There’s always that one person who seems to have their life perfectly in order and starts every assignment as soon as it’s given. No pressure to get it done, no procrastination and no need to pull all-nighters. But if you’re like a lot of us, your college experience has probably been a little different. Here are 21 things only girls with terrible time management skills will understand.
1. You always think you have more time than you really do
You might even know you only have two hours to do something, but you overestimate how much you can actually get done in those two hours and end up overwhelmed at the last minute.
2. Everyone who knows you expects you to be late to everything
People have stopped expecting you to actually be on time for events, and they’ve probably stopped being upset when you’re not. They’ve accepted the fact that you’re going to be late no matter what you say.
3. So sometimes they give you the wrong time to try to trick you into being on time
If they tell you to be there at 6:30, you’ll probably roll in right as it’s starting around 7, which is good enough for them.
4. Sunday afternoons are the worst part of your week
All of the work you didn’t do all week gets moved to Sunday afternoon…and when Sunday afternoon comes, you realize you’ve made a huge mistake.
5. Sometimes you do things so quickly you can’t even pretend it’s good work
At this point, you’re just glad you got it done. Just give me the C.
6. You live off of coffee or energy drinks
They’re the only way you can stay awake long enough to get everything done.
7. People always tell you to just do things earlier, and you look at them like…
Do they think you haven’t tried that already?!
8. You put too much faith in future you
You always think future you is this magical being that will get everything done for you, so why worry about it now? But you’re wrong. Future you is just as bad at managing her time as present you, yet you always fall into this trap.
9. You put off so many small tasks at one time that you can’t devote your full attention to any of them when you try to be productive
Is it possible to type a paper, read a chapter, eat and shower all at the same time?
10. You’re much better at planning things out than actually executing them
Your plans are beautifully written down in your planner and impeccably organized, but when it comes to actually getting them done in a timely manner, you fall short. Like, really short.
11. You get way too much satisfaction out of crossing one tiny task off your to-do list
Nevermind the fact that your to-do list is two pages long. You just crossed off the most menial task on it, which means you’re making progress.
12. You’ve been so overwhelmed by your procrastination that you took a nap instead to “recharge”
But really it was just you continuing to hide from your responsibilities.
13. You pick the worst time to clean out your closet or clean your room
Sure, you have a million other things you could be doing right now, but all the sudden you felt like doing some spring cleaning so you’re going with it.
14. You dread being assigned large projects that can’t be pulled off in one night
You mean you actually have to manage your time well enough to divide this project into smaller parts?
15. You give gifts three weeks after you were supposed to give them
Happy really belated birthday?
16. You’ve gotten away with putting things off and getting them done at the last minute so many times it’s your go-to strategy
You know you can get it done at the last minute, so subconsciously you continue your same destructive behavior because it’s worked for you so far.
17. You never remember how long it actually takes to print something
You think it’ll only take a minute, but then you run out of paper and have to reload it, or you run out of ink, or you have to go to the library to print it out, or there’s a line… The possibilities of what could go wrong are endless.
18. You’re better at pretending to work than you are at actually working
That way people will stop bugging you about finishing your work on time—which is exactly what you should be doing, but you don’t want to be reminded of your real responsibilities.
19. You tell yourself you don’t have time to work out
But really, what you don’t have are the time management skills needed to make time to work out.
20. But you do have time to watch a season of Grey’s Anatomy in two days
Because your priorities are as bad as your time management skills.
21. You always look forward to the next day because that’s when you’ll finally get your life together
You’re sure tomorrow is the day you’ll be that girl who gets up early, drinks kale smoothies, works out and finishes her work before 8 p.m.—but it never is.
Maybe one day we’ll change but probably not. Oh well. There’s always next semester!