When given ample opportunities to explore our academic horizons and eventually settle on the careers we are passionate about, one would logically reason that every student would be busy teaching himself or herself efficient work habits in both high school and college. But a common enemy walks among the best and the worst of us. Like any disease, procrastination affects the work of most students through a similar progression. Here is a breakdown of the advancing stages of procrastination as it takes hold, as told by Sheldon Cooper.
1. Creating a mental or written outline of everything that you need to do.
It's only the start of the marathon, so your spirits are high and your motivation is strong.
2. Realizing how screwed you are.
Typically, this moral epiphany occurs immediately after the organization of your study schedule.
3. Having your friends become involved when you start to lose willpower.
4. Deciding that you’re going to fail this test...but then realizing you still have to the pass the class.
Nice try, but you still have to study.
5. Being productively unproductive.
Anything from completing a survey about crab rangoons to doing an extra load of laundry in order to feel productive. Any task with no importance or necessity that you suddenly feel needs attending to.
6. Wasting time complaining without doing any actual work.
7. Trying to study but your heart just isn't into it.
8. Multitasking.
It's not a myth. You rationalize it as a compromise between your distractions and lecture notes.
9. And then actually being productive for a short period of time.
Emphasis on short.
10. Taking a break to reward your productivity.
11. Pathetically attempting to justify your poor time management.
In your sleep-deprived state, of course, any sort of reasoning makes sense.
12. Accumulating at least 20 open tabs on Firefox, mainly consisting of Wikipedia entries and Khan Academy videos.
After all, anything you learn in class can also be found in 10 seconds on the Internet.
13. Giving up entirely.
At this point, you're fighting a losing battle.
14. Mentally and physically, truly starting to lose it.
Because let's get real, all you're running on is iced coffee and RedBull.
15. Imagining completely unrealistic scenarios where you might not fail.
16. Trying to pretend you're okay.
17. Walking into the test room, seeing everyone still panicking over their study guides, and freaking out again.
#Triggered.
18. And finally, not learning from your mistakes at all with the previous midterm or paper.
Note: Found this article too relatable? If yes, I highly advise an immediate change in your study habits. Starting next semester.
