Procrastination

[QC]

HSC Results rely reasonably heavy on your rank in your subject at school (1st, 2nd, etc). There's no like, definitive translation between rank and result though, because way too much affects it. Like, you can't guarantee a certain result with a certain rank. But it does give a good indicator of how you are travelling

To aroon; it sounds like you are stuck in a bit of a vicious cycle (forgive me for being presumptuous). Procrastinate for a bit, so you then have to work hard and make yourself tired, which makes you more likely to procrastinate. Rinse, repeat. Add in a nice mix of trying to prepare for assessments "a few months out", when it sounds like you are not having the best time to begin with, and no wonder you are procrastinating! It's your mind saying, "I want out."

Swag is right; balance is key. Look, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with people who have finished the HSC course already. That's great, good on them, but I sure as hell would never have done it. There's nothing wrong with setting goals, but they are them and you are you. People get incredible results without acceleration through their courses, without giving up Youtube, without giving up their partners or their social life or the things that make them happy. Hell, I got 99.80 and I had an awful Youtube addiction (that's only gotten worse at uni... gulp). It's all about balance.

So in summary of my two cents

1. Don't worry/compare to what others are doing, at least not in any way that is going to be negative for your mindset. Do what is best for you, not them.
2. Procrastination can be a sign that you are overworking yourself in the wrong ways. It's impossible to concentrate when you are already tired. If you force yourself to take breaks regularly then the work in between those breaks will hopefully get easier.
3. Don't stress about rank - I came from 2nd last in Extension 1 after my half yearly to 1st by the end of Trials. Hard work will make up for anything you aren't quite happy with.
4. Don't give up your unproductive habits - Just give yourself allocated time for them routine helps - If you tell yourself every day that 4:00-5:00 is your study hour for Subject X, and you do that every day of the week, gradually your brain will accept it and you will be able to do that lower level of work you are craving... Over time, good habits take a while to form

Yeah this is true but I just feel like If I try to give myself more time to relax etc I abuse the hell out of it. Like if you give me 1 hour to watch youtube at 4 pm I will still be watching at 1am that morning. I also don't feel that feeling necessarily of giving yourself a day or two and re-energising as unless it is a holiday and I take like a whole week off work, I don't really feel any benefit. Like an example of this is I could go play cricket with my friends for like 6 hours every Saturday but that night or even Sunday, I don't feel any of the benefit of taking that time off to play cricket. This again is a perspective thing but as I was saying, if I look back on this period and I know I could have done so much better if I finished that dot point etc then I will be really pissed off. I also have a major problem doing something that I am kinda stuck on e.g if I'm doing an english essay or chem notes or whatever and I am just doing the same thing without much progress then I find it difficult to even start doing that thing again, I don't know maybe that's just me.

[jamonwindeyer]

Yeah this is true but I just feel like If I try to give myself more time to relax etc I abuse the hell out of it. Like if you give me 1 hour to watch youtube at 4 pm I will still be watching at 1am that morning. I also don't feel that feeling necessarily of giving yourself a day or two and re-energising as unless it is a holiday and I take like a whole week off work, I don't really feel any benefit. Like an example of this is I could go play cricket with my friends for like 6 hours every Saturday but that night or even Sunday, I don't feel any of the benefit of taking that time off to play cricket. This again is a perspective thing but as I was saying, if I look back on this period and I know I could have done so much better if I finished that dot point etc then I will be really pissed off. I also have a major problem doing something that I am kinda stuck on e.g if I'm doing an english essay or chem notes or whatever and I am just doing the same thing without much progress then I find it difficult to even start doing that thing again, I don't know maybe that's just me.

I had the same problem a lot during Prelim - I'd take an hour assigned for rest and turn it into 3 hours. Being more accountable comes over time, but you've still got to give yourself rest! Making up for some unproductive nights with a 2am fuelled coffee session and sacrificing your sleep is definitely not healthy

If you don't get re-energised from an afternoon off, maybe you should take a whole week off? I did this after my big exam blocks - Maybe after half yearly exams you literally do nothing school related in that two week gap? Should re-energise you a tad