How to Beat Procrastination, According to Science

With the start of the academic year looming, many of us are beginning to dread studying for tests and writing essays once more. Sadly, we’re all well-acquainted with the culprit that so often makes studying — or accomplishing any goal for that matter — unpleasant: procrastination. In fact, scientistsbelieve somewhere between 70% to 95% of students procrastinate. But science is here to help.

Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, a retired associate professor of psychology at Carleton University, has researched and written extensively about how to beat procrastination. Let’s take a look at his writing, as well as the writings of other journalists and academics, to analyze our procrastination habits and see how to improve, according to science!