You can't go through school without writing essays. It's just one of those unfortunate facts of life. Teachers usually give you an ample amount of time to write these papers, but there's a large percentage of us out there that push everything off until the last possible minute. Being due at 11:59 PM is a joke to some, but a challenge to others. Is procrastination a negative or a positive? I don't think it has to be either.

I have written some solid papers the night before they were due. I think the urgency of the situation forces me to be productive and crank out some of my best work. On the other hand, there have been times where I was so tired I just put words down on paper and hit print, knowing that I was going to be turning in word vomit on paper. Sometimes you just don't care.

It all really depends on the person and the situation.

There is always something better to do than write an essay. You could binge watch Netflix, stuff your face with junk food, watch paint dry... literally anything is better. It's hard to sit down and do something that you don't want to do. The worst is when you are forced to write about a topic you have no interest in. I love to write, but if I have to write about something I don't care about, it's like pulling teeth. Let's just say my fingers aren't flying on the keyboard when I've been assigned a report on global rock distribution.

Procrastinating is definitely dangerous. It can lead to mediocre work, lack of sleep, and mistakes. But that's only if you're an amateur. Us procrastinators have it down to a science. We know our limits and have accepted the fact that we are going to hate ourselves the night we finally do it and probably the next day. The relief we feel when we are all done is worth it all. It's even better if we get a decent grade.

While I definitely wouldn't recommend procrastinating, I don't think it's a character flaw. Many people perform better under stress. Procrastination is just another form of time management. It has a negative connotation, but maybe it shouldn't. As long as you're getting something done, who cares when you started.

I will sadly admit that I write this article now on the day that it is due, while I have yet to start an essay for a class that's due in two days. Procrastination at its finest. Oops.

Maybe I should get to that. Or it could wait until tomorrow.