Every student has all fallen victim to the dangerous cycle of procrastination, pushing work off until the last minute purely due to lack of motivation. So as the beginning of the school year unfolds and students are looking to kick last year’s bad habits here are some of VHS students’  best tips for avoiding procrastination:

Senior Lara Tole explained “it has been really hard to get motivated with senioritis kicking in but for me the best way to get work done is finding a quiet isolated place to work.” She explained that being away from everyone allows her to really focus on her assignments without getting distracted.

Senior Allison Naeris also found that limiting all distractions is the best way to be productive. Allison  said “the first thing I do is put my phone on “do not disturb” because if I don’t I will spend hours texting or on social media.” This is such an important tip especially for this generation because there are endless things that can cause people to get preoccupied with on the internet. Allison also suggested making a to-do list and starting homework as soon as you get home. She said that these things can help her to stay organized and keep her from losing motivation.

After interviewing an array of students the results start to become repetitive. Whether  the response was “log out of Netflix”, “leave group chats” or simply “turn off your phone”, the general consensus was phones are the biggest distractions. So the best tip there is to offer is to ditch your smartphone and get working. In addition, students also acknowledged that the best environment to work in is a secluded area free of distractions. Many students also explained that avoiding studying in bed or on the couch is very helpful to stay motivated. Senior Maeve McGinley explained “I like to sit at a desk or table because if I’m on a couch or my bed I’m more likely to get distracted.”

Although if you have already tried all of these things and still find yourself unmotivated here are some unique tips that some students swear by. Senior Julia Mackey says “listening to my favorite music while doing homework motivates me to get all my work done”. Freshman Grace Madigan explained “having some food to snack on while doing my work helps me to focus, I don’t know why but it work!” Who knows maybe some pump-up music or brain food is just what you need to jump start your brain and beat procrastination!