You have a week ahead of you to do so many things. Someone's birthday bash is coming up, NFL is on now (it's Sunday), and you'd rather text your friend or surf Facebook instead of writing that 10 page research paper due on Friday. "Oh," you say, "I'll get it done in no time. Thursday night I'll just stay up all night working on it." Come Thursday night, and you forget you had a chemistry test the next day. And guess what? You're coming down with a cold. Or your tires went out. Or your dog died. Or, or, or.
People make excuses for everything, but if you're paying for the education, you might as well give considerable time to the work it requires. Born an anti-procrastinator, I chose to procrastinate this article for an experiment, and along the way I've learned 3 reasons why procrastination is the worst thing you could do to your grade, but more importantly, your brain.
1. Last-minute stress
Several of my colleagues have decided since elementary days that they function the best when they are pressured to complete tasks last minute. Preparing for exams or writing papers last minute may give you a drive, but will it really yield the best outcome? Will you retain the knowledge after spitting it up on a test? Will you be able to edit and revise your essays with a mentor or peer? I think not. Moreover, you will resort to high amounts of caffeine or other stimulants (hint, hint)
2. Changed content or format of the test
Boom. There it is. The test. Unfortunately, you have already failed. This is because you memorized your notes, instead of understanding them. Application of knowledge requires time. An individual is better able to process information in small amounts in A FEW DAYS, not a FEW HOURS. You didn't care about the test, and the test doesn't care about you.
3. It will turn into a habit
People smoke once. Or twice. Or forever because they cannot quit. Once you start procrastinating, and see yourself successful in managing awesome grades, you will continue to do so. Your heart will swell, literally, because the caffeine is causing an irregular heartbeat. Okay, so I'm dramatizing the situation, but in the long run, procrastination will fail you. In professional schools and out in the real employment world, you cannot afford to procrastinate. So stop that habit now, and you might save yourself from learning the hard way.
When I wrote this article a week late, I didn't feel as confident about it as I usually do. I perpetuated to hold it off. If I had held it off any longer, I would've missed studying for three big exams coming up.
In spite of my reasons, I understand that doing things last minute is the only way you have ever managed to earn a high grade. But, I am here to tell you that you would rather feel more relaxed, more knowledgeable about a topic, and more confident about your work if you left the procrastination to the high school kids. What do they know anyway?
You got one life. Don't sweat it. Quit procrastinating.
