Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
4 tips for students to avoid procrastinating with their online work
Excerpts from article published in theconversation.com
If you take classes online, chances are you probably procrastinate from time to time.
Research shows that more than 70% of college students procrastinate, with about 20% consistently doing it all the time.
Procrastination is putting off starting or finishing a task despite knowing that it will seriously compromise the quality of your work – for instance, putting off a major class project until the last minute.
Now that so many colleges and universities are operating remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students are more prone to procrastinate because they have less access to campus facilities and structured support from instructors.
Here are four tips that can help students deal better with the root causes of procrastination when it comes to online coursework.
1. Manage motivation
One of the main reasons students procrastinate is that they do not see their coursework as relevant to what they’re doing now or expect to do later on. When students find that their academic tasks are interesting, important and useful, they are more likely to try harder to get them done.
Remote learning can make students feel bored and frustrated. Finding ways to stay motivated can prevent procrastination. Remind yourself of the practical value of your academic tasks. Figure out the reasons you’re studying something in the first place.
2. Manage goals, tasks and time
College life can get hectic. Many college students must juggle coursework, social events and work commitments at the same time. Getting more organized helps stave off procrastination. This means breaking long-term goals into smaller short-term, challenging and clear goals and tasks.
The reason this technique works is that procrastination is directly related to an individual’s preference and desire for working on a task. When a goal is too large, it becomes not immediately achievable; therefore, you will see this task as less desirable and be more likely to put it off.
By breaking a large long-term goal into a series of smaller and more concrete sub-goals, you will see the project as easier to complete and, more importantly, your perceived distance to the finishing line will shorten.
3. Create a good learning space
Another important way to avoid procrastination is to make sure that your learning environment is supportive for learning.
During the coronavirus pandemic, students are usually learning from home, but sometimes they study wherever they happen to be, even at picnic tables in public parks. These places may not be best suited for academic activities.
Try to set up your surroundings in a way that suits your learning habits, including where you put tables and chairs and how you use lighting and block out noises. For example, some students may enjoy learning in a quiet and dark space with a spotlight. Others may learn best when they use a standing desk next to a bright window.
4. Get a little help from friends
Friends and classmates can help one another stop procrastinating. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students are physically isolated from most of their friends and classmates.
The social support that students normally receive in face-to-face settings, such as after-class chats and study groups, has also been moved to virtual spaces. That is, it’s still available, but mainly through virtual means, such as instant-messaging apps, online collaboration tools or video conferencing software. Used wisely, these tools can help students work with friends to overcome procrastination and make the classwork more enjoyable.
Career
Strengthen your career from the weak ties in your network
Excerpts from article by Alisa Cohn published in Forbes
As we face yet another intense stage in the global pandemic, the call is for people to double down on maintaining social distance.
Although this is certainly an upsetting time, we always have the opportunity to focus on what we can control. And one thing we can all control is recommitting to using this forced downtime to reinvigorate loose ties.
It’s perhaps surprising to know that the people you know the least – your loose ties – are the source of the best jobs and opportunities. They know people you don’t know. They have insights and information that will be fresh to you. And new acquaintances see you for who you are now; they aren’t weighed down with the baggage of picturing you as the entry-level employee you were 10 years ago.
Here are three strategies:
1. Reconnect with old friends and coworkers
Cull through your email and identify which old colleagues, friends, and acquaintances you haven’t been in touch with for a long time. Send them a quick email to check in and see how they’re doing, what they’re up to, and give them a three sentence update on you. Many people will be happy to hear from you after so long. Some of these initial emails may turn into phone calls or virtual coffee chats.
If you reach out to a number of people you do three things:
- add richness to your life to be in touch with someone you’ve lost track of
- get back on their radar so they will think of you if relevant opportunities come their way, of which you can do the same for them
- lay the table for you to ask them for help if you need it in the months and years to come.
2. Find interactive virtual events; follow up
Many conferences have gone online this past year. When you used to attend an in-person conference you might choose based on the speakers or who you might run into.
Now that these events are virtual, your calculus should change. Plan to attend events that focus on small group interactions. Many conferences are integrating “speed networking” where you have one-on-one chats with multiple people at that conference or moderated small group discussions on a certain topic. These more personal interactions help you build your network with new people.
You will get the most benefit out of these events if you have a plan to follow up afterward. Get their contacts and, minimally, follow up with a quick email. You can also schedule a brief follow up call by phone or video and build a bit more of a relationship.
3. Create your own virtual networking event
When you meet a new contact at a virtual networking event, one thing you know for sure: they attend virtual networking events! Armed with this information, you can invite them to your own event.
It’s very simple to create your own virtual networking event. All you need is six to nine people you’d like to get to know better, your own video platform, and a little bit of structure.
You can also ask a friend or colleague to co-host with you. Each of you can invite three people the other one doesn’t know and increase both of your networks.
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