" Out of the 18 that I polled in my Math 1431 class after a scheduled exam, 78% (14 out of 18) of the students admitted to procrastinating too much with their studying in the days prior to the test effected their performance on the test, and I"m sure that the other 22% did there fair share of procrastinating. Procrastinating before exams or assignments usually results in lower grades because less work and effort are put into projects simply because time is running out. Utilizing good time management skills can help you overcome the frustrating and often grade lowering effects of procrastination. Prioritizing your tasks or assignments, such as, completing assignments that are longer, more difficult or worth more points first will give you a sense of accomplishment and there will be easier and shorter assignments left to complete. Students must prioritize non-academic events with academic assignments by their importance, many people think that going to the movies or the mall is a more important priority than studying for a exam that is on the next day. These students are often the same ones who score lower scores on tests because the information they studied was either crammed into their head or didn't make it into their head because of a lack of time. Using your time to prioritize and plan is time better spent than the time you use procrastinating or worrying about what isn't getting done.
Along with prioritizing, organizing your day's events, classes, and study times will keep you on track with current assignments and events. Assignment or appointment books are two good tools to use when organizing your time and events. If used and updated frequently, these tools can allow you to see your task's deadline and urgency. A to-do list is also another important tool that is used with assignment or appointment books. With a to-do list, your priorities can be listed for most important to least important making it easy to see which tasks need to be completed immediately and which ones can be partially completed or put off.
