Yea, I realized I got procrastination after I read the other thread in pits of hell. I think I started getting it in gr 10, but it became serious in gr 11 when my marks are going down.
This is what I remember my life was like in gr 11 (wall of text):
Spoiler
I find myself playing maplestory when I have this gigantic essay due tmr. So I was like what am I doing? I logged off, opened up microsoft word, started typing in a sentence. and then I froze at what i want to type. after a few minutes I find that nothing came out of my mind, and opened up firefox and went to SW (sp doesn't exist back then) I read some random maplestory news. and then went back to microsoft word, some how finished the first sentence. and then I froze at the second sentence. goes back to firefox, opened a new tab and went on youtube. View all the new videos from my subscription, and some random ones that's related to the videos I watched. came back to microsoft word, and then reread my first sentence again. hey how am I going to start the 2nd sentence with this as the first sentence? deletes first sentence and rewrote another sentence. and then wrote the 2nd sentence cause it's connected to the first sentence. Now I'm stuck again, I went on basil, check out all the auctions and bid on some of them. came back to the essay, ok 2 sentences... I started typing in random words and then delete them cause I really don't know what should I write for 3rd sentence. Then I went to hotmail, check out my emails, then facebook, then mofunzone, then back to SW, then go to some other random websites, though out all those, I managed to get 3 sentences. Ok, now I see my problem, I climbed under the table and unplugged my network connection, there, there's no websites to distract me anymore. So then I started thinking about my 4th sentence, ok i'm stuck again... without thinking, I went to start, all programs and then look at all the programs on my computer for the billionth time, my mouse hovered on games, and then I selected solitaire. the next thing I know i started playing it. After several rounds, I noticed that I have to get back to work. I started rereading what I have typed so far, and then I deleted them all cause what i wrote was crap, back to sentence 1... Then I find myself playing on the fonts of microsoft word, the next thing I know, I started inserting water marks on my essay. Ok, this isn't working out... I took out a sheet of paper, closed the monitor of the computer, and started writing it on the paper instead. When I can't think of anything to write, I started clicking on the pen and next thing you know I started playing music by clicking my pen. Still with nothing to think of, I walked around the room, I look at everything I have in the room, I took out my yugioh cards which I had stopped playing a few years ago and started reading out the cards. Then I took out my gr 6 workbook and started to read that. Still with nothing to say and nothing to do, I spilled milk on the floor. Now I felt much better for some odd reason. Went back to the essay and just froze there. I just spend the rest of time time sitting on my chair without doing anything, except playing with the pen and any other stuff I find on my desk. Then I looked at the clock, holy sh!t, it's 1 am! I opened up my monitor and quickly typed in a bunch of BS, I know what I said doesn't make sense, but in the end I finished it. I reread though it, edit it and try to make the BS more comprehensible then I saved and printed my work before I went to sleep.
Now I kinda got used to procrastination and I won't even try to stop myself when I started lurking on the internet or doing w/e. I just start doing my hwk at around 11PM-1AM. I'm still getting average marks in school (or sometimes above average, with the exception of english which is below average...)
I'm usually ok with my mark, I have no complaints, the only reason is the peaching from my parents that I have to maintain high marks.
But what changed me today is an influence from this gr 11 kid... he's kinda my "student" cause he asks me stuff about computer programming alot, and I helped him in doing his computer project. His first term mark in computer is 96 (highest in class this year), (i got 94 when i was in gr 11 last year first term, the 2nd highest mark in class. The highest mark was 95) Anyways today he told me his average was 89.6%, and he was so pissed that he was this close to get into 90. Usually when a friend tells me that, I'm gonna go like "fuucking nerd! I can barely get 80!" but this time he's different. because I'm kinda his teacher I know all his limitation, and I know that I'm above him and smarter than him. So why is someone who's below me getting higher marks than me by alot?
