So, you’ve got an essay coming up, and this time you’ve promised to actually try. As a professional procrastinator myself, I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve. Here’s how not to end up working on it the day before at two in the morning!

Do you have a planner? If not, you should get one as they’re pretty handy. The one thing with essays is time management, especially if it is a time consuming one.  Expecting to finish it in one day sounds doable, but it is simply going to push all other necessities out of the way. So, up until its deadline, spread out equal amounts of work. Spend a set amount of time each day, not more or less, because this will get you into a routine. Physically writing down your assignments in a planner helps you remember, and admit it- crossing them out when they’re done is pretty satisfying.

As I said in my last piece, The Procrastinator’s Guide: AP Classes, make sure you work on your essay in a place with no distractions, and set alarms to remind you to work. You can also ask your parents to check your work, or hold onto  your phone while you work, that way you can actually get work done!

If you’re simply stuck on what to write about, because essays can be vague, make sure you pay attention to what your teacher tells you about the assignment, and if you need help with it ask questions! It is better to ask than estimate at the time of writing.

Now if you’re truly in a predicament, and time is going by fast, don’t wait to start. Sit down with all your work and have some water and a snack nearby. You can give yourself a reward for every paragraph you write. Before finishing each paragraph, go through everything you needed to include in your head before you’re content, a quick rundown doesn’t take much time, and it helps you to check yourself and that you are submitting your best work. Finally, if you need, find a plagiarism website or grammar website to paste your essay into. They will check everything else for you and make it easy!

Remember, the key is time management, which may be hard to do after the first day or two, so, and I’m not kidding, set as many reminders or alarms as you can to annoy you into doing the work, or go to a library or empty room with the only work you need so you will be forced to do the work. Getting your work done at a reasonable time reduces your stress, gives you more time to enjoy yourself, and gives you fully rested night’s sleep.

If anything, work for that good night’s sleep! Good luck!