Procrastination: a student's worst enemy? Students are hardwired to waste time – and temptations abound

Even the library is full of distractions. Photograph: Peter M. Fisher/Corbis By Milena Knezevic We all know the feeling. Staring at the cursor blinking away on a blank Word document, desperately wishing you were somewhere else. But no, until the word count hits 3,000 you're staying put… Just need to make a cup of tea first. Before you know it, "a cup of tea'" has turned into a Lord of the Rings marathon, and the word count remains at zero. Procrastination is the disease eating away at student productivity – and with exam season upon us, we're facing an epidemic. An American study estimates that over 70% of students “exhibit [this] behavior.”

Students are biologically and socially predisposed to put off until tomorrow what we should do today, says Dr. Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation. "Aside from the cliché that students are more impulsive, in your early 20s you're still developing your pre-frontal cortex, home of the will power."

He argues the closer you are to the temptation of fun, the more likely you are to indulge. At university, where even the library is filled with friends and has a quality Internet connection, a "short break" can easily turn into an hour wasted.

Research has also shown that evaluation threat and fear of failure (dissertations and exams, anyone?) correspond with higher levels of procrastination. As for those who say they produce their best work under pressure, allow Dr. Tim Pychyl to burst your bubble: the "adrenaline rush" is actually relief that the task is done.

And, in what comes as a shock to no one, a link has been found between procrastination and Facebook use. It's worth noting this study was released in 2008, before the likes of Twitter had joined the ever-expanding social media family.

Steel sums it up well: "Students are caught in a perfect storm of procrastination." Is that it, then? Are we doomed to all-nighters powered by nothing but blind panic and red bull?

No, says Steel. But beating procrastination takes commitment. He provided me with his top tips to increase productivity.

First, get rid of temptation. Define a space for "work" and don't mix that with where you "play". A friend has perfected this approach, associating her desk with work so strongly that she has to leave her room to unwind. "It's hard to switch to relax mode when you're in the same environment," she explained.

The same principle applies to your laptop. Once concentration has

been broken – by checking emails, for instance – it takes 15 minutes to get back into the "work" state of mind. Create a separate profile for study, where you can make use of Internet blocking apps such as Anti-Social.

Secondly, work with restrictions. Make a mental contract with yourself to work for 30 minutes without interruption. You'll be amazed at how efficient you can be, knowing you only need to power through a short space of time before you can take a break.

If, despite this, you're still finding it impossible to tear yourself away from the Daily Mail sidebar, your university can provide extra support.

Bob Hughes, Welfare Officer at York University Student Union told me about a number of measures in place for students who find "their procrastination is out of control," including the university's Open Door team. They can guide you towards a work pattern which suits you and help you stick to it. Every university I researched offered similar counseling services.

Finally, don't be hard on yourself! A recent study from the University of Carleton found that if you forgive yourself for procrastinating, chances are you will procrastinate less on the next task at hand.

So, Milana, I forgive you for writing this when you should be working of your dissertation. Now get on with it!

How to Reduce Your Financial Stress in College Handling Your Money Well Can Be a Key to Stress Management

By Kelci Lynn Lucier College Life Expert

Rob Daly/ OJO Images/ Getty Images

For many students, college is the first time they are in

control of the majority of their finances. You might now suddenly be responsible for paying your own bills, working a job that you need to make ends meet, and/or making the scholarship money you get in August last through December. Unfortunately, these new financial responsibilities come within a context where money is often unusually tight. So how can you avoid being stressed about your financial situation while in college?

How to Reduce Your Financial Stress in College 1. Get a job that pays you well without stressing you out. If the responsibilities in your job are making you stressed out, it's time to find another job. Make sure, of course, that your hourly wage is enough to help you meet your financial obligations. On that same note, however, your job shouldn't be providing a paycheck and causing you to seriously stress out. Look for a good on-campus job or one near campus that offer a relaxed work environment that is supportive and understanding of your life (and responsibilities) as a college student. 2. Make a budget. The very idea of a budget often makes people think of having to sit down with a calculator, track every penny they spend, and go without the things they want the most. This, of course, is only true if that's what you want to make your budget look like. Set aside 30 minutes at the start of every semester to list what your expenses will be. Then figure out how much you'll need each month to cover these expenses and what sources of income you'll have (on-campus job, money from your parents, scholarship money, etc.). And then ... voila! You have a budget. Knowing

