“The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started.”
Dawson Trotman
A big dilemma for students these days is finding the motivation to start an assignment. Being a student myself I often struggle with this, and have learnt what works and what doesn’t work from all my assignment experiences over the years! So in response to many followers who have expressed concerns on this issue – I’ve decided to investigate the BEST WAYS TO GET STARTED ON ASSIGNMENTS!
Don’t be like this guy!
- Plan out how long it will take – This is the first step that often takes longer than it should to do! Often we think about how to get started and what we SHOULD do, and how long it will take, how much effort it will take (and then how we can complete it with the least amount of effort!). The main thing is to look at the task – say an essay of 1500 words – and decide on your level of understanding of the assigned task to determine how long you think it will take you to do. a good rule is to always add an extra day as a buffer!
- Get changed into comfortable clothing – It seems like an unnecessary step, but it makes a big difference. You can become easily distracted by tight jeans cutting into you as you sit, or a top that you constantly have to re-adjust. You may choose to wear your trackies or your comfy pyjamas – but make sure if you do wear your pyjamas that you change into them, and not just wear them from the morning, because this can make you lazy and not get you in the awake frame of mind that is ready to do work! Also if you have hair falling on your face clip/tie it back!
- Clear, comfortable workspace – Sit at a desk, and make sure it’s clear. Clear of mess and of distractions. Think of it like a metaphor for how clear your brain will be in order to get started on this little bugger of an assessment!
- Let everyone know – Be that person: make sure that everyone knows you’re busy and don’t want to be distracted. I always find that when i don’t let people know that I really have work to do I end up putting it off because i’ve been asked to do things or go places for other people and won’t say no. If you tell your friends, family, housemates etc. that you have a big assignment coming up, they are more likely not the bother you with tempting offers of coffee dates or annoy you with jobs to do.
- Cut down on the electronics – Turn off your phone. Throw it across the room. Give it to your mother (shock horror!). Just get rid of it! As for your laptop, more often than not you’re going to need it for whatever your doing and it that’s the case, you should try and keep your wi-fi off! Maybe try doing all your research first to avoid using the internet as you write an essay, or if you have access to a printer – print out your sources and highlight/make notes so you can write with a clear head and NO INTERNET!
- Begin – some prefer to start with the harder aspects first, others the opposite – the truth is, everyone is always going to have their own way of doing things that works for them, so find out what works for you and stick to it!
- Set achievable goals – The task can seem so daunting at first when none of it is done, but the more you push through, the easier it becomes! Say you will write 100 words every 15 minutes, or whatever you like to help you pace yourself and feel more positive about the task. I often check how many words are left to accentuate the relief of having written more whenever the number gets smaller! Maybe try timing yourself to add a bit of fun and motivate you! Also make sure you write up a schedule of what you’ll complete each day (as long as you followed this advice and didn’t start it the day before!).
- Reward Yourself – Have a short break as a reward for your concentration. Go get a healthy snack (brain food!), do some star jumps, listen to your favourite song… but be careful – don’t be gone for too long!
- Will power. – Remind yourself how good you’ll feel when the work is done. Maybe even try convincing yourself it’s due tomorrow so you just get it done and then have more time to read over and perfect your work!
- Find out what works best for you – You might like to listen to music while studying/working as it helps you pace yourself and tune out other noises. You might like to try working with a friend so you can feed off each other with ideas and help make the task seem less daunting. These are just some examples of different ways that people may choose to study, but they don’t work for everyone! Sometimes these techniques can be counter-productive so watch out!
What are you favourite ways to get focussed and just start a big task? Let us know in the comments!
Related articles
- 7 Tips To Manage Attention and Avoid Overwhelm (lifehack.org)
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