Procrastinating can get in the way of success

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Antoinette Mason, a third-year psychology major at Florida A&M University, says procrastinating has set her back and caused her to doubt herself as she pursues her degree.

“Fearing being rejected and expect perfection at an all-time high,” Mason said.  “Also, wasting my virtue on social media is a huge delay in my life where I could be productive with my work.”

It can be difficult to take action to accomplish goals when there are plenty of areas competing for a student’s time and attention. Sometimes students cannot “do it all.” In those cases, they need to prioritize, let something go, and rethink what the most essential things are to them.

Jamie Davis, director of Academic Support Services at FAMU, says procrastination can get in the way of student success.

“Students are bombarded with opportunities ranging from social activities, employment, etc., so in some cases, this results in assignments not being completed until the last minute,” Davis said. “Sometimes this impacts their academic performance but, in many cases, its short term because students realize their mistakes.”

Davis recommends using an agenda or planner to organize all assignments, quizzes and exams so that students can be more organized and aware of upcoming assignments. He also encourages students to attend a time management workshop sponsored by the learning centers on campus.

“The workshop does an excellent job of helping students to be more mindful of their time,” Davis said. “I would encourage students to seek an academic coach. Academic coaches are trained to assist students in time management, study skills, and other best practices that will help students perform well academically and graduate in four years.”

Students may struggle because college does not have as much structure as what they were used to in high school. A student might ask: What reason would it be a good idea for me to begin a schoolwork task now when I have nothing I need to get done for the following three days? This mindset can delay completing an assignment for as long as possible.

Asya Griffin, a transfer student at FAMU, believes procrastination has had a stronghold on many students including herself. It has kept her from reaching her full potential, she said.

“For me personally, I have struggled with following through with my aspirations,” Griffin said. “This is what I’d like to refer to as the ‘execution’ of the plan.”

Griffin has no problem with coming up with a goal or idea, but following through to meet it has been her greatest struggle. She says she needs to be more realistic with herself if she wants to improve.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day and my goals won’t be accomplished overnight,” Griffin said.