what your expenses will be ahead of time can help you figure out how much money you'll need and when. And knowing that kind of information will greatly reduce the financial stress in your life (not to mention having to bum off of your friends' meal plans at the end of each semester when yours gets low). 3. Stick to your budget. Having an awesome budget doesn't mean anything if you don't stick with it. So check in with your financial self every week about how your spending looks. Do you have enough in your account to still meet the expenses you'll have for the rest of the semester? Is your spending on track? If not, what do you need to cut down on, and where can you find some extra funds during your time in school? 4. Understand the difference between wants and needs when it comes to spending money. Do you need a winter jacket while in college? Of course. Do you need to have a brand-new, expensive winter jacket every year while in college? Definitely not. You may want to have a brand-new, expensive winter jacket each year, but you definitely don't need one. When it comes to looking at how you spend your money, make sure you differentiate between wants and needs. For example: Need coffee? Fair enough! Need coffee at $4 a cup at the coffee shop on campus? Nope! Consider brewing some at home and bringing it to campus in a travel mug that will keep it warm throughout your first class of the day. (Added bonus: You'll save your budget and the environment at the same time!) 5. Cut out costs wherever possible. See how long you can go without spending any money, either with cash or through

your debit and credit card(s). What were you able to live without? What kinds of things could be cut from your budget that you wouldn't miss too much but that would help you save money? What kinds of things could you easily do without? What kinds of things are expensive but not really worth what you have to pay for them? Saving money in college might be easier than you first think. 6. Use an online tracking program to keep track of where your money goes. Your bank may offer something online or you can choose to use a website, like mint.com, that helps you see where your money goes each month. Even if you think you know where and how you spend your money, actually seeing it graphed out can be an eye-opening experience -- and key for you to reduce your financial stress during your time in school. 7. Avoid using your credit card whenever possible. Sure, there can be times to use your credit card in college, but those times should be few and far between. If you think things are tight and stressful now, imagine what they'd be like if you racked up a lot of credit card debt, couldn't make your minimum payments, and had creditors calling to harass you all day long. While credit cards can be good in a pinch, they should definitely be a last resort. 8. Talk to the financial aid office if you're really stressed. If your financial situation in college is causing you significant stress, it may be because you're in a situation that is financial unsustainable. While most students experience tight budgets, they shouldn't be so tight that the stress they cause is overwhelming. Make an appointment to talk to a financial aid officer to discuss your financial aid package.

Even if your school can't make any changes to your package, they might be able to suggest some external resources that can help you with your finances -- and, consequently, with your stress levels. 9. Know where to get money if you're in a real emergency. Some of your financial stress may be coming from not having an answer to the "What will I do if something major happens?" question. For example, you might know you don't have the money to fly home if there's a family emergency, or you might not having the money to fix your car, which you need to get to school, if you were in an accident or needed a major repair. Spending a little time now to figure out where to get money in an emergency can help alleviate the stress that comes from feeling like you're walking on thin financial ice all of the time. 10. Be honest with your parents and other sources of financial support. Your parents may think they're sending you enough money or that your taking an on-campus job will distract you from your academics, but the reality can sometimes be a little different. If you need to change something in your financial situation, be honest with those who are contributing to (or depending on) your college finances. Asking for help might be intimidating but it might also be a great way to ease up on the factors causing you stress day in and day out. 11. Make the time to apply for more scholarships. Every year, it's impossible to miss the news headlines that report on just how much money in scholarships goes unclaimed. No matter how tight your time is, you can always find a few minutes here and there to find and apply for more

scholarships. Think about it: If that $10,000 scholarship only took you 4 hours to research and apply for, wasn't that a good way to spend your time? That's like earning $2,500 an hour! Spending half an hour here and there to find scholarships can be one of the best ways to spend your time and reduce, over the long-term, the financial stress in college. After all, aren't there more exciting things you'd like to be focusing on?

34 Things You Learn In Your First

Semester Of College Olivia Madsen

1. “Where are you from?”, “what are you studying?”, and “where are you living?” are the only three questions that matter upon first meeting your peers.

2. Having a good handshake is important.

3. After having the same group of friends throughout elementary, middle, and high school, you will have to learn how to make new friends all over again.

4. Being able to introduce yourself and your friends well is a useful skill.

5. Meeting new people that are as equally excited about a subject, a club, or hobbies as you are is a very nice feeling.

6. Sometimes, you meet people you never see again. The question of whether it is socially acceptable to add them to your social networks comes up a lot. (When in doubt, don’t.)

7. You don’t need to buy every textbook for every class; it’s likely you’ll end up not touching at least one of them.

8. Actually go to your classes. Most of the stuff you do in person is important.

9. If you do bother to make it to your lectures, spend the class listening or taking notes. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and your phone will still be around in an hour.

