Why We Procrastinate and How to Overcome Procrastination
Vik Nithy gives an insightful TEDxTalk that explains why human beings procrastinate and how we can overcome procrastination. This video presentation provides a great tool to teach students to overcome procrastination to be successful as a student
Watch this excellent presentation!
Hello, Prof Robertson, CTU. The speaker expresses great points about procrastination in students. In fact I have heard them all from my own students. The key is to set the tone of the classroom. As the speaker stated that students gather a picture of how something will turn out. This can happen before the class starts and students visualize how the course will take place. They procrastinate starting the initial review of the course which in most cases leads to them having less interest and motivation. As an instructor my method to combat this is to set the tone of the class. I am writing an article on this method which will explain in detail. Do watch for it in the coming months. Other things an instructor can do are to encourage students and motivate them to do well.
Prof. Robertson
Hello, it was interesting to watch this presentation. What was presented was very familiar to me, and I usually communicate this to my students. In my course, I have an announcement about procrastination; I post the disadvantages of procrastination. I think my students can use this presentation as well.
I really enjoyed this concise information on procrastination.
I currently use some of the planning techniques that Vik discussed, but I will also add the others that he mentioned.
Thanks for "thinking about thinking" it will help those who really want to be helped from this terrible "plague."
D. Hall
I give open book 'quizzes' every class that force the students to read the chapters and report on them. Procrastination is not really an option - at least with respect to reading the material.
This presentaton is typical of the work accompliished by my on-ground undergraduate students at Eckerd College. The presentation provided some worthwhile information, but was by and large basic information supported by conventional wisdom. I think the bottom line is plain and simple, better planning and scheduling is required to counteract procrastination. Too many students have no idea of how to schedule time for their assignments. Many students cannot estimate the time needed to research, analyze and comprehensively respond to assignment questions. I have received numerous student assignment responses which were posted on-time, but which were incomplete because the student did not respond to two or three, or maybe even half, the questions. The students simply ran out of time. Planning and scheduling requires a solid knowledge, and awareness, of the time and resources needed to complete a specific task, while simultaneously handling all the other tasks one must complete in that same timeframe. Too few students have that ability. Unfortunately, too few schools see planning and scheduling as important enough to include a specific course on planning and scheduling in their curriculum. I blame the schools, especially online universities. where the capability of being a self-starter is so important to all students. Why do we not teach planning and scheduling?
Dr. Robert Smotherman
@Smotherb : I noticed the following statement, "The presentation provided some worthwhile information, but was by and large basic information supported by conventional wisdom." I would play devil's advocate and suggest that understanding how the brain functions when humans procrastinate is not conventional wisdom as most don't research procrastination in-depth enough to understand what is happening in the brain and what parts of the human brain cause us to make decisions to delay action that we realize is important. I like that Vick takes the time to explain what is happening in the brain. I think if we understand the biological reasoning behind our behavior, it provides deeper understanding of the behavior.
Whereas I believe you are referencing the information provided on how to overcome procrastination as being "conventional wisdom", still, the question I would ask is if what Vick explains is widely known and/or considered "conventional wisdom," why then is procrastination such a problem? How do instructors help students transform knowledge to performance improvement?
I appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
The speaker gave some excellent advice for students. I do think we all have procrastination in us. I do agree that setting small goals is essential in being successful. It was well worth the time to watch this.
Joan
I enjoyed this presentation. Students would benefit from it because they are getting the information from a contemporary. When I teach Professional Development I spend time on procrastination and encourage students to break the big asssignments into smaller tasks. If they try to tackle the whole assignment at once they risk becoming overwhelmed. Planning is the key to success in the classroom and in all aspects of life.
The way I deal with students who procrastinate is to first understand why they have such a difficult time planning ahead or performing the task at hand. Many times the anser is because they feel intimidated by the assignment or the abundant information presented. Especially in a four hour class. I always advise students to take notes. Write down phrases or key words because later the snipets of information can help them remember what was discussed. Take steps in doing the assignments, one at a time. If a student tries to tackle the project as a whole then just the thought can become overwelming leading to procrastination. Also, realize that it will take time and planning to learn. Some will pick up a subject quicker than others. Even so if the student puts in the time and effort, eventually he/she will get it. Once you get it then go to the next step. Yes, I believe everyone can relate and has procrastinated one time or another. I like how he was able to break it down so that we can all understand where procrastination begins and how to control it. I also can also relate to the some of the tequniques the intlligent fellow mentions inorder to avoid procrastination. This is valuable information. I will pass this along to my students and impliment these techniqes into my performance as well. Thank You for sharing!
A very good topic to talk about, and which is necessary to address in schools. The speaker has hit the points I come across with students, He also mentioned fear, which I greatly contribute to procrastination with students. If a student takes a bit longer to grasp a subject compared to another, then as an instructor, you will notice this, and help the student in any way you can to do well. An instructor can know or see the student can do well or better, but for reasons procrastinate. I have experienced that in some ways, the student wants to "lead" the class, by not delivering their work on time or by staying behind with their practical lab projects. And this may happen with the smart student, in fact, I have experienced this with students who usually do well in class. Because as I stated before, if the student is slower to grasp the subject compared to others, the instructor will notice that. That is different then procrastination.
In a way, procrastination irritates me a bit, because I know the student is trying to delay the situation. I have heard many excuses, as can we do something else, or the student is absent, or I am sick , or I don't feel like doing this now; can I do whatever I want.
I belief in the student; that they will do well, but they have to come to the point to belief they will do well too. Nothing in life is perfect, there will be problems or obstacles here and there. And every new beginning be it in school or in life is a bit fearful to start. But we all have to start anyway, so why just not do it. There is a saying that I like that says "even if you are fearful, do it fearful." And as Vik says, :'failure is a positive experience..."
So to my students I just stay encouraging. I tell them you can do it. And in the end they usually do.
I also have to say though that I give the student time to come to terms with themselves to do their assignment and increase their time to finish the subject on time. So if it takes them an hour to finish something that can be done in 5 to 20 minutes, I give them the space to do so. the other students who finish their projects o time, I have to cater too as well. I do not want them to get behind because of another student. So I cater do both sets of students at the same time, of which one has a longer route to come to the end results.
Teaching in a career-directed college has taught me a lot with regard to individuals' learning ways. And I take that into account during my instructing.
I guess I am a little too old-school on this issue. It hits too close to home, literally with my husband and my son as world-class procrastinators. I do prepare a day-to-day calendar for my students (and family) that gives them the class assignments as well as the test dates. They can wait until the last minute to do the work if they chose, but the submission date and time will not change for them. I do require my students to text or call me prior to the start of class if they will be late or absent when an assignment is due and there is a point penalty assessed. If they call/text, the penalty is less than just walking in late or holding an assignment until the next class time. I am here to teach not just my class information, but professional work-world behavior. Procrastinate if you will, but the real-world has consequenses, too. Here, in school, is the time to address those potentially harmful behaviors before their job/career/life depends on it.
I teach Psychology and found this presentation to be very timely. It offered information that I can use in classroom discussions about the brain and the different parts of the brain and why we behave as we do including why we procrastinate. I loved his discussion about the frontal cortex and the amygdala and how they influcence our behavior in different ways. I encourage students to set goals and then break those goals down into steps to achieve them. Many of my students list procrastination as a major problem for them in school and in their personal lives and most have expressed a desire to overcome procrastination. I plan to share information from this presentation with my students and discuss it at our next class.
Barbara Bray
This was great and helpful. I plan to show this video in all of my classes in the near future, starting today. I hope this helps my students. I will contact you with future feedback on its success. Mary Williams
