Studying Tips: How To Stop Procrastinating

By WR!TERS@WORK

“It’s ok, I’ll do it tomorrow.”

This phrase sounds all too familiar.

Procrastination is a challenge that most of us face. We end up postponing unpleasant tasks and act against our better judgement even though we know that the issues on hand are urgent and important. Giving into this impulse of doing something more enjoyable or simpler instead can lead to a drastic reduction in productivity and we are likely to fall short in achieving our goals. Procrastination could very well be a student’s greatest enemy when preparing for exams.

So, why do we procrastinate? We tend to do so because we focus on managing our current negative emotions, putting the practice papers and essays off until some point in the future as a form of escapism and avoidance. Eventually, when the deadline is nearing, we will suffer the consequences of delaying the inevitable, and this often creates more unnecessary stress. This is a topic that we need to be familiar with because procrastination could very well be an exam essay or oral topic. Hence, let’s explore this topic – procrastination – in depth and, maybe, find a way around it.

There are 2 key factors affecting procrastination: Motivation and Momentum

Looking at 2022 O-Level essay questions:

“People today are far too easily persuaded to spend money on things they don’t need.” Do you agree that advertising has made us wasteful?

“I realised that I was much stronger than I had previously thought.” Write about a time when you felt like this.

You might seem intimidated and claim that you need more motivation to put your pen down and start writing. The truth is motivation is not the spark of that action, but rather, it is the result of that action (in this case, completing your essay). Instead, replace motivation with the idea of discipline, which produces action and can in turn lead to a sustainable cycle of motivation.

When looking at a challenging task, the toughest part is starting and getting the ball rolling. This initial resistance is where procrastination thrives. However, once we have started on our work, momentum will build up along the way, and the desire to complete the task is what drives it to completion. Thus, combining discipline (the initial action) with momentum will make your subsequent tasks much easier, and you will have the motivation to do so.

We can generally categorise procrastination to revolve around 2 types of tasks – those that are:

1. Small and Mundane

2. Large and Daunting

Let us share with you some tips you can use to overcome each type of task and beat procrastination.

1. The 2-minute Rule

The 2-minute rule is a simple concept that could potentially raise your productivity by decreasing the number of tasks on hand. Essentially, you would want to focus on completing minute tasks that take under 2 minutes immediately without delay. If the task takes more than 2 minutes, write it down on your to-do list and come back to it later. This strategy allows you to effectively eliminate the many little tasks that can form distractions over time when accumulated. Additionally, it reduces the number of work and responsibilities you have on hand, which reduces stress. By avoiding unnecessary procrastination on small responsibilities, we clear the mental clutter that distracts us from the larger picture.

2. The 10-minute Rule

Reading past-year preliminary examination comprehension passages and completing the various questions that follow certainly cannot be accomplished in under 2 minutes, especially because of the complexity of the different question types.

(Tip: Personally, I chose to attend tuition classes for English and other subjects that I need help with. This is a very effective method to overcome procrastination because all I had to do was to show up for my tuition lessons weekly and complete all my practices in class. This routine takes away the part where I procrastinated when I had to revise on my own.)

Top Schools’ Exam Questions

How Language Achieves Impact Question: At the beginning of the text, Nori arrived at her grandparents’ house in Kyoto, Japan. Explain how the language used emphasises the appearance of the house in Nori’s eyes. Support your ideas with three details from paragraph 1.

Summary Question: Using your own words as far as possible, summarise the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of the measures people take to combat heat waves. Use only information from paragraph 6 to 8.

For these larger, more daunting questions/assignments, the resistance in wanting to start is higher. When you have the dire urge to push the task off, set aside time and tell yourself that you are going to spend 10 minutes on the assignment, and get writing immediately. The idea of this goes back to Momentum. Once you have overcome the initial barrier and started work, momentum will keep you going through the different sections of the comprehension paper, as you are less likely to stop once you have made progress. This is also a psychological tactic, as we are tricking our mind into believing that we are only going to spend a limited amount of time on this task.

Procrastination is a habit, but it can be overcome with the right mentality and strategies. As a student, you should focus on committing to the academic and extracurricular tasks you have on hand, taking action instead of avoiding them. Learning to acknowledge and effectively manage procrastination is a step that you would have to take to raise your productivity in your education journey. So put down your device and get started on that essay before the deadline nears soon!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. Is It Possible to Fail O-Level English?

It is possible to fail O Level English, which is the minimum requirement to further your education in a Junior College. O Level English is a compulsory subject and it is essential for every student to pass this subject if they want to have a good prospect of further education.

2. How Can I Improve My English Skills for O-Level?

First, students should look at practice workbooks for O Level English and ascertain what they need to know about the exam structure. Next, students should engage with previous past year papers to familiarize themselves with the required skills. Lastly, students should learn how to write essays and integrate all the technical aspects of the English language, such as grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation to craft essays which are greater than the sum of its parts.

3. Is Singapore O-Level English Difficult?

Achieving success in O Levels isn’t arduous if the student knows the syllabus and puts hard work and effort into studying for all their subjects equally.

4. Is Passing O-Levels Challenging?

Achieving success in O Levels isn’t arduous if the student knows the syllabus and puts hard work and effort into studying for all their subjects equally.

5. What is the Passing Grade for O-Level English in Singapore?

To pass an individual O-Level subject, students must attain at least C6 (6 grade points) or above. The highest grade a student can attain is A1 (1 grade point). The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) examination was introduced in 1971.