HOW PARKINSON’S LAW CAN ASSIST STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN EXAMS?

Stretching the work till its deadline has become a part of human behavior.

Suppose, you have been given a project to be completed in a month. You have that capability to complete the project within two-three weeks but still, you keep on stretching the work till its deadline comes.

Isn’t it?

This is one of the most common problems faced by every other student.

If you are a student, then take a pause!! Recollect from your memories any such instance in your life.

I bet you, there will be an overflow of such scenarios striking your mind!!

But, this is the problem, where’s the solution?

Have you heard of Parkinson’s Law and how it affects your productivity?

Maybe yes or maybe no?

Even if you don't have the slightest idea about this law, then also you have landed at the apt place.

By moving on further, you will get in-depth knowledge about Parkinson's Law and how it governs your life?

Let’s get started!!

What is Parkinson’s Law?

Parkinson Law came into the picture in 1955 by Cyril Parkinson.

According to him, you keep on pushing things until the deadline comes. Or in other words, you keep on expanding your work according to the time you have.

And as soon as the deadline approaches, you streamline your entire focus in one direction to get the things done.

You can take a simple example of your exams. As soon as your session starts, you know by which month your exams will commence.

But, you still don’t start studying from the very first day and keep on expanding your work till the exam time comes.

And when the exams come, you forget every other thing and put your every bit of effort into exams.

So, this is nothing but Parkinson's Law governing your life!

Why do you keep on leaving things till the last minute?

Doesn't this question strike your mind that why you keep on leaving things for the last moment?

There are two different ways in which you waste your time with Parkinson’s Law by leaving everything till the deadline.

1. By knowing you have enough time

When you are given a task to complete in say 2 months, your mind calculates the time you require to complete the task.

Then you start thinking that if you spend a few hours every day then also you will be able to complete the task.

But, when you get this feeling that you still have enough time, then you keep on pushing that task by being lazy or giving some excuses.

By doing all this, when you enter the next month, then you start procrastinating. And then you waste your time in that.

As soon as you realize you have the last 15 days left for the deadline, you put your every bit of effort to get the thing done. All this started because you kept on thinking that you have enough time.

2.Faking your time needs

You precisely know that you can complete a certain task in a much faster time than the stipulated time

.

But, you keep on convincing yourself by giving various excuses that you need more time to accomplish the task.

In addition to that, you think that if you do things faster then, it will deteriorate the quality of work. But, in a real scenario, there is nothing like this.

What if there is no deadline?

One of the most dreading effects of Parkinson's Law is that you get into panic mode and start completing the task as soon as the deadline approaches.

But, what if there is no deadline?

Then you think that you have forever and you keep on postponing things.

For example, you have a dream college to take admission in. But, you are not putting any effort into it and you think that it will happen at its time.

But, when the time comes you have nothing left in your hand but only procrastination and repentance.

So, having a deadline is important but working only according to the deadline is not!!

How to overcome Parkinson’s Law effect?

Now, you must be thinking if Parkinson's law can waste my time to this great extent then isn't there an option to overcome it?

Need not worry!!

There are some ways that you can inculcate in your lifestyle to overcome the effect of this law.

Let’s deep dive into these ways that will act as a blessing in disguise for your life.

1. Have a goal time for the day

You can't spend your entire day studying or doing things. There is some limit to it. If you don't set an end limit for your day then you keep on lowering your pace of doing work.

For example, if you set that you need to finish all your work by 8:00 pm, and after that, you won't do anything. Then you start working meticulously with more focus on it.

But, if you tell your mind that even if I am not able to complete my work by 8 then also I have time to stretch the things in the night time. This will ultimately lower your pace of doing things.

Moreover, you end up wasting more time this way. So, always have a designated goal for the day.

2. Set self-imposed deadlines

When you have a deadline in your head then you know that if you don’t complete the task by that time then you have to face its consequences.

So, always have a self-imposed deadline for your task.

For example, your teacher assigned you a project to be completed in 2 months. But, you set a deadline for yourself to complete it in 1 month.

This will help you complete your task at a faster pace and in advance as compared to the real deadline date.

But, make sure that you set realistic deadlines otherwise it will create a whole lot of mess for you.

3. Reward yourself

While completing a task set milestones for yourself. When you hit that milestone, reward yourself with something to feel accomplished. For example, you can offer some free time or some treats to yourself.

This will not only boost your confidence but will encourage you to complete your tasks at a faster pace.

4. Challenge yourself

Human beings have a nature to compete with others. But, when this competition is with yourself it gives you the enthusiasm to take a step forward.

In the initial days, you will find it very hard to do the tasks faster than usual. But, when you develop this habit within then you can deliberately reduce the impact of Parkinson's law to a great extent.

5. Work in chunks

If you start with one task and stay behind it for a long time then you end up leaving various other tasks that you need to complete in a day.

To utilize the time to its maximum potential, divide all the tasks into small chunks.

This will not only help you complete all the tasks in time but you will also feel more confident and accomplished as you switch between various tasks.

It will help you keep your interest intact in the work and you tend to waste less time.