'Tis the season of finals. The dark days of December are upon us and at any given moment you are probably procrastinating. With the five to seven classes you are taking, there are countless things you should be doing to prepare for the multitude of tests, essays, and presentations that are in your near future. And yet, you aren't doing anything productive. Procrastination is a common plague and there are many symptoms. Here are a few signs to help you determine whether or not you are procrastinating.
1. You're reading this article. Or really any article that can't be found in a scholarly journal. Yes, reading is good for your brain and your soul, but is BuzzFeed's newest article really that applicable to your life?
2. You're watching pointless videos and have probably been on YouTube for at least 3 hours so far. Watching BuzzFeed videos is the lazy person's alternative to reading articles, although much more addictive. While 90 percent of the videos you can find on your Facebook feed are more entertaining than your assignment that is due in less than 24 hours, 99 percent of the videos found on your feed will not help you graduate college.
3. Taking quizzes, the most evil form of BuzzFeed-based distraction. I fell victim to the treacherous cycle of quiz-taking last semester, and it stole nearly six hours of my life (I am not proud). They appear to consume a minimal amount of your precious time, but once the cycle begins, it can rarely be stopped. And the worst part of this distraction? The feeling of accomplishment, like you are enriching your life or being productive, each time you are delivered a result.
4. Netflix. No chill, man. You've clearly given up on creating the illusion that you were merely distracted by social media, and you are fully embracing the addictive entertainment of our favorite procrastination source.
5. You are cooking and/or eating. Eating, the dangerous solution to being too happy, too sad, too bored, or too stressed to actually do your work. While eating can be masked as an important and necessary task, it is only such three times a day. And cooking, also necessary for three meals each day, can sometimes be used as a time-consuming distraction, especially when it appears in the form of baking, often a task that is not required and is simply used as a source for fun.
6. You are sleeping. Similarly to eating, this task can seem to be necessary, but not when it is three in the afternoon and you got eight hours of sleep last night. If you can't seem to get some shuteye without the feeling that your textbook is staring at you, you may be procrastinating.
7. You're calling your mom. Or you grandma. Or your second cousin, twice removed who you haven't spoken to since you could barely walk. Yes, we know that you love your family, but we also know that you just called your most talkative uncle so you could avoid something.
Procrastination comes in many forms and affects thousands of people every day. Do your part, and save yourself or friends who seem to be perpetuating any of the above symptoms. We can make it through these coming weeks if we look out for each other.
