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Procrastination
Procrastination
Procrastinating means putting off something you need to do. Students who procrastinate aren't necessarily lazy. Often, we put off tasks because we feel overwhelmed or anxious. Unfortunately, procrastinating only increases stress. Need tips on how to stop procrastinating (don't we all)? Keep reading...
THE PROCRASTINATOR: Click here to find out the 4 main types and the solutions for procrastinating!
Strategies to STOP Procrastinating. Click here.
The Pomodoro Method
The Pomodoro Method
The Pomodoro is a method developed by Francesco Cirillo. He named it for the tomato timer he used to time his study sessions. It works like this: You set aside 25 minutes to focus on one task and nothing else, and then you take a five minute break. This has great benefits, including a) the human brain focuses at optimal level for about 20-25 minutes. b) the sense of urgency created by the timer helps procrastinators get started! c) the method allows you to focus on ONE thing, eliminating all distractions, which makes you SO MUCH MORE TIME EFFECIENT. d) during that 5 minute break, your brain enters diffuse mode, allowing for your brain to actually work through some of what you are learning/studying. Get up and move during your break! Research shows it help us to focus better. Avoid tasks that will be really hard for you to break off from after five minutes. Your phone may not be the best five minute break if you can't refocus yourself. Time management take self discipline!
After about four pomodoros in a row, it is best to take a longer 15-20 minute break. Get up from your desk and move!
USE the POMODORO TRACKER!
Or Try Pomofocus!
Or even start a forest/garden by using the free google extension called forest. It will allow you to block websites so you can minimize distractions.
Pomodoro Method Cont.
Pomodoro Method Cont.
The video on the left explains the pomodoro method in more detail. It has six different objectives to accomplish as you hone your time management skills. The video on the right explains how you can adjust the method to work best for you.
The three features of the Pomodoro that make the biggest difference are:
1) Protect your pomodoro: don't multitask! Keep this time period sacred for one focused task. Allowing phones, tv, etc. to interrupt will derail you.
2) Recap and review: When studying during a pomodoro, it is of great value to recap what you learned at the end of the session, take a break, and then review last session when you return. This allows our brain to forget and remember again, which is critical to learning the information.
3) Use pomodoros at different times of the day: You do not need to sit down after a long day to do ALL your homework at once. Possibly use tutorial time to accomplish one pomodoro in the presence of your teacher. Then, use a pomodoro before dinner. And then, when you sit down to finish homework, you do not have ALLLLLL of it to do. Using pomodoros at different times throughout the day can help you to utilize time more efficiently.
Accurately Estimate
Accurately Estimate
When you get a sense for how long things REALLY take versus how long you THINK they take, your productivity will soar.
What can help?
30/30 is one high school app students can use to time themselves.
The Pomodoro method is one optional time management technique; you'll learn what you can get done in 20-25 minutes for each type of task. (See the top of this stream)
Toggl is another time-tracking app.
Go to the clock setting on your phone. Look for StopWatch, Countdown, or Timer.
Break Big Tasks Into Smaller Ones
Break Big Tasks Into Smaller Ones
When we have a huge task to complete, we tend to put it off because we’re not sure where to start. Need help on getting started?
Look at the big picture-Make sure you understand what the teacher's expectations are.
Examine the parts of the task-Figure out step-by-step what you need to do.
Think about the logical order of completing the pieces- What should you do first, second, third, etc.?
Create a timeline for completing a task- Having a deadline will make you focused on your goal.
Have a plan to help you stay on track-Put the time you will spend on the task into your schedule/calendar, so you have dedicated time for it. Stick with the plan!
Complete your task early enough to have some time left for a final review.
You did it!
You did it!
Get your priorities straight!!
Get your priorities straight!!
Prioritizing is hard. If we had our heart's desire, we would do all our favorite things first and push off all the things we find less reinforcing.
When students learn how to categorize the events in their life, they can clearly prioritize them.
Obligations: Obligations are things that have a NEGATIVE consequence if you do not do them by a CERTAIN TIME. For example, if you don't do your homework by 2nd period today, you will get a late grade. Or, if you don't pay your water bill by the deadline, your water gets turned off. Obligations get prioritized FIRST.
Aspirations: Aspirations are events that do happen at a certain time, but the only negative consequence is that 'your heart hurts' because you didn't get to go. Think fear of missing out (FOMO). These are usually social in nature. For example, all your friends will be meeting at Starbucks at 8:00, and if you don't manage your time, you will miss out. Parents will often use aspirations to get their kids to do their obligations. Think, 'You can't go to the movies with Whit and Olivia until you finish your science project. The parent is forcing their child to prioritize obligation first, then aspirations. The key to being independent, (and having your parents take a step back) is for YOU to do your obligations, then aspirations ON YOUR OWN without your parents having to monitor you.
Negotiations: Negotiations get a priority level three because they are not TIME SENSITIVE. It does not matter if I do them now, by tonight at 8PM, or even by tomorrow. In fact, negotiations are usually very powerfully reinforcing, in other words, addicting. This makes them BIG TIME wasters. Many examples exist, but I find that most of the big ones have to do with either your phone or computer. Examples include: social media, tiktok, youtube, netflix, video games. Once you start, it is hard to stop....and so, these things really need to be prioritized for AFTER you have completed your obligations and aspirations!
