Me and my buddy - procrastination

-By Jo

Procrastination creeps up on me and watches over my shoulder.

I feel its breath on my neck and my concentration is swayed.

The pages of my textbook flutter and the words blur ever so slightly.

I shake my head and try to throw it off, but the damage is done.

I may be five minutes into a study session or an hour or...maybe I never got that far...

The kettle is boiling, another cup of coffee is what I need, but the caffeine takes time to work on me so I should feed some dragons in Dragonvale or see if the Angry Birds are up for a game...and...
I haven’t read today’s news, must catch up with that...A text? Might be important, best check it to be sure. 

Ah, Mother’s roses are in bloom...meh...that essay won’t write itself you know?

The voice of reason kicks in, but procrastination tells me there’s always tomorrow, the sun is shining and well, not to be rude, but all that sitting on your butt is leaving you kind of out of shape...Oh! When did I last go to the gym? Or for a walk even? Hey...I could walk around the shops, then, it wouldn’t seem like exercise...

See what procrastination did there? Yeah, now I’m procrastinating about the vehicle I was going to use to procrastinate my way out of study, it’s clever stuff, no doubt about it, but it doesn’t help me pass my degree. It just adds stress.

But the essay is due and the exams are getting closer and I’m way behind in my readings, my notes, how many lectures did I miss? 

Deep breath, deep breath, knots in the stomach, headache that’s dull and persistent, racing heart from panic or too much caffeine, bad moods, can’t sleep, can’t function, deadline looming, indigestion. 

HELP!

It’s time to implement the emergency plan (which should be my initial plan all the time).

Switching off social media devices (if I can’t be trusted and that means deactivating Facebook and Twitter, just for now).

Setting a time to check my emails.

Turning off my mobile phone – the world survived just fine without them for eons, I can survive a study block.

Getting out of the house, away from distractions – go to the library, a computer lab, a public park or a cafe.


Learn to say ‘NO’ and mean it. Others have to respect my choice to get this degree, and not interrupting is all the help I need them to give me.

Remembering that my body can’t survive on coffee, chocolate and toast for a whole trimester.

Most importantly I must always sleep – I find it very tempting to feel guilty over the number of study hours lost during a night’s sleep. Unfortunately they are necessary and come to terms with that for my sanity.

Lost? Unsure? Let student services help you!

-By Erzsebet

I remember walking into university for the first time. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed not knowing what was to be happening next. I had been to the university many times before for rehearsals, and other little events here and there. What I did not know is that there are many services that can make transition to university life just that little bit easier. So I went for a little walk to see what I could find.

My first unit chair at Deakin was very welcoming and took the time to sit down and discuss my areas of concern especially as, coming back to on campus was the biggest hurdle in my life (well one of them!) She suggested the Disability Resource Centre-DRC. The staff at DRC assist those who have special needs, whether medical, or other. Together, with the liaison officers, I created a Learning Access Plan. This is a confidential document that assists the staff to ensure your needs are met.

Learning has never been my strong point but I found through ads that there were Language and Learning Advisers who can help with your work. I made an appointment and they gave me an hour session and we were able to go through what I need help with. These ranged from Essay writing skills to referencing in the different styles that are essential to the subject areas I am studying. They also suggested me to go to Study Skills workshops which help students in better academic writing and learn some useful tricks. These workshops have been really helpful and my marks have shown significant improvement since I have been at Deakin.

More often than not without realizing, we can feel overwhelmed, anxious or stressed. Effects of these symptoms vary from person to person. This sort of thing can affect the everyday functioning of an individual. I know from a personal level that my emotions can overtake me when I least expect it. The Counselling service at Deakin was and continues to be such a wonderful service to use as hard as it was at first! If you are feeling really down and out, don’t be afraid to ask for help! I even learnt there are medical services available for students right on campus! Nurses, Doctors, Counsellors, how much more convenience could one ask for?

Careers?! AHH! What do I want to do?! How will I get there?! So many ideas came and went through my mind. So I went to the Careers office-Jobshop. They offer resume checks, career tests, cover letter checks, etc. Last year, I went to an appointment with an adviser who helped me to work out that I was destined for area that I have always loved! – Commerce/HRM.

I recommend students to make the best use of all the DSL services that are provided, right here on campus.They are here to help us succeed and make the most of our time here at Deakin.