Due or Do? The Procrastination Epidemic

Sarah Martinez - Reporter

Photo by Sarah Martinez

   We have all been there, an assignment due at 11:59 with the Google Doc staring back by 11:58. There was “no time” to do it before, or maybe there was, but your brain decided otherwise. Days turn into hours until the deadline is finally here. Of course, the assignment stays, and it is still 11:58 going on 11:59. 

   “In my brain, the due date is when it needs to be started, not when it should be turned in. Until the day of, so I don’t have to start it,” senior Myren Hurst said. 

   Life happens, and sometimes it slips one’s mind until the final minute. As high schoolers, tons of extracurriculars take up time, whether it is sports, arts, or even a job. At certain times, an assignment submitted at 11:59 can be just as good as one submitted 10 hours earlier. However, it is important to try to make time and stay on top of things before a to-do list turns into a laundry list of assignments. Balancing life and schoolwork is key to becoming a good student. 

   Procrastination comes from a perceived stress-free environment; the brain goes, “I’ll do it later!” And later may never come. Changing proves difficult as one must completely alter how they perceive school and work in general. The general key to doing tasks on time is realizing one’s goal for it, organizing to-do lists between items that can be done in a definitive amount of time, with those that have a fluctuating schedule. Doing the work that has a definitive amount of time first leaves room for those bigger assignments. Another key is to stay off the phone, which can be achieved by using the do-not-disturb or focus mode. This is the best way to get work done. Having a set period of time during which schoolwork must be completed and offering a reward when it is, is a highly effective method. Noting when all assignments are due, from the heavy-lifting to the lighter load, all must be reported to ensure they get done.

   Those assignments will not get done themselves, so it is important to make a schedule where one has enough time to balance the fun of life with that of learning. It happens to everyone, and sometimes staring at the ten pages of reading just seems to bore one into procrastination. One must rise above this and continue for the betterment of their person and subsequent grade.