Procrastination: A BIG Problem

Procrastination. We all know what it is and most of us have done one time or another. If you are like me, you probably know countless people who always wait for the last minute to do their projects, homework, or to just study. I, myself am a procrastinator. I’ll stay up till 2 in the morning to finish a school project or another assignment. So why do people do it? Is it because we’re lazy and just put it off, or are we all too busy? Many of us have to juggle events like sports, music, and clubs as well as school. We all probably know that if we started earlier, we wouldn’t have to deal with all the stress, panic, and worry that usually come with procrastination. If we don’t procrastinate, we could have all the time in the world to do what we need for our assignment. I think that so many people could benefit from not procrastinating, but I don’t think that it is problem that can be easily solved.

I started having trouble with procrastination ever since the start of middle school. I was so busy with all my activities that I could never find time to do my homework until the day it was due. It was especially hard in 7th grade. My science teacher was one of the hardest teachers I had. My teacher would constantly assign projects and essays on top of all our other classes, so it was very hard to turn everything in on time. I remember one essay very well. We were supposed to write a description on a specific Biotic Zone. I waited until the very last night to start writing and I paid for it. I read the directions wrong on the outline and ended up doing the whole paper incorrectly. I went to sleep at around 3 in the morning. The next day I was so tired that I accidentally dozed off in the middle of math class and I got yelled at by my teacher. Anyway, I ended up getting a D on the paper and I had to work my butt off to get an A in the class by the end of the quarter. It was a really hard time for me and I hope that other people can learn from my mistake.

All procrastinators probably know what they are doing is wrong, but they can’t seem to stop. Our parents always say to us that if we wait to do our work, it will come back to haunt us later. They always say that if you start your homework the day it is assigned you’ll be able to relax and not have to worry about it later. My parents say that the first step to not procrastinating is to make a schedule and time management. I never seemed to be able to listen to their advice. I always found it so hard to stick to a schedule. Something would always come up and I had to alter my schedule to include the new events, I just gave up. I know that my parents were trying to help me. It took a while, but over time, I eventually got a working schedule figured out. At first, I had trouble with it, but I managed to I still procrastinate on some occasions, but overall I have fixed my problem and I think other people can too.

I know that many people have trouble with procrastinating. It’s like digging a hole. Once you got your self in too deep, you won’t be able to get back out. I realize that stopping is very hard, but we must change in order to. If we stand back and look, the benefits outweigh the risks so why don’t we just stop. I think that my science teacher really taught me a lot about my work ethic. She taught us that in high school, teachers will assign projects and essays and not remind you until the day it was due. It would be very hard for procrastinators like me to finish our work. Most of us don’t write anything down and therefore we forget when something is due. My parents have taught me that a habit of writing down assignments and planning is one thing that will make you successful in high school. I know that it may be hard, but I think that if we stop procrastinating, it will have a positive effect on us and the people around us. Don’t be like me. Try to make it your resolution this school year to not procrastinate and do your best to stick to it!