Tutorial and Time Management
Tutorial and Time Management
Top 3 Myths of Teacher Tutorial
Teacher Tutorial is only for students who are struggling. FALSE.
Almost all students benefit from attending Teacher Tutorial. Students who are proactive in owning their learning attend tutorials for various reasons; to gain a deeper understanding of content, to ask questions/clarify, and to prep for upcoming quizzes, tests and exams. If a student (who typically earns good grades) is disappointed in their quiz/test or grade on an assignment, attending a tutorial is a good way to get back on track. Students can attend Tutorial Tutorial for review and feedback from their teacher on note-taking skills, in order to be more prepared for class. In addition, Teachers share and review strategies that students can then generalize to the classroom. Tutorial helps reinforce teaching students to think critically and includes processes for student problem solving. These skills help students feel less overwhelmed and ready to face challenges in the classroom in the future.
Teacher Tutorial improves academic performance. TRUE.
Working with the Teacher builds academic fluency with a subject and helps students work through challenges with content. The Teacher knows the students in their classes, provides support for the concepts students are learning in their classroom, and wants to work with any student seeking to improve their understanding/mastery of the content. Teachers want to see students be successful in class! Avoiding Teacher Tutorial or communication with the Teacher increases a student's stress level and does not get the student closer to reaching their academic goal. Consistency in attending Teacher Tutorial and communicating challenges with content are keys to helping students improve performance. Over time students build confidence in their knowledge of subject matter, build relationships with the Teacher, and learn they can achieve their academic goals.
The Student doesn’t need to attend Teacher Tutorial because the student attends outside tutoring. FALSE.
Teachers understand and are prepared to scaffold content and provide repetition taught in classroom lessons, specifically for their students in Teacher Tutorial. Practicing content, which includes Teacher feedback is important, promotes increased fluency and mastery. In addition,Teacher Tutorial helps a student prep for an exam their teacher will be giving. There are many benefits with attending an after school Teacher Tutorial! Prioritize attending Teacher Tutorial consistently prior to seeking an outside tutor.
Guidelines for Creating a Study Schedule
Guidelines for Creating a Study Schedule
Doing well on an exam involves preparation, which means developing a schedule so that you can study material over time rather than the night before an exam. How can students put all those effective strategies together to develop a coherent study plan? Make a study schedule!
Creating a Study Schedule
Creating a Study Schedule
Your study schedule should not just be about studying! Plan a schedule of balanced activities. Build in time to take a break, eat, sleep, socialize, and work on other course materials. Giving yourself planned breaks will make your study time more effective, and you will learn best if your basic needs (healthy food, sleep, exercise) are met. (Can you believe that Cornell’s learning experts are telling you to stop studying for a bit? Well, we are. Do it!)
Turn off and remove distractions so that you can focus- it might seem like you can multi-task, but that’s a myth! Don’t get sucked into social media etc. that may feel urgent but really isn’t. There are tons of apps that help you use social media on your own terms, just search “apps that block social media” and find one you like. (You could also try Rocco.)
Review material as soon as after lecture as possible. One hour spent soon after class will do as much as several hours a few days later! Take good notes (maybe try Cornell Notes!) and review them while they are still fresh in your mind. At a minimum try summarizing your notes right after lecture. If your grandma called and asked you what the class you just went to was about, could you tell her? Start assignments while your memory of the assignment is still accurate.
Find and use “hidden time” for studying. It’s easy to waste scattered 1-2 hour free periods between classes. Use those little blocks to summarize and start HW from your previous class or prepare for your next class. If you can think of your school day like a “work day” and get your work done during the day, you will be able to actually relax in the evening (instead of worrying about all of the work that you didn’t get done during the day).
Switch it up. Don’t work on one course for more than an hour or two at a time. Our ability to concentrate decreases rapidly after about 90 minutes, so switching up the courses you are studying helps keep up your efficiency. It may feel counter-intuitive to study for an class when you have an exam in a different class. But switching up your studying means you’ll learn your exam material better PLUS you won’t fall so far behind in your other classes.
Plan and take real actual breaks. Get up, jump around, get a snack, watch a cute penguin video. Taking short planned breaks can help you study more during the times are you are actually studying (vs. goofing off while you’re supposed to be studying and then feeling too guilty to take a real break).
If you are having trouble getting started: try the Pomodoro Technique1: Pick a task to work on and then focus on that task for 25 minutes without distractions; then take a 5 minute break to stretch, doodle, check email, etc. Then start another block of 25-minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break.
It’s easier to keep up than to catch up! Develop a regular weekly time to review the work in each of your courses and stay up to date. This review should be cumulative, covering briefly all the work done thus far in this semester.
Double your time estimates. Most people tend to underestimate how much time a particular activity/assignment will take. A good rule of thumb is to estimate how much time you realistically think something will take and then double it!
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