This is a guest post by Stefan Knapen from StudySuccessful.com, a site about how to study. Stefan is a Dutch graduated high school student who will join the University in September. His site is full with study hacks and random study knowledge

For a certain reason, we (students) always tend to procrastinate things we need to do. Push it off until you have no more time left to procrastinate, stress, and finish the project. I can tell you, there was in my high school class only one person (and it wasn’t me) who hand in a paper before the due date once in a while. One of the reasons is that we are afraid of starting.
We think the project is way too big, too hard to start with, but when we actually begin, it isn’t that hard at all and it doesn’t cost that much time.. Or are we more productive in that time because of the small amount of time left? Well, a little bit of both.

Parkinsons law
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

This means, if you have for the same paper two months instead of two weeks, the project looks way bigger and bigger equals more scary. When you have much time for a project, the project seems bigger. Interesting to know, because the project isn’t any bigger. This means, you just have to remind yourself the project isn’t bigger and you should still work only a small amount on the project. Give yourself just the two weeks for the paper and finish it! Just do the important things, don’t expand the amount of work! Stop it and finish it!

With your back against the wall
“With your back against the wall, you suddenly see the opportunities”

When you did procrastinate and you haven’t much time left to finish your project, you suddenly see opportunities (after a period of stress most of the times). There are a lot of people who say that they need the stress to succeed. There is something true in what they say. When you have no other choice than work, you will work and you will work hard. This, in combination with Parkinsons law, is one of the main reasons why procrastinated projects will be finished and why they are finished successful!

So, what?
“Knowledge is power”

What I am trying to reach with my site, is to make people aware of how they act and why. Are you a procrastinator? Why are you doing it? Tell me, or wait, don’t tell me, but tell yourself at least. Write it down. When you recognize the problem, you have made the biggest step to progress already! Congratulations! Be aware of what you do and make a change. “Take a look at yourself and make that CHANGEEEE” As Michael Jackson sang.

You can do something about your procrastination problem, recognize it and try to start earlier. Give yourself only a certain amount of time and finish whatever you need to do in that time. I love that tactic. I go to this site: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/eggtimer-countdown/ and set the egg timer. I gave myself only 30 minutes to sort out my complete wardrobe and it worked. I finished within the 30 minutes. Set deadlines for yourself and enjoy the fun of working against the clock! Recognize the problems you have and work on them.

This was a guest post by Stefan from StudySuccessful.com, visit his site to read more!