This thread has made me realize how productive I am when I have to study, that is in every way except actually studying. So far I have completely cleaned my room, groomed my cat, went out and bought clothes and made myself breakfast. As you can see, I am not lazy it is just that I can not bring myself to sit down and study. I keep thinking that there are better things that I should be doing.
Got any advice?
Do you worry/care about your grades a lot?
I do, and even though I am a procrastinator too, I get my shit done because I want A’s. A’s are awesome.
I don’t have any real advice, just try to put grades first. I turn off the TV, close down AIM, turn my music off, and try to get in a studying mood with no distractions.
My best advice is that the SDMB never helps. You can get lost in an interesting discussion here faster than you can get lost riding a purple buffalo in a grape jelly factory.
I have a hard time studying at home because there is always something to distract me. Whenever I really need to get something done, I go to the library or computer lab and do it there. Yeah, the computers have internet too, but I find it lless tempting.
I’m a big fan of having an environment in which I designate as a study-space. I’ve never managed to create one at home, but a local coffee shop (with internet) often does pretty well.
I was just about to suggest the same thing. There is a starbucks close to my campus that is 24 hrs, so starting around 2am till 6am (yea, its late, but thats when I study) its empty, quiet, and the only people there are studying. An added bonus is that I don’t have the cash to pay for internet, so I can bring my computer and still do my homework without temptation.
Libraries are also good, since most of the people there are either trying to find books or study. Its a little quiet for my tastes, but close to the front is perfect.
Hmm…good question. We’ll talk about it later.
For me personally, I know that if I don’t set up a designated time to start studying, or if I do and think to myself “Ah, just a half an hour more to slack off won’t be a big deal”, it means I am most likely going to end up procrastinating very badly and getting myself into a stressful situation that could have been avoided.
But I am an incredibly bad procrastinator and at the same time an incredibly good crammer. So I have had my experience in cramming and in the past have always managed to get good grades. knocks on wood If I didn’t, I know would be very pissed off (because of my annoying perfectionist nature).
I go to the library too, even though I’m a commuter and live 13 miles from campus. The atmosphere in my university’s library is better than here at home for me, where I am bothered by something that needs cleaning, or my pets clamoring for attention.
Get to the library!
Use a timer.
Get a kitchen timer, or use a timer on your watch or your cell phone or your computer.
Set the timer for 15 minutes. That’s short enough that it seems like it will be over soon, but it’s long enough that you can get something accomplished. When the timer goes off, set it again, and you get to goof off for 15 minutes. But when the timer goes off, you have to get back to work, for another 15 minutes.
Now, 30 minutes is better than 15, because you have a chance to get more absorbed in your work, but lots of time I just can’t stare down 30 minutes; I just start with 15. If I’m feeling really scatterbrained, I just set it to 5 minutes, if that’s all I feel like I can stand.
Now, spending half your time studying and half your time slacking doesn’t seem very efficient, but it’s better than never getting started. And I often find that once I get rolling, I get bored with goofing off because the timer goes off, and then when I finally get absorbed with work, the timer goes off, and I turn it off without noticing and keep working. But then again there are days that I get through 15 minutes at a time. 
I find it helps to set “rewards” for myself. Not so much fun rewards, but the things that I keep getting the urge to do in the place of studying-- like tidying up. I tell myself that I’ll study for half an hour and go tidy up, then work for another half an hour and fiz myself a bite. So the chores that nag you all of a sudden when you really need to work do indeed get done, and you get studying in too.
Then I feel self-righteous and post online. That’s a reward too.
-bunky, former grad student and current law student (righteous!)