I find the answer today after seeing the word "procrastination" (Actually I never knew what the word means before today >.>)
The answer is because he's hard working and I'm not. And I usually don't bother with work because it's not "fun". But now that i think of it, is grinding lifelessly in maplestory "fun"? is reading posts on forums "fun" (hey isn't that just like reading articles for hwk)? is watching videos on youtube "fun"? is clicking your pen a million+ times and try to make music "fun"? is doing anything that i'm doing everyday "fun"? Yet my student is having fun though working hard. after he's done, he can play any game without the pressure of thinking that he's gonna mess up.
There is more, last year, i got the worst english ever, average mark was around 68% and I managed to get 66%. my student got the same teacher as mine last year. first thing I said to him was "you are dead". guess what he got this year? 75%, HIGHEST MARK IN CLASS!!! the average this year was 66%. That motivates me even more, this year I got the worst physics teacher ever, but to think that someone who's lower than me can get good/ok marks with crappy teachers, I want to get high in physics too.
So now I have all my motivations, I just got 1 problem, how do I stop procrastinating? I can't just stop it in 1 day... I've tried before but it failed. However now, I kinda know why I procastinate though articles I read. I still can't ditch all my online friends, a guild of 100 members and 100+ more alliance +50 buddy. and I can't just stop coming to SP either, or stop watching youtube. Any help please?
Seriously though, think of your goals. For me, when I procrastinate, I think of my girlfriend, because she's my inspiration and goal for doing well in College, so I can visit her as well as live with her some day if I do really well in school.
I punch myself in the face and then I get up to wash the blood off my nose and then realized that I got up to do something instead of procrastinate on the computer. Then I say "Well If I can get up to wash my face off, then I can do my homework."
No just kidding, but you can try this if you want.
I try to make little breaks in between my assignments. Okay, I'm going to finish four problems and then go on SP and browse a few threads, and then I'm going to finish another four and...
WAIT till you get to College ..It'll get EVEN WORSE!....I would say set a time for all your procrastinating BS..like 1 hour of tv & 1 hour of MS/Southperry then after that NO MORE until after you get your assignments done/studying.
What I do is save all my assignments that have to deal with the computer in any sort of way for last and I leave my computer off until then. I usually do all my text book work and pomegranate, then turn on the computer and grind my way through any assignments that need to be done on the computer. This way I don't have as many distractions as I would if I had my computer on. Of course it helps not to have a TV in your room too :<.
Kevo Wrote:I actually go to the library where there's no computer to prevent me from studying >_<
that works for me. library is a great place to study, you get alot of things done in the library. and for me, those materials i read in the library they last longer in my head. be it assignments, studying for exams or some before class reading, i always do it in the library now.
You dont have to ditch maplestory or any games, I would personnaly just start sooner. You dont have to do alot at once, but if you do a little each day, at the end its alot easier. I guess procrastination is putting things off, so I guess im not really helping xd
You could try lurking/playing maplestory at the same time as you do your homework o:
Ian Wrote:You could try lurking/playing maplestory at the same time as you do your homework o:
No, that's just a bad idea. I usually do my computer stuff last, at least I get the textbook work done. Also, if you can't focus, get up and get some water or something. In my case, I have to get up multiple times, then a burst of... brain energy flows through my mind, and I finish like a three page essay in 45 minutes. ._.
thx for the suggestions, I didn't post anything yesterday until I finished my hwks. but then, I did waste a lot of time helping this friend on MSN with math hwk. (I guess that was alright since helping some1 with hwk helps me too) And the rest of the time I spend on lurking on webs (although I just told myself to not to...)
I guess I'm getting better already. I'm in a positive mood ever since yesterday cause i'm doing all good on tests and stuff.
I know why I procastinate, it is because I am afraid to face the challenge of doing those super hard homework that the teacher never teaches (for physics). and I'm too lazy to do math homeworks cause it is so easy. and for computer science, my brain freezes whenever I try to debug something, and I'll just stare at the screen for a long time without doing anything.
Doing hwk at library won't work, because the library is a 15 minutes walk from where I live, and it closes at 8pm. Another bad thing is that the library is filled with (asian) kids who's playing on the library's computer. because their parents won't let them play games and tell them to study at the library.
unplugging internet, not opening the computer won't work like I said, because i'll find something else to distract me from doing my hwk.
