> > I am very, very frustrated with myself.
> >
> > Hello, my name is Sosiqui, and I'm a procrastinator. And I can't figure out how to stop.
> >
> > I used to have good work habits. I used to take pride in my work, and in being a good student. Then somehow that vanished, to be replaced with the Evil Procrastination. Pretty much all last year I was in it's clutches, and my grades reflected that. (Sigh.) But this semester I promised myself I would do better.
> >
> > And I have been, but only to a point. I procrastinate, still. I rationalize why it's okay for me to ditch this class or skip this assignment. I'll take the most stupid, inane pretexts. And when it comes to doing work, I'll ignore it. And ignore it. And forget about it. And in some cases just not do it. I have the brains to do it, and I have the time to do it. I just *don't do it*.
> >
> > And all I have to do is sit down and just DO things. Take time away from this or that to actually do my job, which is being a student. And I know this. I know nothing is going to magically go away, and that I'm being an idiot. I'm glad I'm frustrated and feeling guilty, because that's a sign that I still CARE. That I know I'm being stupid. But even with all this I have the hardest time. I'll waste time while cursing myself for doing so.
> >
> > Sigh. I lost something, and I don't know how to get it back. Any advice would be very much appreciated, because I desperately need to break this habit.
> >
> > Sosi"heeeeeeelp"qui
>
> I was going 2 post some help, but I don't feel like doing it yet. ;} I'm in the same situation. Lists seem to help a little, and also getting someone to hold me accountable. I know what you mean about classes, too; 2 days out of the week, I have a 9:00 as my only class. It's SO easy just to keep sleeping! And I haven't turned in a paper yet(I think it's 4 days overdue now). Like you, if I could only just sit down and DO it...maybe we should start a procrastinator's anonymous!
> --mpython"i should b doing homework right now"girl

The only advice I can offer, is draw up a timetable. Take an hour out of an otherwise free afternoon, and draw up a "what and how will I study for the next week" timetable. Don't forget to add in sleeping and eating times, don't make it too unreasonable, but do make it challenging. Make it more than you need to study, anyway, but not too much more. Oh, and add breaks. Lots of five and ten minute breaks.
Making a timetable helps by breaking down the monotony of study. Instead of looking toward an evening of five hours of stufy, you're looking at an hour of Math, then a break, then an hour of English, then a break, then another hour of Math, then a break... Or whatever you are studying.

Also, set goals. Don't make them large, or vague For instance, "I will finish this assignment by next wednesday" will have you doing it all on Tuesday night. "I will read the materiel tonight and tomorrow, I will write the introductio tomorrow night, I will write Questions 1 and 2 on Friday, and three and four on monday." Will get you doing it. You will notice you're behind alot sooner.

Three other things, you may have noticed in that point: 1) Take days off. I take off weekends, because of extra-curricular stuff. Don't take off a weekday anyway, that's just not good work practice. Weekends I rarely do any work, whether I plan for it or not, so I just don't plan for it. On the other hand, if you feel like working, but you don't have anything planned, don't let that stop you.
2)Set your goal so that you will be finished before the due date. Not 3am on the morning of the due date, but a day, or two, or a week before hand. For instance, I'm doing a year long thesis, due in 24th May, but my timetable has it due 1st of May. I'm running late, but late doesn't mean I'll miss my deadline.
3)Again, break it down: it is not a 12 000 word essay, it is a 500 word introduction, 3000 word question 1 (of which it has 6 parts, each worth 500 words)... and so on. I managed to break an assignment into 125 word bits. And believe me, 125 words is not enough to say what yu want.

Ummm... that's all I can think of for the moment, but it's more than I started thinking of.

sam"warmed up to the subject"hael

PS Me giving study advice is like a teabag giving instruction on how to boil. I know the theory, but do I actually practice it?