Procrastination 101

So I actually never really meant to talk about books, movies and accidents all that much, but life has this funny way of throwing you curveballs when you least expect it. Things become even more interesting though, when you throw yourself a curveball. I know this sounds very obscure, but I want to talk about a very simple concept. A concept EVERY student is familiar with: procrastination!

Many of you will probably have started grinning as soon as you read that one word and I don’t blame you because I’m pretty sure we can all say “Been there, done that!”. If the pearls of wisdom you can find on Wikipedia are to be believed (please note the irony), “[t]he psychological causes of procrastination vary greatly, but generally surround issues of anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a self-defeating mentality.” Well, it sure does sound like we are in some serious trouble, us procrastinators.

Either way, I don’t know how it is for other procrastinators since I can only speak for myself but I have the feeling that low self-worth isn’t the issue here. I don’t really know what triggers procrastination, nor do I really care, to be honest. It’s just something everyone of us deals with on a regular basis. I find myself doing the most random things/stuff instead of completing more or less pressing assignments. What always fascinates me, though, is the fact that I do work quite well under pressure (read: when I have procrastinated long enough beforehand). It might be because you need to focus more intensely since you have a not-so-far-away deadline looming over you. Any other day you just think ‘Well, I might still do this and then that.” since you’ve got plenty of time at your hands anyway, but once you only have a couple more days left (a week if you’re lucky!) you better get crackin’!

That’s not all however and I found some more interesting facts on Wikipedia. Did you know that there are two types of procrastinators? No? Neither did I, so let me shed some light here. First, there is the so-called “relaxed type”. He, or she as the case may be, doesn’t cope well with responsibilities, sees them negatively. Hence, the person in question directs their energies elsewhere. It’s mostly the social life, which benefits since you obviously have to do something to keep yourself occupied when you’re not doing your homework. Hanging out with your friends seems to be the forgone conclusion.

Still, there is also the second type: the “tense-afraid type”. It seems to me that this one is pretty self-explanatory. This type is overwhelmed by pressure and other negative feelings that make him/her tense. Afternoons are taken off to relax but unconsciously he/she cannot relax, which makes the feeling of pressure only worse. It is a vicious circle of sorts. Their life ends up being marked by putting-off plans, delay and failure and they withdraw from social life because they feel inadequate and awkward when faced with driven, successful and confident people (who may or may not be procrastinating themselves)!

This sounds kind of depressing so I’ll continue by presenting my Top 5 Means of Procrastination:

1. This one is a complete no-brainer: Facebook. How many of us are addicted to checking their account more times a day than you can count? I am not excluding myself from that group and while Facebook all on its own was dangerous enough for the regular student, with games like Farmville, Fishville, Café World, Zoo World, etc… procrastination via Facebook seems to have entered its Golden Age.

2. When you are sitting at your desk, slaving over assignments and all you can think about is that dust bunny right there at the corner of your eye? It’s time to clean your room! To put this Ikea-style: “Putzt du noch oder lernst du schon?“ Once you’ve done your spring cleaning (no matter what time of the year, it’s the thought that counts!) and your floor is so spotless that McDreamy could perform surgery on it, you will be so exhausted and proud of yourself that you will have absolutely no qualms about…

3. Catching up on your favourite TV series. This is essential not only for your private pleasure but also to your social life. How else are you going to argue with your friends about what secret the newest Desperate Housewife is keeping from her nosy neighbors? Even if you watch shows that no-one’s ever heard of or just isn’t watching, this is your little reward and if you catch up regularly, you will never have to sit through a day’s worth of episodes… it sounds like fun but believe me, it’s not!

4. If your TV shows just aren't doing it anymore, go for coffee with your friends. It’s even better if you live in a dorm (like I do) since you can just stop by in someone else’s room for a chat. This turns into a win/win situation when said friend has a coffee machine in their room (and I am just that lucky). A nice talk over coffee will keep your bad conscience at bay and if you can gossip about other people in your dorm, that’s just a bonus.

5. If you just cannot be bothered to finish (or even start, as the case may be) your assignment and there is a party looming on the horizon, why not kill two birds with one stone and go shopping. After all your closet is always full with I-have-nothing-to-wear, so a trip to the city centre seems to be in order. As this is the more expensive version of procrastination, just make sure your bank account can actually handle you going on a shopping spree!

As you can probably tell, I know what I’m writing about and I do indeed have ample experience in the field of procrastination. Now it’s your turn: feel free to let me know your reasons for procrastinating. Don’t be shy and tell me what you do to pass the time :).

Yours truly,
Michelle