Putting off assignments isn’t the end of the world. Often deemed a negative trait in students, this habit doesn’t necessarily mean the work isn’t going to be completed.
After all, working under pressure can lead to a more focused perception of what needs to be accomplished in the moment.
As I typed this article two hours before the deadline, creativity thrived and distractions were at an all-time minimum. The question is not so much whether one should procrastinate or not, but whether they are procrastinating well.
There is a careful formula that must be executed to be an efficient dawdler, as a solid understanding that time is of the essence must be in mind. Unnecessary tasks disappear when time is at a minimum and important tasks are made clear and become a priority.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, there are two types of procrastination — active and passive. In active cases, one is thinking of the task and curating ideas prior to working on the actual assignment, or they’re completing a more valuable task.
Passive procrastination is mindlessly doing other activities to avoid working on the assignment.
The Smithsonian Magazine article also states, “We will always have more things to do than we can possibly do, so we will always be imposing some sort of unwarranted delay on some tasks.”
During active procrastination, time is used for brainstorming, collaboration with others and overall preparation for the assignment ahead. This can be beneficial, so long as thriving under pressure is your forte.
Of course, not everyone thrives off last-minute pressure, and those who crumble under the intensity of same-day deadlines should stick to time management.
However, to those who thrive in deadline-driven moments, the need to be ashamed of the habit of lingering is no more. Embrace it — while being certain to indulge in active procrastination rather than passive.
As a journalist, my entire career is based on high-intensity moments and deadlines. Breaking news can happen at any moment, updates may need to be published within minutes and unexpected events seem to be around every corner, which leads to my love of same-day deadlines.
Students thrive in different environments, whether it be planning ahead or beginning an assignment that is due the same day, it shouldn’t matter so long as the assignment is completed.
In addition to being known by name at the local Starbucks with my triple shot espresso latte — a necessity when beginning assignments due that same day — when all is said and done, I am left feeling like a caffeine-crazed superman with an entire afternoon of freedom ahead.