t’s 1:30 in the morning and you’re sitting at your computer. You have a five page paper due tomorrow for your least favorite class; that damn professor is so pompous. The active window on your computer screen: Facebook. The number of pages done for the paper: zero. You figured you better check and see if anyone wrote on your wall in the last 5 minutes. Next thing you know, you’re looking at some kid’s pictures that you don’t even know. Procrastination has reared its ugly head again. It has driven you to stare at the screen until your eyes hurt, just to realize that you still have so much work to do that you may have to stare at the screen until your eyes bleed. Damn you procrastination!

            Everyone knows what its like to procrastinate. It’s almost a way of life for some. But, procrastinating can be seriously detrimental to both you and your work. Trust me I have experience with this classic art form. I haven’t been to bed before 3 o’clock in the morning in about 4 years for a reason. I am a professional procrastinator. You give me a task and I’ll give you a list of things I’d rather be doing, and chances are I’ll do them. You don’t believe me stop reading now, better yet kill yourself. Wait, scratch that last idea. Like I was saying, procrastinating can be harmful. It can cause a severe lack of sleep, which can in turn affect your health. It can also cause your work to come up short of its full potential. Both are not good. So, it would be an excellent idea to avoid procrastinating. However, modern technology makes this almost impossible; between broadband internet, Playstation 3, InDemand, and camera phones, God knows what you can be doing.

            However, all procrastinators know there comes a time when you have to sit down, or get in whatever position you are required to be in, and get things done. Otherwise you’re not a procrastinator, you’re a slacker. The latter is not a good choice - the ladies don’t like it fellas. So my first suggestion is to make a list of what you have to do. If it is multiple tasks that you have to get done, write them all down and prioritize them. I personally like to get the little things done first so when it comes time for larger tasks, I can give them my full attention. If it is just one large task you have to tackle then break it up into segments. This will allow you to concentrate on particular aspects and will make the overall project seem less daunting. “No, I don’t have a 20 page paper due tomorrow, just four 5 page papers.” Not as bad, right? Just smile and nod.

            Now that you have a list of what needs to be done - no checking ESPN for the score of the game does not have to be done right now - try and appoint times for each task. For example, if you first have to read something, give yourself a half hour or forty five minutes. If the next task is to write something based on what you read, schedule an hour or so to get that done. So when you sit down to look at what you actually have to do, you have that goal of an hour and a half to get it done. This gives you a general idea of timing so that other tasks can be fit in as well; like commenting on photos of yourself on Facebook that you were too drunk to remember taking.

            Now that you have the scheduling thing down, I’ll give you my second suggestion for defeating the evil that is procrastination. Turn off the television! This is huge. If you are the type of person that needs that electric buzz or glowing light, just turn down the volume. Then at least random Family Guy lines won’t distract you and throw you off course. And if you live in a dorm and the roomie is watching television, go to the library. Trust me on this one; I never want to go to the library because I feel like I’m going to miss something. But, if you go, find a comfortable spot, sit down and do your work, then you will be done a lot quicker than expected. It may even add to the quality of your work, which is always a good thing.

            Next up, take a second to procrastinate. No, I’m just kidding, but what I like to do next is sit back for a minute and think about what has to be done. This allows me to get my thoughts in order and clear my mind. With a blank canvas – metaphorically speaking of course, unless you’re painting - you can let the ideas flow and the work will get done with some ease. If you find this difficult, read something in relation to what you are doing. This is a little trick I use to get my thought processes going, even if what I am reading is not directly focused on what I have to do. Next thing you know the ideas or motivation for your own work will come.

            Once you get going, don’t stop! This is perhaps the most important advice I can offer you. A break here and there is understandable. But, do not fall into the trap that is the internet. I’ve done it before; I’m moving along nicely with my work and then I hit a little wall. Instead of just focusing and brain-storming, I say, “Hey I wonder if there are any new pictures on CollegeHumor.” That’s when it’s all over. You get sucked in for two maybe even three hours. A twist on the Jay-Z line from “Song Cry” sums it up nicely, “I was just checking that page I was gonna get right back.” But, you know what, you never do. You end up going to bed telling yourself you will finish it in the morning. Next thing you know you over-slept and you only have a half hour to finish what you need to. The result: shoddy work.

            So to break it down for you, it goes like this: schedule, eliminate distractions, brain-storm, and don’t stop, don’t stop ‘till you get enough. Sorry, I didn’t mean to break out into song there. But you have to trust me on this people; I have experience and countless hours of lost sleep. Come to think of it I may just be an insomniac. But, I’m also a chronic procrastinator, so my words on the subject carry some weight. If you take my advice, your chances for success may just increase and your grades may see a boost. Or you may spontaneously combust; I don’t really know I haven’t tried this stuff out. Like I said, procrastination is a way of life for some. ~