By: Olivia Cantadori ‘23 and Sarah Alvero ‘23, Staff Writers 

Procrastination is a problem for many students in any grade or class, interfering with homework and causing stress when deadlines approach.

     “I think that the initial reason for procrastination is to avoid the discomfort caused by learning,” said Mrs. Marianna Shaposhnikova. “If there are no consequences caused by procrastination, then it becomes a habit,” she added. 

     Mrs. Shaposhnikova has noticed that systematic procrastination leads to a higher level of stress in most students. This stress impacts not only students’ mental health but also hinders their ability to work and problem solve in class. The development of large amounts of missing work that comes with procrastination can make it difficult for students to focus on turning future work in. Mrs. Shaposhnikova said oftentimes, the work turned in by students who don’t procrastinate reflects a better understanding and higher level of confidence than those who are affected by the habit. 

     While a majority of procrastination occurs when students do homework, procrastination has also been a problem in the classroom. This can become a hard thing for many teachers to manage. 

     “Teachers have to spend a lot of time redirecting, prompting and encouraging students to stay on task and finish projects on time,” Shaposhnikova added. 

     Many students are also aware of their struggle against procrastination. Suhani Kashyap ‘23 admits she procrastinates almost every day and not only has this resulted in more stress, but Kashyap has noticed that she is getting much lower grades and has more missing assignments due to procrastination. 

     “In the past, I was not at all willing to ask teachers for help,” Kashyap said, adding that it is very likely she will keep procrastinating later in life as the habit is hard to break. 

     There are some ways to control or resist the urge to procrastinate.    

     Junior Rebecca Drazul’s anti-procrastination strategy is to “take breaks” between homework assignments to refresh her focus.   

     Kashyap added that writing assignments down has helped her to keep track of homework. 

     Here are additional ways to stop procrastinating: 

Take Breaks: We live in a society that prioritizes productivity above all else, but taking water and snack breaks can refresh your motivation. Taking five minutes to stretch and take a break from your screen makes the work seem more manageable. 

Get Organized Before Starting Assignments: To maximize productivity during study sessions, make a to-do list and prioritize more important tasks first. This can be especially helpful when there’s homework from multiple classes or prolonged assignments. Gather any physical materials you might need for your assignments as well. Simply getting up to retrieve a book or a pencil can disrupt your concentration and it’s frustrating to begin a work session only to realize you left an important paper across the room. 

Eliminate Distractions: A lot of procrastination happens online as social media continues to be a large part of student life. When doing homework, it can help to move your cell phone out of sight, or use apps such as Forest, which reward you for staying off distracting apps. 

Break Large Assignments Down Into Smaller Steps: Long, open-ended assignments can feel unmanageable and overwhelming and it’s easy to put work off when it feels like much more than we can handle. Breaking these assignments down into much simpler pieces can give you a clear idea of how to tackle the workload.  

Study With a Friend: The temptation to wander off and burn half an hour playing Crashy Cats while you’re supposed to be working is much harder to resist alone. Studying with a friend can help stave off distractions and keep you grounded on your work.