It’s almost finals week. As I walk to the computer lab, I bump into a friend whose bloodshot eyes say it all.
We say hello and pause for a few seconds and — in an attempt to avoid the deathly silence that comes with these types of meetings — I ask how things are going. She goes into a lengthy diatribe about how this semester’s finals week is going to kick her ass. I realize she is probably the 100th person who said that to me today alone.
The computer lab is almost full by 9 p.m. with zombified people in a state of sleep deprivation and sugar drink overdoses. Yet as I glance at their computer screens I notice a disturbing trend.
Most people are on Facebook.
We all know about the homework that was eaten by your grandmother excuse, but actually wasn’t done because your decided to play beer pong all night. Or the exam you failed because you decided to cram four weeks of work into four hours of studying after spring break. One of the reasons school seems hard is because many haven’t realized their greatest foe is time.
Now I’m no grand benchmark of student academic excellence. I am speaking from experience as a tragic victim of time. I’m not a motivational speaker or something; I’m just a student who decided to be honest. As young people, I think we are always under the grand illusion that time is our best friend.
On some occasions we get away with doing work a few hours before it’s due or studying for an exam the night before, but have you ever wondered what it would be like if you studied in advance?
If everyone did their work, further in advance, we would have less crowding in computer labs during exam week.
One of mankind’s greatest hindrances to success is procrastination. So before I continue, I just want to let you know — if you procrastinate, you’re not alone. According to Psychology Today, 20 percent of people are self-described procrastinators.
Psychology Today goes further, describing procrastinators as “actively looking for distractions, particularly ones that don’t take a lot of commitment on their part.”
According to research done by Joseph Ferrari, associate professor at DePaul University, procrastination comes in different forms. Checking your Facebook while you’re cramming for a final? I’ve done it, and that is procrastination for you.
Arousal types are the crazy thrill seekers who wait until the last minute to get things done in an attempt to get high off the euphoric rush. I know these types well. These are the kinds of guys and girls that are always talking about how they studied the night before for an exam. They normally say this with that look that says they think they just did the coolest thing on the planet.
Then, Ferrari describes another type — “the avoider.” Avoiders avoid making decisions because they would rather people think they lack effort than ability. This one is common, especially when you’re taking a class that’s kicking your ass and you get so far in the semester thinking you’ll make it. Yet sadly, the class keeps kicking your ass, and you feel so uninspired and unmotivated you avoid having to study for it or engage at all.
The decisional procrastinator holds off making decisions because it absolves them of the responsibility for the outcome of events. We don’t want to deal with having to face getting that “F” or “D.” I have always hated dealing with grades because some of my favorite classes are the ones in which I got the lowest grade. Failure is a nightmare for some and it’s something we try to avoid, but when failure is imminent in some situations we don’t want to deal with it as an outcome.
School isn’t easy. That’s why there are more people that aren’t in college than are. Sitting in a classroom and allowing a letter to define what you have learned is unfair. Yet it’s the only way our primitive civilization has decided to test how much people know.
But if you signed up to go to college, you know what to expect. As adults, we need to deal proactively and go to class prepared. By spreading all your studying during the semester, you avoid having to cram everything into the last minute. Avoid having too many social obligations or avoid social obligations that hinder you from your ultimate goal.
Use the remarkable resources this school has to offer, like the study skills center, the math and stats tutoring center or the counseling center.
If your goal is to get out of here with a degree and an honest depiction of your academic experience, fight procrastination and realize time is never on your side.
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