Part-time studying might seem like an easy walk but it is actually a challenge for one’s skills and discipline. If you struggle with low productivity and procrastination, you might want to read the following blog post on how to beat procrastination as a part-time student and succeed in your studies.

The Challenges of Part-Time Studying

Generally speaking, part-time studying means taking fewer classes – less than 12 credits per semester. It is both good as the load is not that challenging but also hard as it takes more time to graduate and takes away some benefits of college, like experiencing the college vibe and social life. But still, many students choose to study part-time because of the opportunities it provides, like more spare time to work and lower tuition costs.

The main struggle that part-time students face is the need to be responsible for their schedule and make sure they still treat studying seriously. The latest is a common issue due to the limited time you spend in class and college might seem like not that big of a deal. But it is. It’s still college and it still requires you to put your time and effort into studying, not skip classes and meet all of the deadlines.

So, here is where self-discipline plays a big role and it takes a lot to manage your time and your keep your motivation up. And it is true that when you do something that doesn’t take the majority of your day, it becomes a secondary thing, less important than others. But with education, it’s crucial to understand how important it is and face your full responsibility.

Procrastination Is a Common Problem

The majority of students face procrastination and see it as a problem that negatively affects their studying. Full-time and part-time students can surely relate to the issue of not being able to force themselves to complete an assignment or breaking a deadline due to excessive procrastination. But the problem of it is rather serious for part-time students because they are more likely to lose motivation while studying and be less involved in the studying process throughout the day.

That’s why it is so important to address the problem and start your journey to fight procrastination. The following tips will surely help you out.

Set Your Own Milestones

When you have one final deadline for a task it is tempting to put the away until the very last days or even hours. You might be thinking that the assignment is not that hard and you don’t need that much time to finish it, so you can simply start it later and finish it on time. However, this is very unproductive and makes it harder to force yourself to study.

What you might want to try instead is to set your own milestones for the intermediate steps of the work completion. For example, you might want to set a deadline for each part of the paper and put them in your calendar. Two days for the introduction to be complete, three days for body paragraphs, etc. This way you can spread your load evenly and avoid being overwhelmed by the final deadline.

Study Every Day

Even if you are working, you still can find an hour or so each day to spend studying. When you create a habit of studying in small chunks and doing it consistently, you are less likely to find yourself cramming the night before an exam or assignment deadline. 

Breaking bigger tasks into smaller parts helps you get through the studying process much easier and avoid messing up your daily schedule. 

Plan Your Day

When you have a solid plan and know for sure what you need to do, it’s easier to turn studying into a routine and make it less stressful. Consider it to be like working out – your brain gets used to consistent exercise and it becomes very easy to manage assignments or college tests. 

So, when it comes to your daily schedule, it’s important to have consistency in everything. You might want to get up and go to bed at the same time each day, have working and study hours scheduled, and also create some time to relax and have fun. 

When you are trying to beat procrastination, a schedule or a plan is what might help you a lot as it doesn’t leave much space for procrastination, if you stick to it. And when you make it into your daily routine, there is nothing hard in living according to your schedule.

Motivate Yourself

Part-time students might face a lack of motivation compared to full-time students as they feel like it takes way too much time to graduate and this goal is far away from the point of the present day. However, you can solve this problem by keeping your motivation up.

You might want to create a mood board or something like that to keep around your place for studying in order to incentive yourself. You might also want to treat yourself weekly or even during the study sessions with something that you enjoy. For example, you can have a deal with yourself that if you are done with your reading, you can go to a cinema or shop. Or you might want to have your favorite snack during the breaks. 

Another thing that you might try is reminding yourself about the goal. Visualize it, write it down or make a photo collage that you can look at. This would help you carry on because of the goal that you have in your mind and the reason why you decided to study in the first place. Maybe it’s your dream job or the opportunity to move to another country – there is something that was the primary motive that you should not forget about even if it seems like studying becomes just a burden.