Hear Me Out: The Importance of Procrastination By Rachel Becker |

Spring semester is starting up (or will shortly) for many of us, which means we get to see our friends after winter break. It’s amazing how long a few weeks can feel! It also means the inevitable return to textbooks, homework, and studying.

I actually find the first few weeks of the semester exciting. I love opening a new notebook and delving into my new classes. Call me nerdy, but I’m passionate about my major and love to learn.

No matter how much I like a class, I still find myself procrastinating, especially on big assignments. We are told that procrastination is a bad thing, but I have come to find that procrastination is an important part of my work process (yes, even in writing this article). Hear me out on this.

For me, procrastination usually boils down to stress level or mental exhaustion. If I don’t have a deadline to work towards, I find it much harder to motivate myself than if I have an essay due in 3 days. If I’m not stressed enough, I often find myself procrastinating. There is a perfect middle zone where I feel enough pressure/stress to work, but not so much that it’s overwhelming. I can also tell that I’ve been working for too long when my focus starts to wander. At that point, I give in to procrastination for a bit (especially reading She’s Fit to Lead articles!) before I try switching tasks or getting a change of scenery to reset.

This is just my experience, but it is important to understand why you’re procrastinating and of course, do everything in moderation. If you have trouble concentrating for long periods of time, try scheduling breaks into your studying. If you are having trouble starting a big project, try breaking it down into smaller parts. Give into your urges every once in awhile. After all, no one can work for hours and hours on end without distraction and breaks here or there. There are many kinds of procrastination, as this lovely picture shows. Personally, I tend to fall somewhere between Solitaireitory and Surfside.