It’s 10 p.m. Sunday night and you have a paper due for your first class on Monday, so it’s probably time to get moving, right? But wait, first you have to check who’s online on Facebook. You’ve also been meaning to paint your nails for some time now, and let’s not forget to tweet about just how much you do not want to write this paper.
Procrastination can be a blessing and a curse for all college students, but it’s definitely one habit that is tough to kick. Every time I have a test or assignment coming up, I write it on my white board, mark it on my calendar and set e-mail reminders that cause little pop-ups to be sent to my phone. Regardless of all of my efforts, here I am writing this article the day it’s due.
Now don’t get me wrong, I always, well almost always, finish on time, and I make sure to gather all research and outside work needed for that assignment ahead of time; but as Samantha Bernstein, a freshman biology major, said, “I always work better under pressure.” She explained that when she does work last minute as opposed to a week or days ahead of time, the assignment actually produces a better grade. As a freshman, Bernstein attempted to stay on top of getting things done in time, but that strategy didn’t pan out so well.
However, procrastination doesn’t work for a lot of students especially when they can stumble, tumble, tweet and creep. Social networking websites, such as Facebook, act as procrastination’s evil sidekick. “Every five minutes I’ll go back to Facebook just to see who’s online, and I end up studying Facebook more than my work,” said Bernstein. So, if you’re having these issues, try something like having a friend change your website passwords or locking your account for a bit. Just make sure you’re actually able to get some work done!
If you’re really struggling from lack of time management, try taking a study skills class! Believe it or not, these things actually work. Our counseling center offers a Learning Assistance Service, which is located in the Shoemaker Building in room 2202, and it’s open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“They had me record my day-to-day efforts, and they pointed out how much time I was actually wasting,” undecided sophomore Charli Brooks said. “It really made me realize how much time I was spending doing other things when I could be studying.”
The staff of the service truly opens your eyes to another, more productive world. Brooks went on to quote her advisor who said, “If you keep doin’ what you been doin’, you’re gonna keep gettin’ what you been gettin’.” Sure enough, Brooks has not been doing what she was doing, and you can guess that her grades have improved tenfold. Yes, she does continue to surf the web and do what she loves, but she has left the procrastinating lifestyle in the dust.