Review Of Student Procrastination: Seize The Day And Get More Done By Michael Tefula

Procrastination - we all know that feeling. Half an essay left to write before tomorrow, desperately wishing you were anywhere else. But no, today you are going to be focussed, and finish this essay. after a cup of tea. Before you know it, 'a cup of tea' has turned into a kitchen catch-up, a Netflix binge, and a quick scan of Kate and Wills' adventures down under.and the essay still isn't done. Approaching undesirable tasks with an 'I'll do it later' mind-set has always been a problem of mine. After reading this book, I began to understand why I procrastinate so much and how my disorganisation often leads to procrastination. The guide explains that procrastination is caused by a multitude of psychiatric, societal and psychological factors but is an issue that can be 'cured' (yay!). Tefula stresses the importance of understanding the reasons behind these issues before being able to overcome them. Thus, the book is roughly divided into thirds: an introduction on why it is necessary to understand the factors causing procrastination, an explanation of these factors, and methods to overcome them. student asleep attentionThe first section of the book is a brief, engaging read which serves as a good introduction for the second part, which categorises, and then lists, the causes of procrastination. Overall, this section is very well-researched, with solid academic standing. Tefula draws his examples from a wide range of sociological texts, and psychiatric and psychological research studies. I appreciated how the book was based on serious research, covering decades of work by different researchers in different fields. The information is well-presented, and explanations are always made from first principles, allowing a layperson to develop their understanding as well. I would say this chapter of the book would be beneficial for both sufferers of procrastination and anyone interested in the causes of time-wasting. Although this chapter was an interesting read, I did feel that I was being 'categorised' at points. Several examples did apply to me, for instance, the 'pursuit of pleasure' instead of being focussed on the task at hand, but I view the reasons for procrastination as a personal issue, rather than something that can be generalised. The third part of this book is devoted to management methods to target individual issues highlighted in the previous section. I liked how evidence drawn from the root causes was compiled to allow individuals to tailor their solutions to themselves. Again, this was well-researched, with a solid scientific basis, and I found this information both useful and practical. I would also say that this chapter would be very helpful for educators and managers. Several of the tips that it provides are related to creating a more productive environment, which would be relevant to anyone setting up a classroom or office workspace. One problem with the second and third parts was that key points were repeated over and over again. Whilst this did drive the point home, it also made a few pages redundant. Also I would have preferred a clearer link between reasons for procrastination and the management method to prevent it. I read some case examples which applied to me in the second chapter, but finished the book none-the-wiser as to how I could resolve them. The layout of this book was much more like a scientific journal or textbook, as opposed to a self-help book. Overall, I found Tefula's book an interesting, informative guide to procrastination. Has the book ultimately succeeded? Did I 'seize the day and get more done'? In both cases, the answer is yes. I found applying several of the management methods to my everyday life (such as environmental 'study cues') have benefitted me. The only major fault with the book is that it could be organised in a more efficient manner - for example, by having the cause and the management method side-by-side. Despite this, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to reduce the amount of time they waste.