When there is everything else to do, there’s nothing else to do but to procrastinate. Reread the last line. When there is everything else to do, there’s nothing else to do but to procrastinate. Admit it. This is essentially the mantra, motto, and philosophy of every college student who’s ever pulled an all-nighter to start, and (hopefully) finish the paper that’s due the next day. It will happen to every college student at least once in her college career, but for others, like me, it’s also part of an inevitable process. Now, I’m not condoning that students just idle and purposefully waste their time until the “last minute” rolls around. I strongly encourage everyone to get ahead in their work, and to do their work ahead of time whenever possible, as this will help reduce a lot of stress, and you will thank yourself later. However, some people can’t work like that; some people just naturally work better under pressure. And honestly, in the long run if you’re planning a career as a stock broker, or a doctor, or any other industry that puts a lot of pressure on its employees, perhaps learning how to work well under pressure now, when the consequences might be a bad grade, versus an injured patient, is a good thing. Personally, I’m the sort of person who gets distracted if I try to write an essay more than two weeks in advance. My thoughts stray, and I’m rarely focused on the task at hand. But if I start to work closer to the deadline, when the stakes, and the pressure are higher, I’m more focused, and as a result I do better work. (Disclaimer: This is only my personal preference. This strategy doesn’t work for everyone.)
However, I’m not suggesting everyone just stops studying and watches TV all the time until the deadlines start piling up. This strategy will never work. Believe me. Take it from someone who learned the hard way, too much procrastination is NOT a good thing, but inevitably it happens to everyone. So, I’m going to let you in one of the secrets I learned from a self-described “Queen of Procrastination.” Here’s where people who procrastinate, and do well, differ from those who procrastinate and fail. Instead of automatically reading your favorite magazine, or watching random videos on YouTube, if you feel unfocused and unmotivated on your assignment, just stop what you’re working on and do something else. But, do something productive. I call it Productive Procrastination.
As a freshman you naively believe there’s an unlimited amount of time to do things; you have four years to get things done, so why worry? Well, by senior year, when you’re in my shoes, you’ll realize there’s never enough time to do anything. And if you procrastinate on everything on top of that, you’re in for a recipe for disaster. Enter productive procrastination. As a senior, you not only have to worry about reading, homework, and extracurriculars, but also job applications, interviews, and grad school applications. At times it feels like every waking hour is filled by something else that needs to get done. As a result, freshman year’s version of procrastination of playing pool for hours with friends, or TV binging on Netflix, doesn’t reduce stress, but instead magnifies it, because nothing ever seems to be finished.
So, here’s the trick: if you’re planning on procrastinating anyway, consider one of the options below, before you watch the latest “OMG It’s a Cat” video that your friend posted on Facebook:
1. Respond to your emails:
We all have those starred, or “mark as unread” emails floating around in our inboxes. We’ve read them, but we’re waiting for a rainy day to actually respond to them. Don’t ask me why we never actually respond right away, but alas, we’re imperfect creatures. Are you staring at a blank screen, where your ten page French paper on Victor Hugo is failing to write itself? Respond to some put off emails, and you’ll already feel more productive. Just tick something off the To Do list, before it gets to out of control. At least you can say you’ve accomplished something.
2. Go to the gym:
If you’re spending hours procrastinating in front of your computer, you’re probably wasting away as well. If you’re sitting on your butt for hours, “pretending” to write that paper, but not actually doing anything, shut off your computer. Get up. Go to the gym. You’ll immediately feel better after working out with all those endorphins flowing. You can even rent a locker in MSE and store some work out clothes there, just in case. Bonus? You won’t be able to use, “but I don’t want to hike all the way back to my dorm room to change” as an excuse.
Seniors:
Seniors, let’s be honest. We’re not just procrastinating on schoolwork any more; we’re procrastinating on the future. Well, STOP. If you’re procrastinating on homework, work on your grad school apps. If you’re procrastinating on your grad school apps, work on your homework. Simple.
3. Research companies, graduate schools etc.:
You know by this time next year you’re not going to be on campus, but you’ve got to start figuring out where you’d like to end up. A big consulting company? A bank? Grad school? Med school? There are actually a lot of options out there. So start looking. We’ve become pros at browsing the Internet at this point. But instead of browsing the web for memes, or potential “pins” for Pinterest, why not do some casual research? You might just find that golden opportunity you’ve been looking for.
4. Update your resume, write cover letters, graduate school statements etc.
If you already know what you want to do, and you’re feeling a bit more ambitious, but still not ambitious enough to tackle that looming problem set, try writing a cover letter for your ideal job, or brainstorm ideas for a personal statement for grad schools. Chances are you’re actually more stressed about where you’ll be in a year, than your History exam at 10am, so why not put your mind at rest by working on the real source of your stress, rather than struggling to memorize tedious names, and dates. (Unless your life goal is to be a history scholar…then maybe the two sources are related.)
5. Apply to things…ANYTHING:
Seriously, if you’ve done both of the above suggestions, you have no excuse! Apply to internships, jobs, Non-profits, Teach for America, fellowships, grants…anything! You’ve done the work now press the “submit” button. Now that you’re procrastinating, you’ve got the time, so you might as well increase your odds for finding a placement for next year.
Everyone:
6. DO SOMETHING CREATIVE:
By creative, I don’t necessarily mean “artsy.” But, everyone should have some sort of project they are working on. One of the most productive things I did while I was procrastinating for an exam was that I wrote a short screenplay, which I then submitted to contests. I ended up doing much better on the exam than I thought I would because I felt I had accomplished something important to my future goals to work in the film industry.
Whether it’s personal, or related to an extracurricular activity, just do something that is meaningful to you. So, you want to be a writer? Write a blog. Enter creative writing contests. An artist? Go on a photography trip. Submit your work to magazines. Design a website for your work. You’re a psychology major? Or a biology major? Plan a research project. Write an article for a journal. No matter what your interests are the idea is the same. Promote your ideas, and promote yourself.
Whatever you’re interested in doing with your career, or your life, there is always something you can do to work towards it, even if it’s small. Even if you replace watching a three-minute movie trailer, with three minutes of applying to jobs, it will make a difference. The small things will add up, and lead to bigger things.
While you will eventually have to write that French paper to complete the course, and to get a good grade, in the long run, one grade for one class won’t matter too much for your career. Grades in the long term don’t matter, so don’t stress too much. So, if you’re going to procrastinate for a class, at least do something that might matter down the road. Do something that’s meaningful to you. Do something that you have to do any way, because the more you get done now, the more free time you’ll have later. And with more free time, the more cat videos can watch, and Pinterest boards you can fawn over. And who doesn’t like doing that?