Procrastinate. We’ve all done it at least once or twice, or every time we get an assignment. Usually when handed a new assignment that is not due for another month you put it in your folder with the intention of starting it that night and getting it out of the way. Unfortunately, you end up deciding to do otherwise when comes time to actually start it; so you put it off, and put it off, until eventually it is the night before the assignment is due and you haven’t even looked at the assignment since the teacher handed it out. Looks like it’s going to be a long night.

Why do so many people procrastinate? Wouldn’t it be so much easier to just get whatever it is you need to get done, done on time? According to Hara Marano of Phycology Today, “Twenty percent of teenagers are chronic procrastinators.” The other percent either procrastinate sometimes or none of the time. But if procrastination is frowned upon, what is the outcome?

Most people think that by racing to get it done the night before they do better than they would if doing it over a long period of time. They claim to work better under the pressure. But studies show that is not necessarily the case.

Research at Ohio State determined that people that who procrastinate a lot receive significantly lower grades in college courses than those who mildly procrastinate or don’t at all.

“I procrastinate a lot. Almost every long term assignment I receive I end up waiting until either a couple days or the day it’s due to get it done. I always get it done though, and my grades don’t seem to suffer at all. I usually do pretty well,” said senior Mairead Carney.

Freshman Katelyn Deo said, “The night before an essay is due you can find me trying hard to get the whole thing done. I stay up late and do the whole thing that night.” When asked if her grades suffer she replied, “Not at all, I have received straight A’s my whole life.”

If procrastination is supposed to have a negative impact, why are students still getting good grades? Maybe the assignments are too easy, or the grading is too lenient. Or maybe we’ve grown up to become such great procrastinators we can still do good work on a tight deadline.

Or maybe with the work load of college, our ability to procrastinate and still be successful will lessen.

Senior Catherine Tracy said, “I procrastinate now, but I know when I get to college next year it will be a lot different. I plan on not procrastinating as much as I can because the classes will be harder and I need to manage my time differently. It will be really hard to adjust but I feel like procrastinating as much as I do now, in college, is just not an option.”

VHS graduate Courtney Paganelli, now attending college in Minnesota, said “Whatever you do, get your assignments done and out of the way as soon as possible when you get to college. I tried to put everything off and it just doesn’t work. Get it done.”

If procrastination works and gets you the grades you are okay with now, good for you. But keep in mind the work won’t always be the same, the people that grade it won’t always be the same, and sooner or later life comes around and you have to do things like pay bills and work a job. You cannot put off paying your bills or you will be in big trouble, and most bosses will not tolerate any form of procrastination. It’s better to prepare for the future now and try to quit any bad habits of procrastination so you’re well prepared for whatever comes next in life.