How To Fight Procrastination

Top 10 Tips To Fight Procrastination

"Procrastination is the thief of time." Edward Young

One of the biggest reasons why students are not successful in school is because of PROCRASTINATION. Procrastination is defined as "putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time."  Approximately 95% of students are prone to procrastination, 50% procrastinate consistently, and 20% are CHRONIC procrastinators.  

What triggers students to clean out closets or wax the car when it's time to work on their statistics paper? Usually it's self-doubt, says procrastination researcher and Carleton University psychology professor Timothy A. Pychyl, PhD.  Other students may actually think they get a thrill out of delaying their work and believe they work best under pressure.  

So, how do you fight procrastination?  Here are 10 Steps to help fight this DISEASE!  

1. Write Down Your Goals
• Write down all of your goals for the next day the previous night -- Goal setting is most important but take it day by day to keep from being overwhelmed.
2. Set A Schedule
• Set a schedule for all of your tasks and assignments and don't stop until you have finished all of your tasks one by one
3.  Positive Self-Talk

• Replace negative messages with positive ones, like "I can sit down, concentrate, and get this done," or "I have good ideas that I can communicate to other people."
4. Get Your Friends to Help
• Get a friend to call you every 20 minutes or so to make sure you're working and see how far you've gotten.  This friend is your "Accountability Partner."  They will hold you accountable and responsible for doing what you say you're going to do.
5. Focus on Fun!
• Think about the pressure-free good times you'll have when you get your work out of the way.
6. Give Yourself a Break
• Allow yourself a little "controlled" procrastination, Play ONE game. Text a friend. Get on Facebook or Twitter.  But promise yourself afterwards, you'll get down to it.  Then follow through.
7. Take a Nap
• Restless?  Can't settle down?  You may be sleep-deprived and not even know it. A 20-minute nap can do the trick.
8. Remove Distractions
• Turn off all electronic devices and communication. Just use only what you need to accomplish your task.  If you're going to need the computer, turn off all notifications and log out of all of your social networks.  If you must have your phone on (so your accountability partner can call you), place it on vibrate and send out a DO NOT DISTURB  message to your other friends.
9. Shape Your Space
• Pick a work area.  Set it up the way you like it.  For some, it's a nice, clean place where it's quiet.  For others, it might be the kitchen table.  Try to avoid your room, especially the bed, because your brain and body associates sleep with your room.
10. Treat Yourself
• Make a cup of tea or a smoothie.  Set out some candies or nuts.  Reward yourself once the tasks/assignments are complete.

Are you a procrastinator? Which category of procrastinators do you fall into: chronic, occasional, consistent?  What makes you procrastinate? Thanks for sharing your comments with us. Don't forget to share this article with your friends if you found it helpful.

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About the author:

Aquarius Cain is the CEO of Accelerated Learning Educational Services. She is a full-time tutor with more than ten years of combined teaching and tutoring experience.  As an educator, Mrs. Cain is a lover of learning and any opportunity she gets to spread knowledge through training the mind, she does, in her own unique way!

Connect with Aquarius Cain on LinkedIn

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About Accelerated Learning Educational Services (ALES):

ALES is a tutoring company that provides comprehensive tutoring services. Students in grades K-12, college students, and adult learners can get quality tutoring through an online course, live virtual one-on-one tutoring, or in-home tutoring.  For more information on the world-class services and service areas provided by ALES, visit the website: www.acceleratedlearningservices.com. 

Follow Accelerated Learning on Twitter
Like Accelerated Learning on Facebook 

Breaches in School Security

Are Your Children Safe At School?

By Aquarius Cain

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

Recently, there have been breaches in security at several schools throughout the U.S.  From the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT and now a child abduction from Bryant Elementary in West Philadelphia.  There was also a security breach at JFK High School in Cleveland just days ago.  Even I experienced an incident with my 3-year-old son recently that has me wondering, “Are our kids safe at school?”

With metal detectors and an x-ray machine, you would think that students at JFK High School in Cleveland would be safe.  Not the case.  One side door was found unlocked and open with no personnel there to guard it.  Anyone could have walked into the building from that entrance.  The door is usually used by faculty and staff only.  Luckily, there was no incident or crime that occurred.  So, how did the door become unlocked and who left it open? 

But what about the little 5-year-old girl, Nailla Robinson, who was abducted from her elementary school in West Philadelphia just minutes after her mother dropped her off at school?  An amber alert was issued on January 14, 2013 for the missing girl hours after someone walked into the school pretending to be her mother and checked her out.  How did this happen? How can someone walk right into a school and take someone’s child?  It was only after a daycare provider came to pick little Nailla up that school officials realized she was missing.  They called her parents and issued the alert.  She was found early this morning (January 15, 2013) crying and cold nearly 10 blocks away from where she was abducted.  Thankfully she was okay.

I can completely understand parents’ concerns over the safety and protection of our children.  My son was missing at daycare during an afternoon transition to combine classes.  I walked into a dark and empty classroom to retrieve my 3-year-old son’s belongings before going to pick him up from another class.  As I walked to his cubby I hear, “Mommy.” I turn around and see my son walking from a back corner of the classroom alone (let me remind you that it was dark in the classroom).  Immediately, so many things are running through my mind but I kept my composure to question my child about why he was in the room alone.  He never left the room!  The teacher did not make sure that all of the children left the room.  Yes, she did a head count but failed to line them up at the door.  She simply told them to “come on.”  My major concern was that he was alone and anything could have happened to him.  The teacher noticed that A CHILD was missing but did not know which one.  When she sent another teacher to look for a missing child, that teacher only checked the bathroom before walking out to check the playground.  My son was okay and unharmed but this raises major concerns about policies, procedures, and the safety and security of our children.

