessful solution.

My Results

Overall, I tried this method and it helped me see what was a possible solution i can do everyday. First off, i stopped going to the lounge and started going to the library in Bird and Carnegie more often. Everybody studying at the 'quiet room' in bird library respected the fact that it was a quiet room and in Carnegie as well. Although it could get a little noisy in bird library(quiet room), i managed focus on my readings without any distractions. Carnegie was extremely quiet and i could barely hear a pin drop. The only bad thing about Carnegie is that on weekends, they close at 5 in the afternoon. At least i can get my work done on time and concentrate better without any loud noises. My attention span has increased when i read my WGS chapters and i can successfully understand it without any distractions which was often time consuming.

The COPER method has allowed me to actually think about my problem and think of possibilities on what i can do to fix it. It was a guide that allowed me to get up and take action and evaluate the results. I also like the fact that it took off a lot of stress, i mean who doesn't ?

Frittering to Find Time

Fritter Finder the best method to use for those people who say "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO ANYTHING !". That is one of the biggest mistake's people say and honestly, I am one of them. I would procrastinate so much and leave all my assignments till the end of the day and stay up late till 2-3 in the morning completing my homework assignments. But now that i have found this strategy and used it for some of my course, it has become efficient to use and to look it for an idea what my week is and how will i use my time right.


Fritter Finder is an excellent method for exam preparation or time availability to catch up on readings, review notes before lecture or to do homework. To manage your time, Fritter finder allows you to visually see how much time you have available between, before or after classes. I didn't know how much time i had between classes to actually do some homework and fritter finder allowed me to see that and according to learning preferences, I am a visual learner so this was a perfect method for me to use in order to manage my time.

How to use this method ? First, write a schedule of your weekly classes from the time you wake up every day to when you are ready to go to sleep. Color the spaces of class time with different shades of color and the non-class time with a different color that represents your FREE time. Add the amount of FREE time, and from that time you can decide when you can use it to be productive. All the FREE time you find is the hours you frittered away.

This method is perfect for those who have a busy schedule like working jobs, extra curricular activities, sports, etc..


This method was really helpful for my Spanish 201 class and my Woman's Gender 201 class.

How ?


For my Spanish 201 class, i have to study every Monday and Thursday because my teacher gives out quizzes on those days. But for Monday and Wednesdays, i would have to do many readings for my WGS class, on top of that my 2 other classes assignments. So what i would do is on Monday and Wednesdays, between the classes of my SPA and CLS, I would have an hour break and i would do some readings for WGS in between classes instead of taking naps or socializing. By the time Tuesday would come, I wouldn't have a lot more readings to complete and I could study for my quizzes on Spanish. Instead of sleeping until class started, i can now wake up and review some of my Spanish notes or flashcards before my Sociology class started and then when Spanish class starts i can actually have a fresh memory of yesterday's lesson. The fritter finder also allowed me to find time to do my WGS assignment like essays. I could start doing the readings on Monday and then after all my classes i would start a rough draft on paper and then for Tuesday, bring in my rough draft to my professor to look over. By Wednesday, i would have the final draft and ready to graded.

I am planning on joining clubs such as community service since i have so much free time in my schedule and I plan on finding a job for this semester. With fritter finder, i can see what times are available so i can fit what i can do for non-school work.

So now that i think of it, I ALWAYS have time to do something during the week, i just got to fritter my time right !