Procrastination: the art of keeping up with yesterday

As every college student comes to find, there are not an endless amount of hours in the day... although sometimes we wish there were. "So much to do, so little time" is the story of my life. Sometimes I wonder why my parents are paying so much money for my tuition when all I'm doing in college is stressing out about how much stuff I have going on. Sitting through 15 hours of class every week, pulling all-nighters to finish my homework, attending countless organizational meetings and campus events... I have to remind myself that it will all be worth it in the end. Another thing that makes it all worth it is the time management skills (or there lack of) that you learn throughout the four years you spend in college. Personally, I'm still waiting for those skills to kick in. 

There's nothing worse than the feeling you get when you've waited until the last minute to do something. You feel rushed, frustrated, nervous, and mad at yourself for procrastinating in the first place. So why do we continue to put things off? My theory is that it depends on a combination of things including your course load, how long it takes you to complete a particular assignment or task, your schedule, the amount of "extracurricular activities" you're involved in, and how important something is to you. The last component on the list comes down to whether or not you care about fulfilling your responsibilities as a student and a citizen. It also depends on your values and work ethic. Those who want to succeed will do what they have to do to achieve their goals. I believe that all college students have this capability, but they just wait a little bit longer to get the ball rolling. If I'm really busy one day and don't have time to start doing my homework until 10pm, then so be it. I don't consider that to be procrastinating. But when you're just being flat out lazy and choose to watch TV or surf the internet instead of studying, then it's your own fault that you had to skip lunch so you could cram for your test. 

I believe that good time management is a personal choice that requires will and motivation. My motivation is graduating on time. I have to be organized and stay on top of things to make it through each hectic day. It's an art form that I think everyone is constantly trying to perfect. And to be honest, it feels good to get things out of the way early so you don't have to worry about it. Due dates and deadlines are not something to be taken lightly, especially in the real world. But they wouldn't seem so dreadful if you try to get your work done as soon as you have the chance (hmmm that makes sense... I should take my own advice more often). Procrastination is the enemy, not the deadline. Keep that in mind.