The Benefits of Procrastination

Procrastination is no stranger to any college student. It is especially rampant during the end of the semester when everyone is cramming to study for exams in addition to tying up some of those loose ends in term papers and final projects. Some may presume that procrastination is a rather unconstructive way to go about completing assignments. However, I have found that it is the foundation upon which some of our best work can be produced!

Postponing course work is not encouraged, but in my experience I have learned that it is certainly inevitable. Assignments and tests tend to pile up at once, leaving students with no choice but to delay homework. Keep in mind that procrastination does not always guarantee the results we want, but it can still be beneficial to students if it is done in moderation. I have heard from many of my peers that they work exceptionally well under pressure.

“Personally, I don’t seem to get that motivated until there is a deadline approaching,” says Arielle Maines, a junior at Juniata. “If it’s not due for a couple weeks, I tend to put it off. But when it comes down to crunch time, I always get my assignments completed. I would say I produce really good work when I procrastinate because I know that I will have no other opportunities to do it, so I have to make it count!”

Indeed, it is often the pressure of upcoming deadlines that motivates us to really get to work. Juniata students understand that professors have high expectations for the work we turn in. When the clock is ticking and the hourglass is flipped, we ensure that our homework is completed to the best of our ability despite the limited time frame that may bind us.

And then there are our social lives, which tend to take precedence over everything else. I spoke with students that said spending time with their friends is a huge priority, thus making it more tempting for them to procrastinate. Of course, your social life should come second to being a student, but it is vital to surround yourself with a strong group of friends who encourage your academic success while making you laugh through it all. 

As I was entering my freshmen year at Juniata, my mother told me told me that the friends you make in college are the friends you will have for the rest of your life. The friends I have made here have proven this statement to be unquestionably true. Years from now we most likely won’t be remembering the tests we took or papers we wrote. We will, however, be remembering the late nights we sat up talking, the laughs we have shared, and the sincere love and support that was and will remain that cornerstone of our friendship.

So, the next time you are cramming for a test or hustling to do last minute research for a paper, just remember that it is not always wrong of you to procrastinate. Astonishingly enough, it may actually have some rather beneficial outcomes! 

• academics
• procrastination