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Killing time: A look into the study habits of Lowellites by Maren Brooks and Saw Nwe

Students at Lowell, many of whom need to balance a heavy academic load with multiple extracurriculars, jobs, or family obligations, report feeling overworked and overwhelmed. Could time management play a role? The following infographics examine how Lowell students balance schoolwork with other responsibilities as well as time management strategies students found helpful to avoid procrastination and stay on track.

Data from a random sample of 218 students who responded to a survey conducted by The Lowell in February 2023.

What causes you to procrastinate?

"I just don’t have the motivation to do schoolwork sometimes, especially when I’m at home because I just want to relax after a long day at school. Also sometimes I just get distracted really easily because the things I’m trying to get done don’t grab my full attention."
"The fact that I know that I don’t need to do it and the feeling of the thought of the concept of doing homework makes me feel stressed."
"I feel like I do better under pressure and when I have a lot of time to complete something, I can never get myself to start it right away. I like the stress of doing something last minute."

How do you use time-management strategies to help you avoid procrastination?

"It helps me mentally prepare for everything I have to do in the day and spread out my time evenly."
"I prioritize work by writing out assignments and their due dates and their importance. Then I try to divide the time that I have between those."
"I am able to organize the hectic amount of tasks in my daily life into neat little to-do tables that aren’t as daunting."
"It takes all the weight of trying to remember everything I have to do inside my head and puts it onto paper."

Credits:

Created with an image by Bits and Splits - "Vintage clock on office table"