Procrastination and discipline

I have a huge problem with procrastination, work ethic and discipline and I think alot of people struggle with this. Maybe it's because of parenting, maybe it's genetic or self "taught". I don't know, what matter is how do I fix this? How do I stop procrastinating and become more productive? My situation: I'm trying to get into med school and would have to pass a pretty hard entry exam containing scientific and cognitive questions. It's obviously not easy, but achieveable. The exam is this week and I literally managed to procrastinate and NOT STUDY for the past 7 months. At the beginning of the year I thought march would be an appropriate time to start. The universities advice to start like 5 weeks ahead but I lacked behind more than the average high school graduate since I left school 2 years ago and forgot alot. Started in march and did some stuff for like a month, maybe one or two hours a day, some days nothing at all. But still, better than nothing. Then I got sick for a week in april and since then haven't studied AT ALL. Yes, mid april. Almost three months of neglecting the thing I know I have to do and I actually want to do. I have the books piled up on my desk but ended up doing nothing. It so emberassing to even type this. Days turn into weeks, weeks into month and all of the sudden it's july. I saw the time passing. I was conscious of what was happening but didn't stop it. Even in the last two weeks were I literally told my self that I absolutely have to start to even have a remote chance of passing, I didn't do anything. It's not even like I have much else to do. I feel stupid and ashamed that this behavior will probably cost me a year of my life before I can take the exam again. I don't know why I didn't do anything. I was anxious and on the edge the whole time. It's also not like I have a huge discipline problem otherwise, I can maintain a good workout schedule and be reliable at work. Kind of venting here so tl;dr: Have important exam coming up in july and procrastinated for months. Barely studied and now I'm depressed about the past and anxious about the future. What should I do now? I know my chances are practically 0% unless there's a way to learn 2 high school years worth of science and get good at the cognitive tests in 3 days. So I've already accepted my defeat and I'm relatively okay with failing this year, it's my fault after all. How do I prevent this from happening again though? I know the best solution is to just do it and get going but I've known this for the past 4 months two and it didn't help much. I feel like I need the help from someone who has been in a similiar situation and managed it well.

>2 high school years worth of science >3 days It depends on how much you know already. If there was only one course it could be passable, but since you are talking about science I assume there is more than one course (e.g. physics, chemistry, biology)? I've also been doing everything in the last possible minute. Even as a kid I remember doing my homework after I went to bed. I was solving math problems in my bed with flashlight so that I wouldn't get caught by my parents. In high school studying a day before exam was the norm. Some courses, notably science and math related, were easier to pass for me, but I remember struggling with humanities (history, philosophy - mainly due to teacher not being nice and her being a raging leftist, she didn't like me for some reason). Now in university I'm steadily increasing my studying time before an exam, as courses are much more interesting. The trick is to make yourself like doing what you need to be doing. Don't study science because you need to pass the exam, study it because it's interesting and useful.

I have a hard exam from computer graphics theory in two days and I barely studied aside from reading the texts in my free time so far so don't and just got drunk today instead of studying more so don't take me for granted but... I personally feel like you are a bit too hard on yourself OP. Yes you fuarrrked up. Yes you could do better but hell who couldn't. You did study in the past and you know it is possible to do. You just have to try 10 times harder in the upcoming days. You shouldn't give up just yet it may happen that you end up knowing more during the test than you think you do right now. That is something that saved my butt a lot of times in the past. The important thing is that you realize your mistake though that is the first step towards change. This is just my personal opinion but I think that procrastination is caused by lack of energy. What helps me is getting a long good sleep and making long enough brakes from the studying (like 30 minutes minimum) when I actually need to try. Anyways I wish you the best of luck and I hope our exams will both end up well

>>8379 Same poster tl;dr yolo

>>8378 >The trick is to make yourself like doing what you need to be doing. Don't study science because you need to pass the exam, study it because it's interesting and useful. Seriously. If you fail, it's a learning experience. Find something you're more interested in (like, actually interested in, not "oh in 4 years when I'm doing x it might get kinda interesting") and spend some time on it. Use it as a reward for studying boring stuff, or see if there's a career path for it. Remember, most people change career trajectories 3 or 4 times in their life, you don't have to just become something (doctor, engineer, whatever) and that's who you are.

>>8378 Yeah, it's math, biology, chemistry and physics. Some people could maybe do it but I'm kind of a fool so chances aren't that high. I had similiar experiences as you in high school, never studied more than a day in advance and got through with above average grades. Did most stuff at night between playing video games. This doesn't work in university though, at least not for me. I have to adapt some kind of learning schedule. But well, I will obviously take the exam but my hopes aren't high. It's 8 hours of intense questions. At least it's multiple choice so I might have luck... >>8379 Thanks man, kind of uplifting. I will study now even though it's just 3 days left because fuarrrk it, it barely matters at this point. Also don't want to lose without a good fight and at least try. It would be so shameful if I knew I didn't even really try. Good luck to you too. >>8387 Hmm, I don't know what to think about that. It's obviously good if the thing you do and study for is interesting to you. But a) not every course in every major will be interesting. Some things are hard and boring. Humans weren't designed to sit on their butt and read for 10 hours, obiously it's hard. And b) what if biology and chemistry aren't that interesting to me but it's necessary to reach my goal (med school, becoming a doctor)? I agree though, I hate how people go into college just for the sake of going to college and hope that somehow things will become interesting and sort themselves out. Idk man, the only topics that really, really interest me are things I don't know how to turn into a career I would enjoy. >Remember, most people change career trajectories 3 or 4 times in their life, you don't have to just become something (doctor, engineer, whatever) and that's who you are. That's uplifting, I always tend to panic about my career decisions being final and missing out on things.

>>8388 Also I highly recommend using Anki if you aren't already, after the learning curve (a few days for me, albeit during a rigorous summer class so I was forced to learn it quickly) your studying becomes much more efficient. As in I can spend less than half the time I would normally study (before, I just didn't keep up with studying because it was too much)

I'm a law student and I have exams coming up in about 3 weeks. This semester is really going down the soykafter rn. I enlisted for 5 exams of which I have to pass 2. Ironically I didn't visit the courses for the two exams I have to pass. You may ask "why would you do that" and the answer is pretty dumb. The one course was crowded af so I would have to look for another course, which is really easy. I didn't do that and was putting it off. As for the second course, I was always coming 2 minutes late or so to that course and I didn't dare to enter after being to late. I wanted to learn since last week but I've been just sitting in front of the PC drinking, playing vidya, preparing applications and all that stuff. Procrastinating is getting really really bad on my end which leads to so much stress. I hate it. I'm so privileged and yet I waste my potential with being a lazy idiot.

>>8423 OP here, just start with something. Tell yourself to get out all the books and notes you need to study. Then study for 10 minutes. You will realize it's not that bad and the awful feeling of rotting away and betraying you and everyone else will go away. Also you really don't want to be at the point where you still haven't done anything one day before the exam and ask yourself how you wasted these 3 weeks. Just take the first step and learn from my mistakes. Stupid soykaf like this can cost you month or even years.

I procrastinate when I'm doing pre-collage homework, but I usually force myself to do my homework, because I have to finish it before it's due. And then I draw and play videogames after I'm done.

>>8555 I actually managed to learn a bit. I hate myself while doing so but at least I get stuff done. Way too late and way too little but it's something. I really need to get some good marks for my self esteem....