Like most adults, college students carry heavy loads -- from class and work to extra curricular activities and a social life. As a result, procrastination seems to become a regular occurrence in their lives, sometimes creating life-long, damaging habits.

Ninety percent of college students procrastinate, and 25 percent of those students are chronic procrastinators, usually the ones who drop out of school, according to psychologist William Knaus of the University of New York, Buffalo.

Contrary to belief, the problem isn't laziness, but time management and a lack of focus. When students plan their time poorly, they often end up with mountain-sized tasks and very little desire to get them done, experts say.

"When I have extra time to complete projects, that's exactly what it is - free time," sophomore Denesa Nicks said. "Only when it's the last day before turning in a project do I become aggressive. Then everything becomes a top priority. It doesn't matter that I might have had a month to two months to complete it."

Most students say they start out with good intentions of getting the work done, but those intentions quickly turn to excuses when they realize they never got around to it, and several reasons may be to blame.

If students don't make room for relaxation in their schedule, they often end up shortchanging their study time. They're either uninterested in the project or overwhelmed by the amount of effort it will take to finish it.

Counselor Justin Anderson of The University of Memphis Psychological Counseling Unit said a lot of the time procrastination is due to influences outside of academics.

"They're usually under too much stress, anxiety or depression," Anderson said.

"Or sometimes their life is just too hectic, and they can't get anything done. It becomes a problem when they let too many things stack up."

Most students said they notice when procrastination is beginning to be an issue, especially when their grades are being affected. Still, they continue to put things off, creating a pattern that could possibly hurt their health.

"Procrastination can effect anxiety levels," Anderson said. "If anxiety levels go up, immune systems can go down."

In turn, students can become more susceptible to colds, the flu and insomnia.

Junior Niketa Reed said although she was once guilty of stalling and waiting to the last minute to do her work, she has learned to do better.

"Start getting more organized and forcing yourself to stay on schedule," Reed said. "Do your homework, set a time to study and set a time to write your paper throughout the week instead of saying, 'OK, I'll do it tomorrow.'"

For help overcoming procrastination, students should recognize negative behavior, which could be anything from indecisiveness and difficulty concentrating to perfectionism. They should know their strengths and weaknesses and discipline themselves to use time wisely and set goals, the psychologists said.

For additional help, visit the Psychology Counseling Unit in the psychology department.

Article Tools