Pleasant Valley students experience the pressure from classes and extracurriculars daily; though many use organizations as a tool for success, others may be utilizing the surprising technique of procrastination.
Procrastination is often perceived as the most challenging hurdle between a student and his or her success. It is presented as a hindrance to productivity levels, as well as students’ ability to meet deadlines. One study even shows that “The problem with procrastination is just that; the relief is temporary, and it is eventually replaced with anxiety about being behind in what you need to get done.”
Numerous studies gather results that mirror these facts exactly, suggesting that more than just a few have been noticing the negative effects of procrastination.
However, more recent studies suggest the opposite. According to a different article, “[The] human brain is more focused on doing things when it has limited amount of time to do something. That’s the whole concept behind embracing active procrastination.” Students within PV do not neglect the value of procrastination either. Senior, Siobhan Morley, commented that “it gives me a reason to get it done right now, and I can’t waste anymore time ignoring it.”
Additionally, a senior Grace Welveart added that procrastination “forces me to produce my best thoughts the first time.” With students competing for positions between both class rankings and college acceptances, every second of time must be utilized to its full potential. Morley also added that “I work a lot better under pressure; it gives me a lot more motivation and it allows me to get my work done quicker than if I had started a week earlier.”
As the competition for all elements within school continues to grow, so does the workload placed on students. “We all believe that our homework will be easier later and we will manage to find ways to do it not right now,” commented Morley, “but it never gets easier; it only gets more stressful. This is what allows us to get it done so quickly.”
Though stereotypically procrastination is presented as a negative practice among students and faculty, new studies have displayed the benefits of utilizing procrastination as a tool for success.
