It is now the end of the fall semester and many students across America either have or are completing their final exams. This can be the most stressful week for students because it’s the week that can make you or break you. Depending on the kind of student you are, this can be either be a challenging week or a breeze.
Most students if not all tend to cram when preparing for their exams. They will wait until the night before to study or to turn in an assignment, or maybe even not study at all. There is a name for this condition – it’s called procrastination. Procrastination is in epidemic among college students. Procrastination, the habit of putting tasks off to the last possible minute, can be a major problem in both your career and your personal life.
Joydan Dawson, a senior, is one of the victim’s of this dreaded disease. “ I can admit that I struggle with procrastination,” Joydan said. “It’s just something I’ve always had a problem breaking out of. Hopefully when I get out in the real world that chain will be broken.”
Students should learn to recognize the symptoms that go along with procrastination; they include missed opportunities, frantic work hours, stress, a feeling of being overwhelmed, resentment and guilt. Samara Jordan, Clark, a senior, knows the symptoms all too well. “I am not going to lie, when I procrastinate I tend to become more stressed only because I know that I had the opportunity to get the work done earlier and because I chose to do it on my own time,” Samara said. “I’m piled with tons of work!”
Doctors have not discovered the exact cause of procrastination but they believe that it is triggered in several different ways and that you won’t always procrastinate for the same reason. Reasons include being overwhelmed with too much on your plate, and just feeling extremely tired and lazy.
One thing we have to be careful about here at Saint Augustine’s University is that this disease can be infectious. Since the majority of us students would like to go home and spend time with our families, I am sure we are all experiencing procrastination to some degree.
Fortunately, for those who suffer from chronic procrastination, there is medication that you can take: let go of immature thought patterns, embrace life as a mature adult, and discover your true purpose in life. When you identify an inspiring purpose, you’ll be one step closer to achieving your potential, your motivation will be stronger, and you will be on your way to being cured of procrastination.
— LaQuasia S. Jackson
[slideshow_deploy id=’2859′]
