You know the feeling. It’s 11:54, and your essay is due exactly at midnight, the one that you started at 10:45, and that you are barely three quarters of the way done writing. Your exam is in under four hours, and you have just started reading the first chapter of material. Maybe you have a speech to present in 10 minutes, and you have yet to make a single notecard to help you actually give the speech.
For nearly every student, adult, or human being with any sort of responsibility, procrastination is an epidemic that has affected them in some way. For myself personally, I am probably the single biggest procrastinator I have ever met. I physically cannot start something until it is close enough to the deadline that I am extremely stressed.
College is probably one of the most challenging time periods to suffer from procrastination. These are the four years where you will have the most frequent and confusing responsibilities to juggle in an impossibly small amount of time. However, this is not to say procrastination isn’t a real issue for people of all ages.
I have found that there are a series of common thoughts that most procrastinators find themselves having when struggling to complete a responsibility. At the very least, every single one of these thoughts has crossed my mind at least a few times over the years.
1. I’ll just get a good night’s sleep and wake up tomorrow and do it.
This is probably the thought that I can most personally relate to. In my mind, a good night’s rest is more valuable to the quality of my work than staying up late to finish something. I would 100% rather head to sleep early and wake up early to try the assignment with a fresh mind than stay up late and struggle.
2. In five minutes, at exactly this time, I’ll start.
It may not be a five-minute deadline, but whatever the amount of time you push something off to, the more dangerous. I often find myself checking my clock, realizing I passed the original time deadline I chose and then deciding I am going to HAVE to choose a new one since I already missed the original.
3. If I rest for 10 minutes and set an alarm then I’ll be energized and ready to work.
PSA: you will probably hit snooze. A 10 minute nap will turn into an hour-long one. Believe me, controlling your nap times is a nearly impossible task. I guarantee you will convince yourself that you are more tired than you think, and next thing you know you only have a few minutes to finish an impossibly large assignment.
4. I’ve already accomplished so much today, I deserve some time to myself.
You don’t. You don’t deserve it if there’s a big test, project, or assignment due in the very near future. Once you finish what you’re trying to procrastinate, only then will you deserve personal time.
5. Just one more Netflix episode then I’ll get back to work.
Perhaps the most dangerous one of all, it is almost physically impossible to limit yourself to only one Netflix episode, if you’re watching a show you’re remotely interested in. Oftentimes, you’ll tell yourself this and next thing you know you’re 3 seasons deep and emotionally attached to at least two characters.
6. The closer to my assignment/exam, the fresher my studies will be in my mind... I’ll wait to work.
Unfortunately, the real statistic is contrary to this. Cramming is extremely ineffective in studying, in fact, the further in advance you start, the better the information will stick in your mind, if you use the time closer to the assignment or exam to review.
7. Wow, I probably haven’t eaten in awhile… snack break!
If I took a snack break every time my mind convinced me I deserved or needed one, I would be 300 pounds heavier by now. A snack every so often is a great motivator and energizer in a time of heavy stress and productivity. But not all the time, sadly.
8. Starting to feel sleepy, I guess I might HAVE to grab by staple Starbucks order right away
A coffee or two is ideal if you’re in need of caffeine during a long period of working or studying. However, 13 shots of espresso really isn’t the solution to staying awake during impossible hours to procrastinate to the very last second. Even if coffee may seem like the magic solution to your stress, it will get old, fast.
9. I bet someone will send the answers later if I wait it out.
Whatever you do, do NOT rely on others. I can promise you that it will nine times out of ten falls through, and they either will not help you out, will send you unreliable information, or it will backfire on you and you will be the one to get in trouble. As promising as this seems, it’s just not a great plan.
10. "Too much stress is never healthy for a student", they say.
Although this is accurate, it’s not an excuse to push off your stress until the last second. Honestly, it’s counter-intuitive, because then your stress only builds up, and is probably even more unhealthy to all pile up at once on a person.
11. It’s just one assignment, I only need an 82% to keep my grade I’m sure I’ll be fine.
As much as I wish it wasn’t true, a lot of the idea people have is that the right way to function is to settle for a grade, just because it is ‘good enough’. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t calculated the bare minimum I need on something to keep the grade I already have because I have done that for nearly every final exam I’ve ever had. However, I definitely didn’t do the right thing.
12. Should I just bank on marrying rich? How important is a degree anyway?
This is a real, very plausible alternative. How hard can it be to search for a hard-working, extremely wealthy and successful spouse? Sadly, they definitely are far and few between. However, if this is the route you’re going for, best of luck.
13. We’re all human, we’re all going to eventually die, and grades are but a number.
It’s important to focus on what really matters! Grades are but a number, time is ticking, so maybe I should just take the L on this one assignment...
