Page 121 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

“A tip I have to address procrastination is to isolate yourself from things you know will
distract you, including people. Go to a room all alone, or the library so you do not have
anything to distract you.”

—Aukury Cowart, sophomore, electrical engineering

“If I’m struggling in a subject, I find it helpful to study with other people from the same
class. That way I can ask questions and we can work together to figure out what we are
confused on. Chances are I might know what he or she is confused about and vice versa.”
—Michael Pariseau, junior, mechanical engineering

Ultimate Zombie Alliance: The Planner-Journal as Your

Personal Lab Notebook

The best way for you to gain control of your habits is simple: Once a week, write
a brief weekly list of key tasks. Then, each day, write a list of the tasks that you
can reasonably work on or accomplish. Try to write this daily task list the
evening before.

Why the day before? Research has shown this helps your subconscious to
grapple with the tasks on the list so you figure out how to accomplish them. 9
Writing the list before you go to sleep enlists your zombies to help you
accomplish the items on the list the next day.
Most people use their phone or an online or paper calendar to keep track of
important due dates—you are probably using such a system. From your “due

date” calendar, write down a weekly to-do list of twenty or fewer key items.
Each night, create the next day’s daily to-do list from the items on the weekly to-
do list. Keep it to five to ten items. Try not to add to the daily list once you’ve
made it unless it involves some unanticipated but important item (you don’t want
to start creating endless lists). Try to avoid swapping out items on your list.