Beating Procrastination

Waiting until the last-minute to do an assignment can lead to stress and does not allow a person to complete their best work.  Although it is easy to come up with excuses about why we don’t have to start a project right away, it is important that we hit the books and get to work. Procrastination is hard to overcome, but it is not impossible. Here are some tips to stay ahead of schedule:

1. Write Down Important Dates On a Calendar
   This includes test dates and project due dates. A calendar allows you to visualize your time and plan when to start studying in order to give yourself enough time.
   
   
2. Break Down Large Projects
   Knowing you have three weeks to write a ten-page paper is overwhelming. In order to make the task more manageable, aim to write four pages each week. Creating mini due-dates allows you to focus on smaller parts that are less demanding.
   
3. Create a To-Do List
   Before you begin your work for the day, write down everything you want to accomplish. As you complete each task, cross it off your list. The feeling of crossing something off your list is both satisfying and motivating because it will help you see you.

With these tips, ending procrastination will be a piece of cake!

Vocabulary:

Stress: a feeling of being upset, tired, and hopeless
Excuses: reasons to not do something
Procrastination: when a person puts off doing something
Overcome: beat
Visualize: see, create an image in your head
Overwhelming: scary
Manageable: able to do
Less demanding: require less work
Satisfying: gives you pleasure, makes you happy
Motivating: encourages you to keep going

Vocabulary Activity- Answer the following questions about procrastinating. Use a least one vocabulary word in each of your answers.

1. How you feel when you procrastinate a project?
2. How is a "To-Do List" helpful when it comes to large projects? 
3. Why should we use a calendar?

Grammar Point:

Idioms are a form of figurative language. They are common expressions that mean something different from their literal, or actual, meaning. For example, the phrase “piece of cake” literally means a slice of a sweet treat. In the paragraph above I use its figurative meaning: that something is easy. 

Your Turn: Use the images below to help you figure out the literal and figurative meanings of the idiom “hit the book.”