Procrastination

Procrastination … I decided to write about it right now because, well, I realized I’ve been doing it for the past couple of hours! I ate dinner and came back to my room at 7 pm, planning on just checking my email and Facebook quickly and then starting homework. All of a sudden I look at the clock and I have no idea where the time went! I usually realize it’s happening but not how much time I am actually taking out of a potentially productive day. Just a little longer chatting on aim, or just one more check of Facebook or MySpace and my email, or going on the website I wanted to check out while on the phone with my boyfriend; sometimes it’s never ending! Then all of a sudden, oops! I didn’t get anything done before my 10 pm water polo practice, and I will definitely pass out on my bed as soon as I get back from the pool.

Procrastination is a whole new game these days. There's so much more scope for it here than anywhere else. Not only are we distracted by the tons of activities we could be doing that do not involve class and homework, but also the computer can become a prison. There is a never-ending world of discovery, information, and contact with friends and family to partake in every day. I do not even have a TV in my room; nor do I play video games, but I know plenty of kids who do and spend way too much time in that arena as well. I am a college freshman right now and the Facebook craze started when I was in high school, where the bad habits began. In high school I found myself on the computer a lot, and that carried over into college. The addiction has gotten worse.

There is one simple aspect of college that you must follow if you want to do well, and that is planning. Plan out your week day by day. Figure out when you will have time to do work, and how much time you know you as a student need to complete each assignment. Although it seems easy to just find time to do your work and get it done, procrastination is often tempting – no, irresistable.

Although allowing yourself to take breaks is healthy, if done for too long and too often you will fall behind. When you're taking a break and you're getting to the end, it's so easy to reply to just that one more email. That leads to your having to check that person's facebook page, go onto chat ... and the evening is over.

Falling behind in college is not fun. Once you are behind on one reading assignment it is very difficult to catch up. There have been times when I have never completely caught up in a class. It’s all about buckling down and getting work done. If you can't avoid your computer, go to the library without it until you get your work done. Turn off the computer? Disconnect it from the internet? Sounds good, but can anyone actually do it?

It’s sad how we have become so addicted to technology. But cold turkey: impossible. It all just has to be controlled.