P.S I have no hwk today, except for my computer project that's due on monday.
Horusmaster Wrote:I'm gonna go like "fuucking nerd! I can barely get 80!"
...I'm getting straight A+s, every single freaking moron in my school (and there's lots of them) feels the need to cheat off of me. When I tell them to go away, that is exactly what they say. Pisses me off.
But anyway, sometimes it takes a strong mind to stop procrastinating. I usually can't do it. I get really distracted. You just have to resist all those wonderful temptations and get to work. Try to organize a schedule, like:
10-11 PM: work on project
11-11:30 PM: break
11:30-12:30 AM: work
12:30-1 AM: break
etc. until you get all the work done. Of course, if you have a lot of work I usually work for a couple hours before taking a break. Ick. Get the work done first, so you can relax and fool around without worrying about it (I'm not a good example, sitting here 11 hours after I said I would start my homework). Sometimes a positive attitude helps. Looking at all the work you have to do, you could always say, "Hey, I only got three subjects left of work to complete!" instead of "Hey, I only need to read a textbook, type a ten page essay, do 70 math problems and study for SATs!". Best thing to do is to be organized. But yeah, hope I helped a little.
Acim Wrote:...I'm getting straight A+s, every single freaking moron in my school (and there's lots of them) feels the need to cheat off of me. When I tell them to go away, that is exactly what they say. Pisses me off.
But anyway, sometimes it takes a strong mind to stop procrastinating. I usually can't do it. I get really distracted. You just have to resist all those wonderful temptations and get to work. Try to organize a schedule, like:
10-11 PM: work on project
11-11:30 PM: break
11:30-12:30 AM: work
12:30-1 AM: break
etc. until you get all the work done. Of course, if you have a lot of work I usually work for a couple hours before taking a break. Ick. Get the work done first, so you can relax and fool around without worrying about it (I'm not a good example, sitting here 11 hours after I said I would start my homework). Sometimes a positive attitude helps. Looking at all the work you have to do, you could always say, "Hey, I only got three subjects left of work to complete!" instead of "Hey, I only need to read a textbook, type a ten page essay, do 70 math problems and study for SATs!". Best thing to do is to be organized. But yeah, hope I helped a little.
thx for the suggestion, I'll try to follow next time, although it's hard to give myself self control. I mean I took the no fap 30 day challenge and faped after 2 days >.>
but anyways i think i'm already getting better...
I finished my computer project last night (the only hwk i have in the weekend) and this morning, I added more comments to the project, and added more user friendliness to it. (I did make a bunch of backup copies to the program after what happened to me last time >.>)
anyways, I'm all set, I surfed the web for the entire afternoon, and at night I remembered that I have 2 tests tmr. so now i'm staying up overnight to study for the tests... Yea it's quite an improvement for me, but damn gotta study for those tests... i'm kinda freaking out now, cause for physics I have no idea what we've learned for the entire chapter. and for math, it's the test that the last year's avg was 60%. but math seems kinda easy.
and this is actually the first time this year that I have 2 tests in the same day. so i'm so not prepared...
I'm a huge procrastinator as well. What you posted in the spoiler is not an altogether unfamiliar experience to me (although maybe not to that extent). Since I started college, though, I've been pretty good about getting stuff done on time, even after I started playing MS again two weeks ago. What helps me is to set unrealistic goals for work to get done. I get this huge feeling of inspiration several days before something is done and I decide, "You know what? I'm going to get that essay done today. And this online assignment. And read a chapter of my Calculus textbook." Usually, I only end up getting the online assignment done, writing two paragraphs, and reading 10 pages. I spend the rest of my time on SP or hanging out with friends. The key thing is that I have gotten something done before the deadline. It falls far short of my goal, but it helps.
..It'll get EVEN WORSE!....I would say set a time for all your procrastinating BS..like 1 hour of tv & 1 hour of MS/Southperry then after that NO MORE until after you get your assignments done/studying.
