Over the course of this pandemic, it’s quite obvious that, as a student, I have been procrastinating.
Studying for tests, doing homework and even finishing this blog have topped my list. You name it, and I’ve most likely procrastinated it.
I always ask myself, why am I like this? Why do I procrastinate so much? Is it because of the pandemic? The school? The distractions? Or is it because of my mindset? In this blog, I’d like to go in depth about my procrastinating tendencies.
Where it began
My habit of procrastination started from about the third grade. Learning how to procrastinate was similar to learning how to lie for the first time. I unlocked that key of, “It’s not due YET, so there’s no need to do it right now.” The more I kept thinking that, the more I became less eager to complete assignments.
I would always sit the night before something was due and figure out how I could finish it before the last second or how I could get it in on time. It was so bad, that it got to the point where I NEVER did homework.
For example, I would finish math during lunch or advisory. Any moment of free time I had throughout the school day was when I would actually sit down and do my work. Most of the time, it worked out and I completed assignments, but it still wasn’t a good habit. It wasn’t always my best work, which resulted in average grades, such as B’s and C’s.
What happens inside my mind?
I feel that procrastinators’ minds are more complex than it seems. Tim Urban’s TedTalk provides the perfect example of what it’s like inside the mind of a procrastinator. He talks about how there’s a monkey, and when the monkey takes control, we start to go free sailing. We do almost everything but that one thing we were supposed to do.
Urban further explains his concept in the video, which I will link to in this blog. For me, I think it’s interesting how my mind can avoid something so urgent for so long. When I get assigned something, my mind doesn’t automatically want to finish it unless I find it interesting. As the due date inches closer, I start thinking about the assignment but never feel the need to execute it until the night before or even two hours before the deadline.
Personal experiences and advice
Since I am writing a blog about procrastination, it’s pretty obvious that I have had some experiences with it myself.
I remember my absolute worst experience like it was yesterday. At the end of eighth grade, I had so many finals coming up. This was the first time I ever did school online. COVID-19 hit around that time, and when everything shut down, so did my motivation.
I started slacking off on assignments and only did the bare minimum most of the time. Most of my finals were project-based, and me being me, procrastinated in completing every one of them. I vividly remember rushing to finish my graphic novel for English and my quiz papers for geometry. Looking back on the situation, I think I could have gotten better grades on my finals if I had just taken the time to self discipline myself.
My good friend, Jaime, also talked to me about her procrastination experiences. Similar to my situation, she stated, “My worst procrastination experience was during my finals week last year, and I had three essays to finish in a day.”
I also asked Jaime why she procrastinated, and she simply answered, “Because I am a lazy couch potato,” which is very relatable.
For anyone who’s struggling with their bad habit of procrastination, my biggest advice would just be self-discipline. Shutting down all those little distractions for a few hours to focus on things that need to get done is very helpful. I often find that motivation and drive to sit down and do work when I hide my phone for an hour. Just know that sometimes in life, we need some self discipline and time management. I also need to work on those things as well, but I’ll get to that later.