10. Find a spot in the library where you can actually get work done. Mark your territory. Stake your claim.

11. Find a coffee shop with WiFi and discounts on refills.

12. Actually doing your readings is a really good idea.

13. Having a calendar is key. Color-coding it will make you a straight-up superstar.

14. Lying to people that matter is stupid idea. (This includes teachers and advisors and student loan administrators.)

15. Naps are more valuable than all-nighters.

16. Join intramurals, join clubs, and sign up for committees. This not only gets you involved around campus, it gives you experience to put resumes.

17. Small class environments are useful.

18. So are office hours and tutorials.

19. You are paying for this education; use the resources your money is offering you.

20. Crying happens a lot. Seeing breakdowns in the quad or in the library is kind of normal.

21. Fate is not a valid argument in relationships.

22. Your professors are smart people and sometimes they’re even kind of interesting. Listen to their stories.

23. Food is expensive.

24. That gym pass comes included with your tuition.

25. A lot of social and hygienic norms

disappear around midterms and finals.

26. Get involved in any way you can. It will help set your priorities for volunteering your time in the future (and this is always a good idea.)

27. Falling in love with strangers happens at least several times a month.

28. Take chances. Caution is overrated.

29. Stay away from thirsty people. At the very least, use protection.

30. Spending too much time either out or in the library is not a good habit. Find the work-life balance sweet spot.

31. If something embarrassing happens, it’s not the end of the world. In a school of over 40,000, there is a good chance you may never see that person again.

32. Remember that there will always be a next time. Except for concerts. If you have the opportunity, go to that concert.

33. You will be here for the next four years. If you don’t like it, think about change. You’re spending a lot of money on your education, and you should like it.

34. It really is possible to know after only three and a half months that you are in absolutely the right place for you.

10 Tips for Transferring From Community College Start planning early, and you can ease the jump from a 2-year to a 4-year college.

By Jeremy S. Hyman and Lynn F. Jacobs Community colleges are hot, even among those students who expect to go on to get a bachelor's at a four-year college. The regents of the University of California report that 30 percent of UC graduates attended a community college before transferring to the UC. And among all those earning a bachelor's degree in Virginia, a third began at, or supplemented their education with classes from, a Virginia community college.

We were eager to find out a little more about how to make the transition from a community college to a four-year college, so we invited guest blogger Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia's community colleges and himself a graduate of a community college, to offer a 10-step plan for making the leap. Here's what he had to say:

High-quality and affordably priced classes are persuading more students to begin their quest for a bachelor's degree at a community college. In Virginia, our community colleges have guaranteed transfer agreements with dozens of public and private universities. But even if such guarantees don't exist where you live, here are 10 steps you

can take to ease your transfer from a community college to a university and increase the odds that your credits will count when you get there:

1. Complete your associate's degree. National research shows that community college students who finish their degree program complete the baccalaureate at a much higher rate than those students who transfer with simply a grab bag of credits.

2. Shop around. Examine all of the options available to you as a transfer student. Examine both public and private four-year institutions to decide what will be the best fit for you. The four-year institution that you had your heart set on in high school might not ultimately be the best choice for the subject you want to pursue.

3. Plan ahead. The earlier you begin to prepare for transfer, the better. Visit your top choices, collect transfer materials, and find out if there are any transfer agreements between where you are and where you want to go. The more information that you have, the easier it will be to make a decision.

4. Know what actually transfers. Make sure you are picking courses that are transferable to colleges and universities. There are Web sites, tools, and advisers at both community colleges and universities to help you choose wisely.

4-Star Tip. Many states have "articulation agreements"—negotiated documents that make clear what's needed to transfer from one higher education institution to another. The benefit to you as a student is that the agreement takes the guesswork out of the process by telling you, in black and white, what classes you need to take and what grades you need to make to avoid losing hard-earned credits when you transfer. Many states have Web sites with detailed information about articulation agreements and the process of transferring.

5. Don't be shy. Meet regularly with advisers at the community

college. Keep your adviser informed of your transfer plans, and as transfer approaches, set a time to meet with an adviser at your target institution. If you try to navigate this process without the help of advisers, you might not be able to maximize your community college courses.

6. Choose a major. Pick your major early, and seek advice about the best courses to take to meet requirements. By choosing your major early, you can take the prerequisites that you need for that program at the university. Well-planned course taking will help you finish your transfer program more efficiently, saving you time and money in the long run.

7. Get admitted. Make sure that you apply to both the institution as well as the program that you want to attend at that institution. If you get admitted to the university, it often does not mean that you are admitted to the specific program that you want to study, like engineering or nursing. Make sure you complete those application materials, too. The deadlines for the university admissions materials and the program admissions materials might be different. Do your research!

8. Make them show you the money. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you have not done so already. Call the university admissions office to see if it has scholarships set aside for transfer students—many institutions do. Make sure that you meet all of the deadlines for financial aid. Otherwise, you might miss out on assistance that is available to you.

