I am a chronic procrastinator. Not the “I’ll do it later” kind, but the “I know this is due in two weeks, and I will start it the night before” kind. If given enough time for an assignment, you can almost guarantee I will use it irresponsibly.
Truthfully, I do work better under pressure — but only because I leave myself no other option. My mindset shifts when a deadline becomes real. When the clock is ticking and the words “due at 11:59 p.m.” stop feeling distant, something in my brain switches. I focus. I type faster. I think more clearly. The assignment I ignored for days suddenly feels manageable in an hour.
This cycle is efficient, stressful, and completely unsustainable.
For a long time, procrastination felt harmless. But this semester, I started wondering whether my “I’ll do it tomorrow” habit was actually hurting me. To find out, I spoke with three friends about their experiences with procrastination — why they do it, how it feels in the moment, and whether the last-minute rush is worth the stress.
For freshman Ivan Elliot, procrastination is less about laziness and more about logistics. His biggest obstacle, he said, is his environment. “Being around friends does not help whatsoever with getting homework done,” Elliot laughed. His solution is simple but intentional: find a quiet place and create distance from distractions. That includes, as he put it, “throwing my phone across the room — not literally, but far enough to resist it.”
Elliot believes procrastination is rooted more in time management than motivation. The desire to graduate and pursue his career is already there. The real challenge is managing the hours between assignments and deadlines. Even when he feels tempted to delay — which he admits is often — he reminds himself of his long-term goals and the calling God has for his life. That sense of purpose helps him refocus when schoolwork feels less than enjoyable.
Matthew Cook said his perspective changed when procrastination began affecting more than just his schedule. He realized it had become serious when it left him overwhelmed and irritable. Unfinished assignments, he said, began interfering with his mood and even his relationships. Now, his strategy is straightforward: if he has free time in the library, he uses it. In the past, that time might have gone to socializing. “If I have time to do it… why not do it,” he reflected. Finishing work early, he said, has noticeably lowered his stress. The relief of completing an assignment days before it is due feels empowering — a small but meaningful shift in mindset.
Archie Lard described procrastination as an internal conversation. When faced with a task, his thoughts are simple: “Should I put this off? Can I do this later?” While deadlines motivate him, he admitted they also increase stress. “I don’t think I work better under pressure,” Lard said. “It just motivates me to do my work.” Though his grades have not suffered significantly, he acknowledged that procrastination has affected his confidence, especially when thinking about the future. He also humorously confessed to avoiding assignments by launching into enthusiastic conversations about unrelated interests — sometimes with friends, sometimes entirely on his own.
Together, their experiences suggest procrastination is less a personality flaw and more a shared balancing act between discipline, distraction and the steady ticking of the clock.
Talking with them made me realize procrastination is not really about not caring. It is about mismanaging the space between now and the deadline. Ivan thinks about his future. Matthew thinks about his stress levels. Archie thinks about his confidence. I think about how calm I could feel if I just started earlier. The motivation is there. The follow-through is still a work in progress.
Maybe the solution is not a complete personality transformation. Maybe it is smaller and more realistic than that. Maybe it is doing one assignment the day it is given. Maybe it is putting my phone on the other side of the room. Maybe it is choosing the peaceful feeling of being finished over the adrenaline rush of barely finishing.
And yes, as I submit this at 11:58 p.m., I am fully aware of the irony. Instead of pretending I planned it this way, I will say this: at least I am paying attention now. Growth does not always look like perfection. Sometimes it looks like self-awareness at 11:58 — and the decision to do a little better next time.
Even if that means starting at 11:30.
Photo by: Shelby Kinuthia