At some point in time, we have neglected to start a paper. Maybe it was because you were swamped with work, you forgot, or you graduate in two weeks and just have it that slump. Whatever the case may be, the clock is ticking and you have to submit that paper. Below are five things we have been guilty of in the quest to complete that paper.

5) Wait until the last minute.

You have had weeks to write this paper. You even promised yourself that you would start on it right away. You were going to be on top of it. Then you decide you can wait a few days, a few weeks, and then “oh crap! It is due at midnight!” So, now you are in full blown panic mode trying to make your way through this paper.

4) Decide you are going to pay attention to format.

You have yet to write a single thing for your paper. So, you tell yourself you need to get the entire format down pat before you write. Times New Roman 12 point sizing? Check! Proper margins all around? Double check! Spacing down? Please, I got this. You then spend the next fifteen minutes picking out how you want your cover page to look, running head, etc. After all, once you get this down, completing your paper will be a breeze, right?

3) After your initial format you, decide you have earned a brief break.

Your cover page looks outstanding! Everything is set up to be a success. So, you tell yourself you have earned a little break. Take a quick Facebook break or watch one episode on Netflix- ONLY ONE! You need to get your mind all clear so you can write that paper! Also, you are hungry so you need to fix a quick snack because you cannot work hangry.

2) Mess with your grades.

If you are a student whose school using systems like CANVAS, you can plug in potential scores to see who it will change your overall grade. This is a procrastinator’s dream! Not only is this a time killer, you can see what happens if you put in the bare minimum. This leads to you also decided what your grades would look like had you not procrastinated all semester.

1) Cave and write that paper.

At this point, you probably have wasted an hour or two of not doing anything. You easily could have been working on that paper. However, you convince yourself that you work best under pressure. So, you start that pot of coffee and begin to write. Naturally, half way through you ask yourself why did it take so long to this. Now you are missing your favorite shows, your bestie wanted to dinner, and you could have gone to bed a whole lot sooner. With no other resources to use, you finish that paper and submit it.