Punt procrastination
Take it one step at a time.
Instead of holding off reading A Christmas Carol until the night before the test, read a chapter or two every night a week before the test. Or try making your bed in the morning, then straightening up your desk in the afternoon, and vacuuming your room at night. When you break up big projects or homework assignments into smaller tasks, it seems a lot more manageable – and you’re less likely to hold off doing it.
Reward yourself.
After earning that A in math for the marking period, treat yourself to a manicure. For every two hours you spend writing that paper, watch an episode of The Lying Game. Knowing you’re getting something you want makes in the end makes it a lot easier to complete the job you have to do. After all, you’ve earned it, chica!
Write it all down.
When you’ve got crazy homework piling up, make a list of everything that needs to get done, and how much time you think it will take you. Start doing the assignments that will take you the most time first - it saves a lot of time and energy that way! When you can see everything that has to get done, it’s easier to start doing it.
Make it picture-perfect.
Picture yourself giving the best oral presentation your English teacher has ever seen, or how neat your room will look after it’s clean. Then start taking the steps you need to make in order to get there. It’s easy to make your vision a reality now!
Put things in perspective.
Sometimes it seems like your schoolwork has nothing to do with your real life. Instead, think about the lessons you can learn from it: instead of thinking of the Civil War as something that happened ages and ages ago, think of how North and the South compromised to make a better country – kind of like how you and your BFF fought over what you were being for Halloween, then made a decision after talking it out. Or remind yourself that while the PowerPoint you’re making on the central nervous system seems really boring, the information you’re learning in the end will get you that A in science – which you need to get into your dream college.
Get moving.
Exercise releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins, which make you feel happy. When you’re feeling stressed out, dance around your room to “Party Rock,” or take a bike ride around your block. When you feel happy and confident, you’ll get better work done.
Make a power playlist.
When you listen to music that motivates you, you’ll find it easier to get moving! Make a playlist of songs that makes you feel like you can accomplish anything! Need some suggestions? We like Selena Gomez’s “Who Says,” Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten,” and the Glee cast’s “Loser Like Me.”
Invite a friend to tag along.
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POSTED IN studying secrets, smart girl secrets, get all A's this year, rock your new school, have the best school year ever, get your act together guide