When it comes to being good students, we’re all guilty of telling ourselves that we’ll ‘get around to it’. For most of us, these traps are very easy to fall into, but so hard to get out of. Here are the top four study procrastination traps that we’ve encountered…
1. I’ll work better at uni / home
You are at home, the TV is on and there is just so much else you could be doing instead of outlining evidence law and making case notes. Perhaps you should go to uni and be around the law, that will inspire you to do some study…
Now you are sitting in the library at uni, your friends are there, coffee is a great distraction and the gossip is far more interesting than highlighting your textbooks. You think ‘maybe I should go home where it is quieter…’
The thing is, if you have not made the commitment to studying it will not matter where you are. I have lost hours and hours in transit thinking I’ll be more likely to get my work done at uni (if I am at home) or at home (if I am at uni).
On the bright side, at least you got out of bed.
2. I will read that case before the tute
No you won’t. Unless you are in first year, if you don’t read that case the moment you get your hands on it chances are you never will. You know I’m right.
3. It won’t matter, I will attend all the other tutes
You get to week 5 and you have not missed a single tute. Good for you! It is all too easy to think ‘I can miss two tutes without losing marks. This one won’t matter because I will attend every other one.’
Don’t do it! Once the class dodging starts it is very hard to stop. Think about it. Four subjects multiplied by three tutes = TWELVE classes you can miss each week. Before you know it you’ve become a phantom who only shows up at exam time.
4. I can pod cast that lecture later
Bad habits are easy to fall into. When you have the opportunity to pod cast, telling yourself you can listen to it later usually results in a solid 24 hours of lectures to listen to at the send of semester. Even on 2x speed that’s a long, long time for just ONE subject.
Make a time each week and listen to the pod cast. Think of it as a scheduled lecture time. Perhaps even listen to it when you’re transiting between home and uni…you know, because you study better there…
Enjoyed this post? Sign up for the Survive Law weekly newsletter for more.