Tips To Avoid Procrastination During An Entrance Exam

Procrastination refers to the act of delaying a task that needs to be completed soon. Despite being aware of its negative impacts, one tends to repeatedly succumb to procrastination, especially students when they are preparing for competitive examinations like IIT-JEE, NEET etc. While procrastinating, students tend to avoid taking regular mock tests, revision, scheduled study etc. It takes a lot of effort to come out of your comfort zone which leads to delay in completing tasks. For some students it is fear of getting less marks in tests or they think the task is not so important which leads to delay postponing the task to the next day. Hence procrastination is one of the biggest challenges for students, however if addressed properly, one can overcome it in a few days.

How To Stop Procrastination?

Procrastination can be understood by Newton's Law of motion according to which a body at rest stays at rest unless an external force is applied. This also applies to students, they need extra push in order to stop procrastinating and be regular at completing their preparation for the various entrance exams.

In this article, we have discussed some strategies which will help students learn how to stop procrastination and become more efficient. Read on to know more.

1. Analyse And Find Out The Reason Of Procrastination

This is the primary answer to the question: How to avoid procrastination? First of all analyse the reason why you are procrastinating. Is it fear of failure or you are just being lazy? Which component of preparation are you procrastinating? It can be a mock test, revision, numerical practice, not reading a particular subject due to lack of interest etc. Once you are able to find the proper reason for procrastination, you can overcome it. You need to assess the impact of procrastination at your preparation and start thinking about improving upon.

2. Do Not Feel Stressed

It is generally seen that students are not able to cover the syllabus at times and they start having fear of missing out. This leads them to a vicious cycle where stress increases and further hampers their studies. A better approach should be to think calmly, accept that they are lagging and then formulate a plan to cover the left out part and ensure that plan is religiously followed. You can recall your past achievements and motivate yourself to push your limits and start the task as soon as possible.

3. Divide The Task Into Smaller Parts

Students feel overburdened by thinking about the vast syllabus. However this should not be a challenge as the syllabus is the same for everyone. One must try to divide the bigger task into smaller ones, chapters into topics and define a timeline to complete and follow the same approach repeatedly. After sometime you will realise that, you are able to cover the syllabus gradually and it is no more a burden. Just try to focus on the task assigned for a particular day. Make sure to adhere to the deadlines so that you can complete the syllabus in a timely manner.

4. Reward Yourself After An Interval Of Time

In order to motivate you to complete the tasks, make a reward mechanism wherein after completing a specific task, you are rewarding yourself. The reward can be anything which makes you feel good. It can be a small break, watching a movie, good food etc. This habit has been observed in many toppers of IIT-JEE and NEET. Reward mechanism is a great mood-lifter and works well in completing the tasks on time.

5. Try To Complete Difficult Task First

Generally students have a tendency to cover easier topics first as they take less effort and after sometime they procrastinate doing tougher ones. It is generally advised to first complete the most difficult task as it will make you more confident and the easier ones can be tackled in the later part of the day. This habit will make sure that you are having a winning attitude and start liking taking new challenges.

6. Avoid Doing Multiple Tasks At The Same Time

Always focus on one thing at a time. While reading a subject ,don't think about the other one. Make sure that you are completely focussed on the subject you are currently reading. Multitasking can give a sense of more productivity. But it is a proven fact that one task at a time is the best approach.

7. Stay Away From Distraction

In present times there are multiple distractions a student faces while preparing. It can be friends, social media, mobile phones etc. Instead you can watch some motivational videos if you don't feel like studying. Distraction tends to waste a lot of time and hampers the productivity of a student.

8. Take Proper Sleep And Leisure Time

Do not consider sleep as a waste of time. Don't ever compromise on your sleep as it rejuvenates you and keeps you in a good mental state. Lack of sleep can cause mental fatigue and loss of concentration which also leads to procrastination. Hence proper sleep is non-negotiable for a student.

9. Surround Yourself With Positive People And Environment

Our surroundings play a vital role in our mental setup. While preparing, try to keep the environment around you healthy. Try to be around people who motivate you and believe in you. As motivation is one the biggest aspects which plays a key role in your preparation.

Students must follow the tips to avoid procrastination as it will help them in multiple aspects to enhance their performance while preparing and attempting the examination.