"Due Tomorrow Means Do Tomorrow": Strategies to Combat Procrastination
Computer? Check. Notebook? Check. Food fuel? Check. Now that you are finally prepared to tackle your long to-do list of assignments, there is nothing that can stop you now. Oh wait. Your hand suddenly reaches for your phone, and by reflex you tap into Instagram. Or Tiktok. Or any other form of entertaining distraction that keeps you away from your studies. Before you know it, hours have passed by, so now you’re racing against time to complete your English essay, submitting just seconds away from the deadline.
Many OHSers and people in general struggle with procrastination. Whether it’s an important project or just a light reading, we always seem to find a way to do it at the very last minute.
We understand that, from the constant reminders given by parents, instructors—and even ourselves—procrastination is a bad habit. So how do we stop and “lock in?”
For the new year, several OHSers have already made resolutions in effort to better their grades for the spring semester. That would look like starting assignments early, participating in class, lowering screen-time, and working on themselves as a person.
Here are some of the methods that OHSers have used or plan to partake in to make sure those goals are hit:
1. Study Groups
Creating a study group with your peers is an excellent way to hold each other accountable. Friends can offer help on assignment questions, exchange notes on readings, etc. Study calls (with people that you don’t get distracted with) are also an incredibly useful strategy to stay off your phone because your study buddies are essentially monitoring you doing your work.
2. Time-Limiting Apps
There are many apps that can block social media, games, and other screen-related distractions on your phone or browser. Full-time student Sophia (’27) mentioned that the productivity app Opal, downloadable on IOS, “saved [her] for finals” as it can block distractions on her iphone. In addition, Opal devises a “focus plan” that can help bring down your screen-time. It informs the user of statistics that can be a bit frightening, but also motivational and eye-opening. Did you know that people who use their phones for seven hours a day can spend up to a third of the year on their phone? About 121 days, staring at a screen!
3. Planning Your Time
An effective way of maximizing time is when you have everything that needs to be done planned out. Whether it’s on Google Calendar, Notion, or in a physical planner, allocating time for each and every task and assignment can help you stay organized, on top of things, and ready to tackle the day. OHS high school counselor Paige Johnson offered a tip: add office hours into your schedule! Attending office hours, even when you do not have a specific question in mind, can still be immensely useful. You can put it on in the background while you work on your own assignments, asking for help whenever you run into questions. Or perhaps you would hear a comment from your instructor that would definitely be helpful for an upcoming quiz.
4. Daily Check-ins
Rounding back to the study buddy idea, sharing parts of your day with friends can be a good strategy to uphold accountability, and not just for schoolwork. Full-time student Gigi (‘27) recently started a shared photo album with her friends to create the habit of “nature check-in’s.” Everyday, each member had to take a photo outside and share it to the album, showing that they were taking a healthy break away from their screens. Going outside is especially important as full-time online school students, so never forget to take wellness needed breaks!
5. Rewards
To end this list off, here is a reminder that being a student is not a piece of cake. Reward yourself for your milestones, big or small. (Just make sure that the reward isn’t a 5-hr long break on social media while the rest of your assignments remain undone…) Although these rigorous courses come with its challenges, it’s never something that you cannot handle.
Now, go do your work!