9. Attend orientation. You might think that you do not need this because you already are a college student. But navigating the university is different. Take advantage of the opportunities that the universities have created for transfer students. These orientations will help ease the transfer process.

10. Stay focused. This one is easy to forget. Whether it's your associate's or bachelor's degree we're talking about, finishing on time

is not easy. But it can be done if you are focused and work hard. Keep your goal in mind even when you're working in your hardest class, which you don't much like. It will all pay off.

How to Find the Right Apartment Without the Stress

By Ron Leshnower Apartment Living/Rental Expert SIGN UP

Tom McGhee/Photolibrary/Getty Images

Apartment hunting can be a stressful experience, and with good reason. Not only might it require much of your time,

but the process can leave you feeling frustrated, disappointed, desperate, or even overwhelmed. For your search to be as effective as possible, you need to try your best to keep stress out of the picture. Fortunately, this isn't as tough as it sounds. Here are six tips to help you find the right apartment without the stress: 1. Know what you want. Before you venture out there to look at apartments, take the time to decide on what you want in an apartment. Ask yourself questions such as: • How many bedrooms and bathrooms do I need? !

• How much closet space do I need? !

• How important is size? !

• How important is location? !

• Are any features -- such as a good view, crown molding, an updated kitchen, or built-in shelves -- important? !

• Will I need a place to park a car, or a building where people who visit me can easily park their cars? Will I need to keep a bike in the building? !

• What amenities are important to me? Do I need a doorman, laundry in the building or on the floor, or a fitness center? !

• Do I need a building that allows pets?

As you ask yourself these questions, decide what your limits are. For example, if you need to live within walking distance of where you work or go to school, look at a map or actually take a walk around the area so you can decide just how far away you'll look. Also, think about whether there may be

acceptable alternatives for meeting your needs. For example, say you need a lot of storage space. A building that offers a basement storage area to each tenant would perhaps be ideal, but it may not be necessary. If you don't need to access your stuff often, renting space in a nearby self-storage facility do the trick. Once you're set on exactly what you're looking for in an apartment, go hunting while keeping all your criteria in mind. Don't waste time checking out listings for apartments that won't fit the bill. For instance, if you must live with your dog, then ask a potential landlord whether she allows pets in her building, or communicate your needs to your broker early on. 2. Stay focused and don't get discouraged. When you start feeling frustrated with your apartment search, don't despair! Instead, stay focused and keep your eye on the prize. Remember just how excited you were when you started your search, and try to visualize how happy you’ll be once you find the right place. Many apartment hunters also get discouraged when they find what they think is the right apartment only to lose out to someone who beat them with an earlier deposit. If this happens to you, tell yourself that it wasn't meant to be, and just keep at it. So many people have stories about how they missed out on their "dream apartment" only to wind up with something even better. Just think that you'll have such a story to tell one day. 3. Set realistic goals and expectations. It's hard to find tenants who can tell you that they found the perfect apartment without much effort. Don't expect anything different for your search, and you won't be disappointed. This way, if you find an apartment immediately, great. If not, you'll just take it in stride and know that it's just a matter of

time until you reach your goal. 4. Create a plan of action with your roommates. If you're looking for an apartment with a roommate, discuss what your plan of action should be. If you're both too busy to see every listing together, decide how you'll divvy things up. Perhaps you'll alternate the days each of you look at listings, or you'll each be responsible for dealing with different brokers. If only one of you sees an apartment and it passes muster, you can both return to see it again. If you're in a hot market where good apartments tend to go fast, you may decide to go together to visit the ones that strike you as the most promising. 5. Stay organized and take good notes. Once you start to see more than a few apartments, it's easy to get them confused. Stay organized by taking good notes about your apartment hunting efforts. For example, make a chart (by hand or on your computer) that lists the following: • an apartment's address;

• the broker, owner, or tenant and their contact information;

• the number of bedrooms and bathrooms;

• the pros and cons;

• any promises that were made; and

• additional notes.

Use an accordion file to hold any brochures, advertisements, floorplans, listings, photos, or other printed material you have.

6. Ask questions. Choosing a place to live is a serious matter, so don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't like the answers you hear or you suspect that your broker or a landlord isn't being honest with you, move on. If you visit an apartment with a broker and the current tenant is home, take advantage of the opportunity. Ask the tenant questions such as the following: • Does the heat really work?

• Does the apartment get too much or too little sun?

• How much are the utility bills and other expenses each month?

• Is noise from neighboring apartments a problem?

• Do you think the building and the neighborhood are safe?

Hopefully, you're already feeling less stressed just from having read these tips. If you keep them in mind as you search for your next apartment, you can look forward to a more pleasant path toward finding that perfect place you'll soon call home.