Procrastination can affect anyone, but it's common among
university students. There are a lot of distractions when you're a student and
many things that may seem more fun than completing assignments and studying.
The truth is, procrastination can be dangerous and even disastrous when you're
a student. Check out a few of the dangers of procrastination below and take
steps to avoid them.
The Quality of Your
Work Can Suffer
When you start an assignment too close to its due date (e.g.
a day before the deadline), it may be impossible to deliver your best work. A
small timeframe or tight deadline could impede creativity and suppress your
best ideas. Rushed work may also not be reflective of your talents or abilities
and can lead to low quality work and failing grades. Plus, most major
assignments and/or projects require weeks of research and planning. Neglecting
this research and planning process could make your assignment or project less
detailed and polished.
Procrastination Can
Cause Stress and/or Anxiety
University can be full of stressors and anxiety-inducing
conditions, including heavy workloads, a new social environment or pressure,
homesickness, etc. However, unknown to many, procrastination is a common
culprit of stress and anxiety for university students. The longer you
procrastinate, the more you worry, the closer the deadlines become, and the
more work piles up. Short deadlines and more work can cause pressure,
compounding stress and anxiety. Most university assignments or projects are
typically broken down into and meant to be completed in steps. Leaving all the
work to the last minute can make an assignment larger and more complicated than
it should be. Large, complicated projects are inherently stress and
anxiety-inducing.
It Can Compromise
Your Academic Record
How you work affects the quality of your work and how much
you get done. With (self-imposed) tighter deadlines, it’s likely you’ll finish
less and pay less attention to detail, offering lower quality work. Eventually,
this could lead to falling grades. Chronic procrastination could also lead to
complete academic failure, especially if it causes you to miss deadlines, and
this can sidetrack your academic goals. If these types of issues persist or
worsen, they could eventually lead to academic probation or worse.
It Can Negatively
Affect Your Social Life
For many people, an active social life is one of the best
parts of being a university student. During university, you meet new people,
experience new things, and pass into a new phase of life. Procrastination can
actually put all of this in jeopardy,
because if you're always finishing your work at the last minute or cramming for
tests, there's a greater chance you will be forced to miss social events and
time spent with friends.
Procrastination Can
Lower Confidence and Self-Esteem
For many, it’s difficult to feel self-confident when you
constantly put things off to the last minute. Not only can procrastination
cause low self-esteem, it can result from low self-esteem, and the more you
procrastinate, the worse you feel about yourself. Low self-esteem can
compromise your academic performance and social life, and it can lead to social
isolation, anxiety, stress and even depression.
If you find yourself pushing more and more of your work off
to the last minute, make a commitment to change the way you tackle assignments
and studying. Get started now, before exam season starts!
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