The Procrastination Problem

As evidenced by this tardy blog post, I, along with hundreds of other students, suffer from procrastination. The reasons are numerous and the results are tragic. There are just too many distractions and opportunities here on campus that keep us from getting our work done. The procrastination problem has affected us all in one way or another (I mean, no one is that perfect). We have all suffered through our fair share of all-nighters and frantic deadline completions simply because we could not get ourselves to complete these assignments in a timely manner. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is always a bad thing. A little procrastination is, in fact, healthy. Sometimes some things are a little more important than writing a paper two days before its due or studying for a test sooner than the night before. But on the other hand, constantly putting off work can lead to some ongoing negative consequences. Check out these apps that claim to ease the temptations of chronic procrastination:


1. Yelling Mom

This app takes its name from the original procrastination killer, your mom. Turns out she's not just that nagging parent figure in your life. She was actually there to help you get your work done. This app does its best to replace the mom job while you're away from home by utilizing the "aggressive prodding" technique. When you schedule an assignment, Yelling Mom will alert you with a series of obnoxious alarms and whistles of your choice until you give in and get 'er done. Luckily for you, this app is a little easier to manage than an actual mother. You can postpone tasks or delete them altogether. Keep in mind, this app is only as strong as your own will.



2. Finish

Finish offers a little more strategy and organization to completing your tasks. Its sorts each task into categories based on the time length of due dates. Tasks will be sorted into short-term (0-2 days), mid-term (3-7 days), and long-term (8+ days) groups. Scientifically speaking, this approach has been proven to be an effective method for prioritizing and accomplishing more pressing tasks first. As time moves on, tasks will move through the different categories, so you'll know exactly what will be due and when. Similar to Yelling Mom, this app will continue to remind you of due dates until you're all but forced to complete the assignment.


3. Procraster

This one is a fav. Instead of using obnoxious noises and reminders, this app gives you rewards as you progress through assignments. Using incentives and encouragement, Procraster helps you tackle projects one task at a time. One of the biggest causes of procrastination is the feeling of being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Procraster allows you to identify why you're getting stuck and then provides you with encouragement to keep you going. Once you identify the problem, Procraster will ask you to perform a single task and then it will give you reward options to choose from for when the task is complete. Some of these rewards include checking Facebook, having a cup of coffee, or taking a TV break. You can also personalize some rewards of your own. From there, Procraster will split the project up into 25 minute working sessions. It will also keep track of your progress so you can see how far you've come. Coolio!

Of course, these apps are not magical solutions to the wide-spread procrastination problem, but they might just help. Happy procrastinating!