It’s here! After hours of gruelling lessons, you’ve finally reached your free period. How tempting it is to head to Sainsbury’s and buy all the cookies on offer. But you can resist. If you’re tired of getting home with loads of work, here are some tips on how to avoid the perils of procrastination and make the most of your free periods.
Limit distractions
Unless you can cope with the noise, there’s no point trying to work in the canteen. It teems with friends, phones, and cookies. Find yourself somewhere quiet – maybe in the library, maybe under a tree – and tune in to your work. If the lure of Facebook proves too much, try this Google Chrome extension that blocks sites you regularly go on like Twitter (there are lots of other blockers too). Has Harry hooked up with Sally? Who knows, because you’re in your own little world.
Set reasonable goals
If you’ve only got an hour, don’t expect yourself to do an entire past paper. After all, it takes quite a lot of time to settle down/look around/get out your favourite pen. Only give yourself small tasks – answer three questions, say – and you won’t leave your free plagued with disappointment and self-loathing. Instead, you will feel like an efficient and effective human being.
Don’t pause to think about whether to start work
The thought of working is often worse than the work itself. Just start doing it. Don’t daydream about YouTube, football, or anything else you could be doing. Even going to the toilet will seem infinitely more fun than your work. You’re particularly vulnerable to these evil temptations in the first 20 minutes, but keep pushing through. You’ll make it, my friend.
Find the time that suits you best
It would take a saint to work through all their frees. If you have more than one in a day, choose a time when you’re most productive. Do you get drowsy after lunch? You can do work in the morning, so in the afternoon you can treat yourself to a Sainsbury’s excursion.
Don’t compare your work to others’
We all know that one person whose notes are perfect. Their work consists of miniature masterpieces in rainbow order. If that’s not you, don’t worry about it. It’s fine to work with your friends, but be confident in your own ability. Rainbows are not (usually) the key to success.
And if you do want to procrastinate, here’s an explanation of why we do it. You need no other excuse.