Procrastination is supposedly a horrible thing, and it can definitely be a negative part of your life; however, there are some quirks to University that make procrastination useful under certain circumstances. Here are twelve reasons to wait until the last minute to get your work done. Mileage will vary, and this list does not apply fully to long-term assignments: that is, while I might recommend finishing that 12-page paper for your Comm class the night before it's due, I do not recommend attempting to write the whole thing in a caffeinated binge a few hours before class. That's a big no-no.
Reason #1. When reading for class discussion, you'll probably remember the material a lot better if read the day before class than if you read two or more days before class.
Reason #2. The same goes for quizzes and tests. Get that last bit of reading in the night or the morning before your assessment, especially if it's essay or short-answer based with options for what material to write about.
Reason #3. If you're really far ahead with your work, you might be working too fast. On the other hand, you might just be truly dedicated, but watch out for burnout. You don't want to work yourself into a fever that spikes on exam day.
Reason #4. In college, you're continuously learning, and you'll probably come up with more ideas for your papers as you move toward the due date. Then again, you can always write the first draft early and revise with new thoughts. That takes a lot of will power and time though.
Reason #5. When you do your work up against a deadline, you get a nice kick of adrenaline that can help push good ideas into the forefront of your brain. That may swamp some individuals, but if you're like me, you thrive under that pressure.
Reason #6. Deadlines are fun. They loom closer and closer until they've come by, and you can count down on them like you're NASA during rocket launches or Carson Daly on New Year's Eve.
Reason #7. You have to learn to give up on your work, let it go free. This is especially true with creative work. Learning to start early and revise often is also important to learn, but figuring out how to do great work in short bursts of time is probably equally important.
Reason #8. Sometimes deadlines are really tight. You can practice those sorts of deadlines by intentionally waiting until you're closer to them. Just don't burn yourself.
Reason #9. If you procrastinate for 10,000 hours, theory states that you'll become an expert, and then you'll be able to crank out tons of work in short spaces of time. Right?
Reason #10. Nothing shows you really care like people thinking you're going to let them down, only for them to have the surprise of you coming in at the last minute with the money shot. That or you could be just super early or consistent with everything, but nobody likes a show-off.
Reason #11. When you don't have time to second-guess yourself, you don't.
Reason #12. I'm not nearly as close to my deadline as I thought I'd be, and now I'm disappointed. Disappointment sucks. Therefore, I should've waited even longer to write this article so that I wouldn't have disappointed myself. (Flawless syllogism, I swear.)
So there you are, 12 reasons to wait until the last minute to do your work for college. I'll have you know that this article wouldn't even exist had I not waited until nearly the last minute to write it. I probably would've written about something far less fulfilling, something requiring much less critical-thinking skills. I mean, coming up with 12 reasons to wait until the last minute to do your work is actually kinda hard. Because, often times, you probably shouldn't do it. Even though we know you will, time and time again.
