Let’s be real about studying: The 2 P’s that are holding you back

By Christy Montenegro

You tell yourself, “This time it’ll be different. I am not going to wait until the last minute,” but sadly, this seems to happen over and over again. Why?

It’s not because it isn’t important to you, surely it is or you wouldn’t be here.

It isn’t because you are incapable of doing it. Look around, you’ve already made it this far.

So why is this such a problem?

As the years go by, more and more things start popping into your life and next thing you know, you’re trying to juggle a million things all at once. Honestly, a normal human being can only handle so much before some things start falling off the top of the priority list.

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Tomorrow becomes tomorrow and all of a sudden, you find yourself cramming the night before the big test. You guilt trip yourself with “If only I would of started during the weekend instead of…” and after an hour long pity party, you find the motivation to get down to business.

 

You are finally getting things done and feel like you can study for hours but then reality sinks back in. At this point, you don’t have hours and hours to spare. You can’t call in to work tomorrow and that alarm clock will still go off in the morning. You call it a night and wish yourself good luck.

You are up before the crack of dawn and your anxiety levels are already sky rocketing. You cram a little more before class and convince yourself you can do this. The test is over and you can breathe now.

You tell yourself

“Next time it’ll be different. I am not going to wait until the last minute to study,”

and you do it all over again.

It becomes a vicious cycle and the 2 P’s are destroying your life holding you back, Prioritizing and Procrastination. You admit there’s a problem , you’ve now taken the first step to get better. It’s time to reevaluate and make a game plan.

First, you research studying tips for college students. Second, you dust off the calendar that has been sitting in your room for months without a single written word in it. This will become the headquarters of all your school work.

You will clear your schedule the weekend before a big test.

You will make a list of the things you need to achieve leading up to the day of the test. This will set some ground for daily expectations and help keep your eyes on the prize. You’ve got the base covered and it’s time to get the ball rolling.

You silence your phone because that seems to be the number one distraction. You also give your dog a bone to chew on because he’s definitely runner-up for number one distraction.

You then decide flashcards are a useful tool since you are a visual learner.

You quiz yourself but it still isn’t enough. You decide that sometimes, you just need help from others to achieve certain things to their full potential, so you seek a friend or family member for assistance.

You read, re-read, and re-re-read the material available for any remaining unanswered questions.

You stayed on track and by now, you are feeling confident and accomplished.

You’re up bright and early ready to take on the day. You decide to skip the usual morning coffee in order to remain calm and collected. You eat a healthy and filling breakfast so your mind doesn’t wander off thinking about how hungry you are.

You are now mentally and physically prepared to take on any challenge.

The test is in front of you but you aren’t a nervous wreck like you were before.

This time, you beat the 2 P’s and you are in control.

You take a deep breath and smile.

You got this.

YouTube video provided by Christy Montenegro

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What are some of the things holding you back from studying?

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