I actually started writing this article in November... but I procrastinated and ended up finishing it in January. I have noticed (and I am sure that I am not the only one) that procrastination is something all college students have in common. From the straight-A student who is the joy of professors everywhere, to the struggling student who professors hope will get their act together, everyone in college has procrastinated at some point (and probably more than once) in their academic career.
So, if we college students are putting off our work, what exactly are we doing with all that “free” time? Well, if my near three years of being in college have taught me anything, it has been how to procrastinate.
1. The Internet
Laptops are probably one of the most important tools for college students. We carry them almost everywhere we go because we need them to take notes and to do research after class. But we also use our laptops to watch funny videos on YouTube, take irrelevant quizzes on Buzzfeed, and look at our friends’ embarrassing pictures on Facebook. We might not have started that 10-page paper due in a week, but there is so much cool fanart on tumblr that just has to be reblogged.
2. Hanging with Friends
College is a struggle that can be awfully depressing if you go through it alone, so you might gather with a friend or two to numb the pain of weekly quizzes and daily readings. You might suggest forming a study group and meet with your friends at the local coffee shop, and you'll start off talking about the assignment due Friday, but then someone (probably you) will start asking about everyone’s weekend. Five minutes later, everyone is talking about the new Spider-Man movie and their plans for next weekend. In the end, you're stuck working on the assignment all by yourself the night before it is due.
3. Clubs and Greek Life
Clubs and Greek organizations are great ways to meet new people and make the most of the college experience, but they are also one of the easiest ways to get sidetracked from the academic part of college life. I think that is because clubs are not just a way to hang and have fun with awesome people, but they can also mean extra responsibilities, which can be great for resumes and gaining some experience in a really awesome way. That is when college becomes a balancing act, and sometimes homework gets pushed to the side and ends up being completed the hour before class starts.
4. Cleaning
Homework and studying often feel like a tedious chore, and that is probably why so many people choose to do other chores instead of preparing for class. I have noticed that instead of writing essays or studying for finals, my friends and I will often turn toward cleaning the room around us. Whenever finals are around the corner, I see dozens of posts all over social media about how people are cleaning their dorms and bedrooms.
5. Netflix (and CrunchyRoll)
Most college students know that they do not have the time to regularly watch their favorite TV shows and movies. Fortunately, college students have figured out that instead of watching one episode every week over several months, they can choose to binge every single episode all in one night. And if you are an otaku like me, you are binge-watching your favorite anime series on CrunchyRoll ("Mob Psycho 100" is so good, by the way).
6. Reading Odyssey Articles
You absolutely do this, and you cannot deny it because you are doing it right now.
