It is Friday afternoon and you realize that you have five assignments due at 11:59. You have known about these assignments since Monday but every time you remembered you had to do the assignment you pushed it off another day. Then, they all piled up on you leaving you with all this work to do every last minute. Sounds familiar?

Procrastination – one of the most common things teens try to avoid but end up just doing even more. Putting off work or chores may seem good at the moment, but when everything piles upon each other, it is much more of a burden. Teens struggle with time management, especially now that school is online. This is because teens have to be more on top of their schedules as they do not have that in-person contact making sure they are doing what they should when they should.

One way to avoid procrastination is to make a schedule for the week of when each assignment is due and when it is going to get done so that the work is spaced out. Buying a planner, calendar, or simply making a daily to-do list will do the trick. Senior Rozhin Fadae has taken action to have better time management. “I have started to write out a list of everything I have to do for the week and this has made me more organized and less stressed,” Fadae said.

Another way to stop procrastinating is to use the reward system. Once something is complete, use a treat as a reward. This can be something as simple as watching television or going out to get ice cream. This will help motivate you to do the work as there is something good on the other side of it. Also, you will start to notice how good it feels to finish a task.

Another trick is to have someone responsible for checking in on you to make sure your work is being done correctly. A parent or friend would be a good person to keep you in check. You will be less likely to procrastinate as someone is counting on you. “I have had my mom check-in with me to make sure I am completing the things I want to at the beginning of the week. This has made me a lot better with procrastination,” senior Nazanin Tehrani said.

Finally, a great way to stop procrastination is by minimizing distractions. Turning off electronics, avoiding sitting near other people and sitting in a clean quiet place will all help. “I have started to sit in a quiet room with my phone on “Do not Disturb” and it has helped me stay focused a lot more. This is essential for me as being online and being a senior makes staying motivated a lot harder,” senior Ron Berlin said.

Procrastination is common for most students nowadays but can be avoided by making simple changes in your lifestyle.