The Myth of Working Better Under Pressure

While it might feel like you perform well in a crunch, psychological research suggests that working better under pressure is often a myth. What often happens is that students work faster due to urgency, but the quality of work and long-term retention can suffer. It's more about memory bias, where we remember the few times it worked out and forget the many times it didn't.

Memory bias, in this context, refers to our tendency to selectively remember instances where last-minute studying or work paid off, while forgetting the times it led to poor results or stress. This bias can reinforce the false belief that procrastination is an effective strategy, making it harder to adopt consistent study habits.

Cognitive dissonance occurs when our beliefs clash with our actions. If a student knows they should be studying but procrastinates, they might experience guilt. To resolve this uncomfortable feeling, their brain might rationalize the procrastination by adopting the belief, "I work better under pressure anyway," making their actions seem justified.

For IB students, last-minute studying can lead to superficial learning, increased stress, burnout, and a higher risk of missing crucial details or concepts. It hinders deep understanding, which is essential for the IB's analytical and critical thinking demands, and can negatively impact performance in IAs, EEs, and final exams.

Overcoming procrastination involves recognizing the psychological tricks your brain plays and actively building consistent routines. Start with small, manageable tasks, set clear deadlines, and break down larger assignments. Creating a structured study plan and seeking external accountability can also be highly effective. If you need personalised guidance, our Student Success Experts can help you craft a plan.

The Lanterna IB consultation is a free, no-pressure 20-30 minute session with one of our expert IB Student Success Experts. It's designed to help you or your child gain clarity on your current IB situation, identify challenges, and create a personalised plan for success, whether it's about study habits, specific subjects, or overall IB strategy.

Yes, the Lanterna IB consultation is absolutely free, with no obligation to book tutoring. Our goal is to provide valuable guidance and support to IB students and parents. We believe in empowering families with clear, actionable advice, and you'll walk away with a simple, personalised plan for what to focus on next, regardless of whether you choose further support.

Our Student Success Experts are highly experienced IB graduates and educators. They can help you identify the root causes of procrastination, develop effective time management strategies, create realistic study schedules, and set achievable goals. They provide personalised insights and proven techniques to help you build consistent, stress-free study habits that align with the IB's demands.

Lanterna's tutors are hand-picked IB graduates (many scored 40+ points), experienced IB teachers (10+ years experience), and even former IB examiners. They provide personalised 1-on-1 support across all IB subjects and components, helping students master challenging concepts, refine their IA/EE work, prepare for exams, and develop the strong study habits needed to excel in the IB Diploma.

Yes, Lanterna provides expert tutoring and guidance for virtually all IB Diploma Programme subjects at both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL), including support for Internal Assessments (IAs), Extended Essays (EEs), and Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Our global network of tutors ensures we can match students with specialists in their specific areas of need.