Many students worldwide can identify with the problem of not working on projects or work and instead occupying unproductive leisure time. Procrastination is an unhealthy behavior that can lead to stress in education. This could be reflected in cramming for exams the night before, or writing five-page essays in two hours time the night before. Procrastination has many negative consequences for students. While some may argue that it does have its benefits, the potential for serious negative consequences is much greater than the benefits.
Procrastination isn’t a new phenomenon. It has been around for centuries. Numerous historical figures have exhibited it, including Victor Hugo, the French poet. Hugo is a fine example of a historical character who succumbed in procrastination. Hugo was not given a deadline by the publisher, possibly because he trusted Hugo. Twelve months passed quickly, and Hugo didn’t have much accomplished. Victor Hugo was furious at his publisher. Angrily furious at Hugo’s procrastination the publisher ordered Hugo to finish the book within six months. Hugo devised a bold and unique method to avoid procrastination. Hugo stripped of all his clothing and required his servants not to return them to him until he had finished his daily work. This worked well as Hugo was unable to leave his bedroom and went outside. Hugo completed “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, two weeks ahead of the deadline. Hugo was miserable for six months after twelve months of fun and leisure. Hugo could have had a happy balance between work and free time. Hugo would not have procrastinated if he didn’t. His life in “Hunchback”, the period when he wrote it, was miserable. My first year of high school saw me develop my procrastination habit during Christmas break. My straightforward assignment of reading two or three textbook chapters morphed into a bloody confrontation between my swiftly-eroding motivation, and my wandering brain – attracted to any potentially-unproductive product like moths to a flame. Instead of reading the words on each page, I was forced to drive my fingers through the hair. YouTube videos took over my geography knowledge and replaced it with videos on YouTube. I limped through day after day, exhausted and frustrated. It took me a week to finally enjoy the festive season without worrying about the unfinished schoolwork that was hovering over my head like a storm cloud. My Christmas break would’ve been better if I hadn’t procrastinated. My father was at the United States Air Force Academy during which time procrastination had more impact than ever. My father’s procrastination and ineffectiveness cost him dearly. My father struggled with many assignments and never had time to finish schoolwork. My father submitted papers of poor quality all the time. Sometimes late submissions were a symptom of his already low grades. His reckless habits led to the destruction of all social and leisure time. Procrastination made it impossible to have fun and make friends. Despite constantly pledging to stop procrastination, my dad’s procrastination practices remained his stifling habits for three-and-a-half years. After the start of the second semester, my father realized that he had not fulfilled his proclamations and was able to end his dreadful habits. My father’s future in school seemed brighter that a Roman candle. Without procrastination on the brain, my father frequently finished work on time, attained significantly more leisure time with friends and colleagues, received superior grades, and grasped onto a previously-nonexistent sense of fun. It is amazing to see how my dad’s life at the academy has improved. If he had stopped procrastinating earlier, I can only imagine the school life he would have lived. My dad would not have procrastinated, and his time at the Air Force Academy would be much more enjoyable. A procrastinating student is one who avoids schoolwork in order to find temporary happiness or unproductive activities. But this student doesn’t always need to consider their schoolwork and grades as white noise. According to me, students can procrastinate, but still care about grades and education. The situation might be too intimidating or overwhelming for them. Imagine a hypothetical student who procrastinates and receives an assignment covering the Great Depression. However, the student is very disinterested in U.S. History. He cares about his grades deeply, but the thought of using brain power and mental power for something uninteresting leaves him with a bitter taste in his stomach. He reaches for his inefficient electronics to provide warmth against the harsh cold of his assignment. This student is wasting his valuable time by ignoring important work. Students can be negatively affected by procrastination. These repercussions include lost social time, poor grades and exhausting work that must be completed in a very short period of time. All of these examples clearly show that procrastination has serious consequences and students should take this into consideration when they declare, “I’ll just make it later”.
