I think most students can agree that procrastination has to be one of the worst habits a student can have. But for many, it’s difficult to end this habit. I can relate to this as I’ve always have procrastinated work, which is why I want to give some tips and rules for anyone else who procrastinates and would like to learn how to master it.

First off lets start off with some tips for writing any essay or paper.

Tip #1 Begin with an outline/research.

I understand that writing the complete paper all in one night is overwhelming and most of your time is lost trying to figure out how to start and format your paper. This is why getting any research or formatting done beforehand is key in order for your to write a decent paper last minute. This way, when you begin writing you’re not lost and stress out more on what to write.

Tip #2 Start with the body of your paper

Something I learned from my English teacher Mr. Dummitt this year is that whenever you don’t know what to write just start writing your body paragraphs. The roadblock that of trying to figure out how to introduce your essays is difficult because you have nothing to introduce. It’s like trying to introduce someone you don’t know: it’s going to be impossible to say anything. This is why you should first write your body paragraphs then your introduction after.

If these tips are followed, you will definitely be able to procrastinate like a professional.

Now let’s talk about the rules and regulations about procrastination.

Rule #1 Don’t procrastinate in group projects

This is a major pet peeve I had.  With procrastinating, I knew that I could do my work last minute because it only affected my grade but in groups projects, I could never. If you do this in a group project, you not only give your partners more work to do and a bad grade but also burn some bridges between then in the future.

Rule #2 Be honest to with yourself.

As procrastinators, we feel that we can do anything last minute because as I always say “I’ve done it before”. This mentally is a horrible one to have because if you try to one-up your past work, thinking you can do anything no matter what last minute, there will come to a point where you will either break because of stress or not complete the work at all. I’d say it better to give yourself at least a days worth of time in order to work on any assignment like a paper or project. As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither will your assignment.

All in all I don’t want to be a hypocrite and tell you not to procrastinate because you really shouldn’t. However, if push comes to shove and you can’t stop leaving work for the last minute, following these tips and rules will definitely make you less stressful, balance your work load, and not make any enemies.

Good luck and happy procrastinating.