Procrastination
at its finest. This describes my attitude towards basically everything up until
this semester. All throughout high school and my first two years here at TCU I
have been able to put studying, projects, papers—you name it—off until the very
last minute and so far it has worked out pretty well for me. This semester has
forced me to manage my time a little bit differently. I am a nursing major and
this is my first semester of clinical work. All the older nursing majors I know
say this is the hardest semester because you are overloaded with work and the
content is extremely difficult. I also added an extra class (this one) onto my
already packed schedule, which has just increased the need for organization, planning,
and better time management in my life. For the first time my planner is
actually being put to use!
The hardest
part for me has been realizing that there is always something I need to be
doing. Last week I finished my first round of tests in all my classes so I
chose to take the weekend off, which was a horrible idea. I forgot about
homework I had to do for my Monday lab until Sunday night at about 9:00. Since
Monday I have been scrambling every night to get the work done for class the
next day. Even though I don’t have tests in my nursing classes for another 2
weeks, I have nearly the same amount of work that I need to be doing just to
keep up with my classes. I don’t like the feeling of never really being
finished until winter break, but I have been getting better at using my time
during the day efficiently so that I can relax at night.
This brings
me to my next point: using time efficiently. I am probably one of the most
distracted people you will ever meet. I could be sitting at a cubicle in the
library without my computer or phone and I will still find a way to do anything
but the work I came there to do. That has changed this semester. I have found
that I am completely cable of being focused for long periods of time if I put
my mind to it. I have learned how to block out anything and everything going on
in my life while I am at the library studying for something. The tactic I have
used to do this is writing things down. Anything outside of the class I’m
studying for that stresses me out or that I need to get done I write down. That
way I am not constantly thinking about it and worried that I might forget it.
Another thing that helps me to be efficient with my study time is giving myself
breaks. As a result of my procrastination in previous years, I never thought I
had time to take breaks when I was studying because I was always running out of
time. Now I have forced myself to start studying for tests a week in advance,
doing less per day, and giving myself that time to take breaks if I need to.
This
semester I have also learned how to say no. It sounds simple but it has been
one of the most challenging things for me to learn to do. I am a people-pleaser
through and through. One of the ways I do this is by always agreeing to do
favors for people. I also don’t like to miss out on doing fun things with my
friends so I often try and do too much, which usually means putting off my work
until the very last minute. Before this semester even began I knew that I was
going to have to work on this. I have gotten so much more comfortable saying no
to people when I know that I really don’t have the time and this has made all
the difference in my time management. Now I am much more in control of what I’m
doing and when I’m doing it.
Though it
has not been easy, I have successfully broken my terrible habit of
procrastination and learned how to manage my time much more efficiently. This has eliminated so much stress from my
life and allowed me to be successful in school when I don’t think I would have
been if I were still stuck in my old ways.
I enjoyed reading your post Haley! Girl, you and I are one in the same when it comes to people pleasing. I still struggle with saying no. We just don't wanna miss out on anything or disappoint anyone. I have found that in reality though, people aren't that offended by our occasional rejections. And girl, you were preaching to the choir when you were talking about having to write stuff down. I live and die by the planner and if I ever lost it, I think I might cry haha. A trick I use is also having sticky notes with me always. I don't know about you, but a thought can leave my mind as fast as it pops up in it (my mom told me that she read an article about how aspartame leads to short term memory loss, and I drink a lot of diet coke...) so it's nice having an instant reminder I can slap on anything. Good luck to you this year! It sounds like the skills you are developing will also help you in your occupation as a nurse later in life. I definitely would want a nurse who knows how to prioritize and organize her time!
ReplyDeleteHey Haley! I too enjoyed reading your post! I am the type of person who thrives on stress. It's not that I particularly enjoy it, but I am just pre-programmed to turn little assignments into massive projects. I am the queen of anxiety. That being said, procrastination does not suit me well. I would so much rather get the assignment done right when it is given instead of waiting until the last minute. Granted, I stress equal amounts if it is done a week before the due date or two minutes before the due date, but it just makes me feel a little more in charge of my life.
ReplyDeleteSo although I cannot relate to the procrastination, I can definitely relate to the planner usage. There is literally ALWAYS something we should be doing, and I can guarantee that if it is not written down in my planner in the proper color-coded category, I will miss it. Admittedly, it is both a blessing and a curse to be so planner dependent, but I have yet to find a better system. Good luck with clinicals this semester!!
I can defiantly relate to the sentiments and experience expressed by you in this post. I seem to always find myself overwhelmed by tests, applications, papers, work, and meetings. Often I find myself awake late at night, having trouble sleeping due to constant thoughts of the things I must do the next day. It is not necessarily large projects or tests that get to me but rather the accumulation of all the little things I must attend to throughout my days.
ReplyDeleteMy planner is my saving grace. Having it by my side helps me coordinate my hectic life. Knowing there is a method to all the madness gives me the a sense of security and comfort. I live and die by the schedule I set. I bet you can relate to the overwhelming felling of relief and accomplishment that I get every time I cross out something in my planner.
Although planners are a wonderful utility, I must caution they often cause one to become rigged and inflexible. This structured rigidity may be equally as dangerous as your former habit of procrastination.
Great reflection blog!
Procrastination has also been a struggle for me this year! Your post has given me some good ideas for fighting it though. Writing things down, taking breaks, and saying no are all great tactics. I'm also prone to always saying yes to whatever people ask of me - whether it's helping a classmate study or going out to dinner with friends. I need to use my time more efficiently and put my schoolwork first. That's why we're here isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI also totally understand your feeling of always having something to do! It's impossible to take the weekend off - or even a night - because there's always something that I could be doing. Our Lit & Civ blogs would be the perfect example. Sometimes I just sit there and think of everything that needs to be done by the end of the semester and it stresses me out! I think it's beneficial to take things week by week and not worry too much about everything that needs to be completed by finals.
We're almost done though. Only 7 more weeks until Christmas Break!
I'm glad you were able to overcome your procrastination this semester! My two roommates are also both nursing majors, so I know how time consuming and challenging nursing is. I've never been a procrastinator myself, but after reading your blog entry, I can definitely identify with what you are saying. College is a lot easier when you write things down. I write down everything. I have two calendars on my wall and a hand held planner because I'm afraid I'll forget something.
ReplyDeleteI think your time management sounds great. Though I don't procrastinate necessarily, I do have trouble managing my time wisely. I think it's smart that you get everything done during the day - I need to work on that. By night time, I am done and just want to sleep when I get off work, but I'm usually up late working on something or other. Good luck with nursing. I know it gets harder, but it seems like you've got it under control!