Meet the student’s arch nemesis: procrastination

Cute. But this is a fantastic example of how not to study.

With so much happening on campus, it’s sometimes essential to put off school work. But as every upper year student knows, staying at the Killam Library until closing—even with a friend—is terrible.

So, do you go to the Killam and do that Stats assignment? Or will you go to the Gazette office, get some pizza—and then maybe enjoy a coffee and a chat with the Dawgfather?

If you’re not careful, work can pile up, leaving you overwhelmed and stressed. And by leaving things to the last second, you’re left with little ‘safety room.’ You may not have enough time to fix mistakes or you might face unexpected delays. Nothing’s worse than handing in a paper late because your printer ran out of ink, except knowing that a few more hours could have been the difference between a C+ and a B+.

On the other hand, there are some benefits to procrastination. By putting things off to the last second, you learn to work efficiently under tight deadlines. It’s easy to take on too many responsibilities and the urge to procrastinate may be sending you a message: slow down.

However, you should always try your best to avoid the whole situation by managing your time sensibly and realistically:

• Break down larger tasks into smaller ones—you’re not writing a paper all in one chunk, you’re writing an outline and a thesis statement.
• Try to limit distractions by working outside of your dorm, or by using a program to disable Internet access on your computer.
• Create a schedule and stick to it.
• Leave room for breaks and emergencies. Good time management allows for some procrastination.

Do your best to make a habit of finishing your work early and manage your time wisely. Good luck!