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Procrastination

Harrison Kilgore, '26

Procrastination is something that we all do. Everyone has done homework in class on the day it's been due. Whether you had a long night or you are just not in the mood to do something, procrastinating is always an option. People look down on procrastination, but if done correctly, it can be beneficial. Even if stalling is frowned upon, it has some unseen benefits. A Harvard article from 2016 shows that when people intentionally procrastinate their ideas and thinking, they end up with results that are more creative. They had a class of students focused on business ideas. The people who played Minesweeper and Solitaire for the first five minutes had ideas projected as 28% more creative. As a result, Harvard recommends looking at the assignment the day it is assigned before jumping into a solid flow of procrastination. This process of waiting enables the time and space for you to think about it. Furthermore, it demonstrates that if you work well under pressure, it can help foster innovative ideas.

I once did a project on procrastination. We were given 3 weeks to do it. I did the slides the night before. I worked on the script during lunch the period before class. I also finished the last slide while presenting. I got an 88 on that presentation. To be honest, I believe I could have even gotten a hundred. And this wasn’t just a one time thing. In fact, I have done this my whole school career. Just recently when I ran for senator, I wrote the script 3 hours before delivering it. I won that election. While some sources may see all of this as nothing but a bad habit, I believe it has genuinely benefited me and the way my brain functions.

It goes without saying that the negative side of procrastination exists as well. In general, it is often portrayed as something negative. Mentally, there are some downsides for those who aren’t wired this way. Around 40% of procrastinators report finding free time difficult. Planners, on the other hand, show 50%. Having a “planner” mindset overall seems to result in a happier mental state than procrastinators. Just this past year, Forbes explored the correlation that procrastination stems from poor time management. All of the causal effects, whether it be from family relationships, time for socializing, or even feeling financially secure all tied back to one thing: anxiety.

There have been instances where procrastination has been negative for me. In one of my math classes, I had done my homework during lunch, and it was due at 3pm that same day. I was going to take a picture during the 5-minute break during lab periods. My teacher decided they were not going to give the break and instead kept teaching through it. I got a zero on that assignment. My grade was unaffected, but my parents got mad. I told them she was working on putting it in. That was a few weeks ago, and they forgot about it. It is still a zero, but I got them to fixate on my brother's zero in a different class instead.

The consequences of procrastination may not be worth the risk. To stop procrastinating, it is recommended you use calendars, either on paper or digital, and minimize distractions. One method recommended is rewarding yourself after completing a task. For example, you can watch an episode of a show after 2 classes of homework are finished. Another recommended thing to do is break a task up into parts.

When you procrastinate you are accepting a certain amount of risk involved with one thing not going your way. This risk can benefit you greatly, or can mess everything up. It can add elements of creativity to your assignments, but you might not get the assignments done. Procrastination can be good and bad for your academics.


https://caps.ku.edu/procrastination


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