“Leave me alone!” I yelled to my husband. Frustration and stress knocked at my front door. I had become this short tempered person unaware of my tone and words. I was mad at people who had nothing to do with my irresponsible actions.
It’s not that I did not want to do my college assignments or accomplish my personal goals; I really felt that I could get it all done in a short period of time. Things would pile up, and I would wait until the last minute to do everything. I was a procrastinator.
Time after time my to-do list piled up, and I never really got anything accomplished. It seemed like everything was due at once, which it was, because I had waited. My mind was always in this state of rushing.
Does this sound like you? Most college students are guilty of procrastinating at some point in time. We have so much going on in our lives that we forget the important things, and when they are due, we freak out.
When a term paper is due, we rush to the library to finish writing it, and then print it out for our next class. However, we have carelessly forgotten to proofread it, so now we are embarrassed, but we hand it in anyway because we don’t want it to be considered late.
It took me some time, but now I comprehend that procrastination is a disease which can take a toll on our mind and body. We become physically unable to handle the challenges because we don’t allow enough time to strategize our goals. The body is no longer able to operate properly; we are mentally stressed, stopping our mind from doing its job which is to THINK.
Sometimes we are tense and our attention is not tuned in to what truly needs to be accomplished. As college students we need to be thinking and moving forward, not postponing things.
In order to relieve the pressures that come with procrastination, we must find ways to avoid letting it take control of our lives in the first place. Whether it’s academically or in our personal life, I strongly suggest we use a guide or mentor to help us start this process. Using a pre-writing strategy guide will help stimulate your thoughts before they go on paper; using a no-procrastination guide will motivate us to start earlier.
Writing a detailed to-do list can help you remember what needs to be done. Purchase a weekly planner which will be helpful in prioritizing your tasks in a systematic and timely manner.
Time waits for no one. The longer one waits, the more difficult it will be to finish the task. Besides, who really wants the label of “procrastinator” associate with their reputation? This word will make you look irresponsible and could cause you to never achieve your short or long-term goals.
I know this may sound funny but don’t laugh; I am a recovering procrastinator. My percentage of procrastinating was at a ninety percent. Today I can say I have gotten it down to twenty percent. This required that I set deadlines and determine what goals are most important. I highly suggest you do the same.
Some of you will drink your caffeine to stay up to cram and you may only complete one task off your to-do list. But know that procrastination is like drowning – it’s hard to get out when you are in deep water and don’t know how to swim.
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandspur, its staff or Rollins College.
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