How do we make sure our children are protected when we are entrusting their lives to child care providers and school systems?  “Schools are soft targets. They have multiple entry points, are known to be gun free and are target rich environments,” says Mike DeBoer, a retired Battle Creek police commander.  Mr. DeBoer continues to offer solutions, suggesting that schools conduct regular security surveys at each building to identify weaknesses and improve security.  Locked doors and glazing materials should be used as a first line of physical defense against predators. I believe there should be monthly trainings for teachers and child care providers to attend to review safety policies and procedures and to practice them.  While it may be costly, an investment into security and identification equipment is necessary as well.  Had Bryant Elementary had an identification system with photo id software identifying persons with permission to pick the child up, I believe that would have prohibited Nailla from being abducted.

Related Articles:

Missing Girl Abducted From School Has Been Found

JFK High Security Breach

Mike DeBoer Analyzes School Shootings

Do you feel that your kids are safe at school?  What security measures, policies and procedures are in place that makes you feel secure about sending your children to school everyday?

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About the author:

Aquarius Cain is the CEO of Accelerated Learning Educational Services. She is a full-time tutor with more than ten years of combined teaching and tutoring experience.  As an educator, Mrs. Cain is a lover of learning and any opportunity she gets to spread knowledge through training the mind, she does, in her own unique way!

Connect with Aquarius Cain on LinkedIn

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Accelerated Learning Educational Services (ALES):

ALES is a tutoring company that provides comprehensive tutoring services. Students in grades K-12, college students, and adult learners can get quality tutoring through an online course, live virtual one-on-one tutoring, or in-home tutoring.  For more information on the world-class services and service areas provided by ALES, visit the website: www.acceleratedlearningservices.com. 

Follow Accelerated Learning on Twitter
Like Accelerated Learning on Facebook 

Ways to Help Students Get Organized

5 Ways to Get Organized For School Success

By Aquarius Cain

If your life is filled with clutter, or if you can’t find things, then it’s likely that you need to learn how to organize it.  Organization helps to keep the stress levels low and the success levels high. Learning how to organize is pretty simple, no need to hire a professional organizer to show you how to do so.  Here are some tips to help you learn organization skills:

Organize your papers

            Organize your papers.  Make sure you have a separate binder or a separate section in a loose-leaf binder for every subject you take.  Write everything for each class in its notebook or section.  Also, for every subject, keep a folder where you can put handouts and other loose pages.  Color-coding your notebooks and folders can help.

Read the article, How To Be Successful in School, for more information about organizing your notebook and color-coding it.

Organize your backpack

            Don’t let stuff accumulate in your backpack.  Each day when you get home, clean out your backpack.  Throw away trash and whatever you don’t need.  Be careful about throwing away returned assignments and graded papers.  It’s a good idea to keep them for future referencing for cumulative tests.  Place papers that you decide to keep in your ORGANIZED notebook.  Before you go to bed, make sure that everything you’ll need at school the next day is in your backpack, neatly placed where you can find it easily.  Place your backpack at the door so that you don’t forget it if you have to leave in a hurry.

Organize your locker

            Clean out your locker regularly—at least once a week.  Throw out trash and take home whatever you don’t need.  Again, be cautious about throwing away papers that may be helpful in the near future.  Don’t use your locker as an extension of your closet.  Piled-up clothes take up room and make it harder to find things you need.  You might want to try a locker organizer.  They don’t cost a lot and they give you a little extra storage space.  Also look for locker accessories and locker decorations as an added touch.  It may inspire you to keep your locker organized and clean.  The Container Store is a great place to find locker organizers and decorations at a cheap price.

Organize your workspace

            Remove clutter, make sure you have all the supplies you need and keep your workspace clean.  To find out how to choose the appropriate workspace, click here: Find the appropriate workspace

Organize your schedule

            Time management is the key to organizing your schedule.  Keep a master calendar and record everything you have to do on that calendar.  Transfer assignments from your assignment book.  Don’t forget to write in social events such as parties, sports events, and trips.  The following documents will help you to get started organizing your schedule.

Study Schedule Template

Homework Checklist

Did you find this article useful? What would you say keeps you from being more organized? Share your thoughts and comments with us below.

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About the author:

Aquarius Cain is the CEO of Accelerated Learning Educational Services. She is a full-time tutor with more than ten years of combined teaching and tutoring experience.  As an educator, Mrs. Cain is a lover of learning and any opportunity she gets to spread knowledge through training the mind, she does, in her own unique way!

Connect with Aquarius Cain on LinkedIn

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About Accelerated Learning Educational Services (ALES):

ALES is a tutoring company that provides comprehensive tutoring services. Students in grades K-12, college students, and adult learners can get quality tutoring through an online course, live virtual one-on-one tutoring, or in-home tutoring.  For more information on the services and service areas provided by ALES, visit the website www.acceleratedlearningservices.com. 

Follow Accelerated Learning on Twitter
Like Accelerated Learning on Facebook