Why O We Procrastinate free essay sample

Why Do We Procrastinate? College students seem especially adept at procrastination. Large percents report that it causes lower quality papers and projects, lower exam scores and, to a lesser extent, late or missing assignments. We procrastinate. Excuses involving an ill-stricken relative, usually a grandmother, or a homework-eating dog have become cliche, and generations of college students can recount an experience with that venerable cramming ritual known as the â€Å"all-nighter. † Procrastination leads ultimately to a less fulfilling life and much more stress, we as students must learn to fight the procrastination bug. The stress caused by the heavy load of work we, as college student’s get is over bearing. As the heavy load increases the procrastination and the excuses become second nature. We always have tomorrow to do this paper is a statement I know I say a lot. However the truth is, we really don’t have as long as we think. We will write a custom essay sample on Why O We Procrastinate ? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What is our reason for this? How can we fix the vast amount of time we spend? Logically if you have so much work to do you would start it the day you get the assignment. I know that writing this paper I had no idea what to write about. I thought the topic would just hit me like lightning and I would be able to do the paper in a hot second. This was not the case. It took at least a week to realize that while I’m sitting at home waiting for this topic to come to me that I had the answer all along. Skill deficits are one of the most basic reasons for procrastination. If you lack the skills to complete certain tasks, it is only natural to avoid doing them. For example, you may be a slow reader. If you have several lengthy articles to read before you can write a paper, you may postpone the reading because it is difficult. You may even have trouble admitting your poor reading skills because you do not want to be seen as seem dumb. Thus procrastinating may seem better than facing your need to improve your reading skills. The key to solving skill problems is to identify what the problems are. Though getting a good grade on this paper is a motivator there was still the little devil on my shoulder telling me to save it for a rainy day. Lack of motivation is a commonly given reason for not attending to an unpleasant task. Most procrastinators, such as myself believe that something is wrong with them if they do not feel motivated to begin a task. It is not only the lack of motivation but the fear that strikes me when I think about tasks that I do not want to face that eventually cripples my confidence in my abilities. Since I have disabilities the outcome of my exam scores do not reflect my understanding of the topic at hand. Due to this I procrastinate on other tasks related to my courses because I feel defeated as is. Fear of failure is another reason people procrastinate. It goes something like this: If I really try hard and fail, that is worse than if I dont try and end up failing. In the former case, I gave it my best and failed. In the latter, because I really did not try, I truly did not fail. For example, you may postpone studying for a major test and then pull an all-nighter. The resulting grade may be poor or mediocre, but you can say, I could have done better if I had had more time to study. In order to overcome these illogical reasons for not doing work and procrastinating the inevitable there are some strategies I like to use. Though I didn’t use the tools to overcome the procrastination bug for this paper , I normally like to use the following I read from an article from Oregon State University . They are the following : * Take control of your study environment study in a place that is free from distractions. * Make a TO DO list. * Establish a routine. * Self-bribery give yourself rewards. I can watch TV for a half an hour once I finish reading these 10 pages * Divide and Conquer break larger tasks into smaller units thereby eliminating how daunting the task seems. As you complete each small unit, move on to the next one. Before you know it, youll be done * Use a planner for time management. * Use the 10-minute rule. When you have trouble getting started, select a specific task, such as three pages of reading or Im going to spend 10 minutes reading without stopping. At the end of 10 minutes, see how much youve done. Keep working in 10-minute blocks until you are satisfied with what you have done. * When you finish studying, do one more thing before you quit. Start another assignment; then you will be ahead when you sit down to study again. * Carry flashcards, notes and other study materials with you so that you can make better use of your open time. Recite and review your notes while waiting for the bus, riding in a car, standing in line, etc. Do two things at once. Combine recitation and review with another activity. Recite terms and definitions while you are jogging or having your lunch. (http://success. oregonstate. edu/procrastination-solutions) In conclusion the procrastination bug is the hardest bug to over come while in college. The lack of motivation, fear of failure, and thinking that you don’t know how to write the paper can really overcome the accomplishments you can succeed if you start the work once you get it. It is an illogical realization that if you do your work last minute your work will be very good and the best work you’ve done in a long time. I am a number one offender of this irrational realization, however, I still find myself doing it. The steps I learnt from the website helped and made me notice how preparing for the tasks at hand will really help succeed in the long run.