Procrastination. Delaying a task they intend to complete, but direct their focus towards a different source. Both students and teachers face procrastination daily, and it can cause an uproar of unfinished assignments and decrease in academic success. According to universityaffairs.ca Dr. Steel. states “In the 1970s, surveys indicated that only five percent of the population felt they belonged in this chronic category…” and “Today, that figure has risen to about 20 percent. Chronic procrastinators are people whose tendency to postpone permeates all aspects of their lives.”
But what causes procrastination, and how can we fight this bad habit? Mme. Plunkett, a French teacher at Wauconda, states “When I thought deeper into the idea of procrastination, it occurred to me that there was so much more at play than just putting off a task; It’s recognizing that we all prioritize within our lives. What is important to us? Sometimes we just have to put everything down and live for the moment. We have a healthier work life/balance by experiencing life. If we grind, grind, grind, we aren’t going to find the meaning of life. Sometimes there’s value in putting off a task in order to simply seize the day. We’re winning in the end. There will be time to work hard and progress in our tasks, but we only have one chance to enjoy life. Striking that delicate balance is key. Don’t overindulge in one side. Have a good work ethic and also profitez de la vie!” Mme Plunkett also went on to say “I’m not sure if its technology that’s just such a distraction um but i think there’s much more distraction in the classroom and so it just doesn’t get done”
In an effort to stop procrastination, there will be roadblocks ahead. Therefore, a high school student’s academic procrastination can lead to a poor performance as a whole. By not doing one piece of work, it can build up to a greater level of stress. Shauna Burriss, a freshman at Wauconda says “The harder the work, the less people feel the need to put effort in.” Students’ and teachers can lack the motivation to work for a greater goal like getting a good grade, or accomplishing putting grades into Powerschool. As students, there have been times where our grades have not gone in at the time that was ideal, yet at the same time, it is common where teachers have not received work from their students, which can cause a greater amount of procrastination since they then have to wait to grade and push back their own free time. Mr. Wildeboer, A physics teacher at Wauconda stated that “I would sit down and do something instead of what I should be doing and then at the end of the day, instead of having free time, then I don’t have free time because I wasted it all in the middle of the day.” He then expresses “I think it’s one of those things and it’s fine to do it as long as your not doing it in a way that…means your not getting done the stuff you need to get done”
To overcome procrastination, we first need to understand what it is on a deeper level. The McGraw center explains “You can’t come up with an effective solution if you don’t really understand the root of the problem.” therefore, “To overcome procrastination it’s critical that you stay motivated for PRODUCTIVE REASONS. By productive reasons I mean reasons for learning and achieving that lead to positive, productive, satisfying feelings and actions.” When we tend to procrastinate, it can be difficult to get back on track, but finding the motivation for the goal you are working towards can help you better understand when you need to get something done, and what task is most important at the moment. Understandingly, there can be mental health reasons that lead to poor academic focused success, so by finding your motivation on what finishing an assignment can do for you, can ultimately help your future, especially as a highschool student.
Overall, procrastination can be a hurdle to overcome, whether it be finishing homework or grading assignments, but it is not something that should overwhelm you. If you are a student, you can go to teachers and ask for help, or if you are a teacher, have a talk with your students on how turning work in is important to your class and why it can lead to a brighter future for all students.
