Sometimes the thought of studying, or maybe even learning, an entire semester’s worth of notes just isn’t enough motivation to work. The “I’ll get it done eventually” mindset is a common academic approach for college students. The art of procrastination has developed into a college lifestyle that many students have mastered by the time they reach graduation.
Students choose to procrastinate for a variety of reasons, even though every assignment deadline is inevitable.
“I almost have no good reason to procrastinate. Laziness is the only true explanation,” said Vladimir Gudovich, a junior majoring in management.
The nature of college life itself, from socializing to participating in clubs and activities, may also cause students to delay the less exciting aspects of school.
“It’s amazing how anybody gets work done on this campus with all the distractions around us,” said Ruby Atwal, a junior majoring in English.
Many students remain loyal to the procrastination lifestyle, despite the stress of close deadlines and cumulative finals. Robbie Woodward, a junior majoring in history, faces a frequent dilemma that most students fix with a few cups of coffee and an all-nighter.
“I have an eight-page paper due tomorrow and I haven’t even started yet,” Woodward said. “It’s not the first time this semester that it’s happened.”
Due to his expertise of putting off work, Woodward said his studies would better be described as, “a major in procrastination with a minor in bullshit.”
Although most students like to pretend the work will just disappear, the reality of deadlines remind them they must get to work … eventually.
Once in “study” mode, most college students are instantly tempted by the No. 1 source of procrastination — Facebook. This website is like the black hole of the Internet — once you sign on, there is little hope of returning. Even if Facebook becomes boring, there are still plenty of ways to distract your attention: video games, friends, sleep, etc.
“Wasting your day only to toil all night is worth it. This way I can still get my work done and have more fun during the day,” said Gudovich, while playing Tetris.
In the course of actively seeking ways to take breaks from studying, students may even channel their hard-working ethics toward non-academic chores.
“When I know I should be studying, I’ll end up cleaning my entire room or doing three loads of laundry,” Atwal said. “This way I still feel productive, while putting off work for later.”
Even though procrastination can be positive in certain aspects, it contains a dangerous amount of potential to create stress and anxiety.
“I don’t procrastinate because I get too stressed out if the work starts to pile up. I don’t work well under pressure,” said Christie Sauer, a junior majoring in psychology.
Because this Pipe Dream issue releases during finals week, chances are you’re procrastinating by reading it. And that’s OK because you’re not alone. I’ve already done my share of procrastination before even writing this story.
Since it’s almost finals week, there isn’t much time left for studying — or should I say, procrastinating. Whether you choose to surf the Internet or spend quality time at the Glenn G. Bartle Library, choose your time wisely by studying the way your grades will benefit the most.