Everyone does it constantly. As much as we enjoy it, we tend to feel pretty bad about ourselves after the fact.
Yes, I’m talking about Facebook and Sporcle and StumbleUpon and eating and tweeting and anything else that ultimately boils down to procrastination. We do anything and everything except what we’re supposed to be doing.
Ninety-five percent of people are prone to procrastination, 20 percent of which are chronic procrastinators, according to Psychology Today.
The etymology of “procrastination” directly translates to “belonging to tomorrow,” so your essay can totally wait until later, right? Nope!
There’s no way to cure procrastination — it’s a decision that you yourself have to make and stick with.
Creating a to-do list and tackling the hardest task first will allow you to prioritize and stick to one assignment at a time.
Taking mini-breaks (but only mini!) between each task will provide incentive to complete your tasks.
Finally, don’t overthink assignments. If you have reasons A, B and C for why you absolutely cannot get your essay done, you’re not going to get anywhere. Just do it.
We were all accepted to the University of Miami for a reason and finishing that seemingly endless essay during junior year probably helped us in some way.
I know your Marine Science 101 essay may seem like it will never get you a job as a reporter for ESPN, but somehow, it will.
So get it done, do it well and you’ll go far.
Alexa Pappas is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism and sport administration.