The popular saying, “You can sleep when you’re dead” is false.
Talk to a college student who’s been up studying and doing homework for 48 hours straight, and it’s guaranteed they feel dead tired — but still haven’t slept.
Most college students do not just attend classes, eat dinner, study and go to bed. Instead, the modern-day college student juggles a full credit load on top of a part-time job, mixed with several extra-curricular activities — all while trying to maintain even the smallest semblance of a social life.
There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done, and college students often find themselves stressed out and completing assignments at the last minute.
The easiest, most legal way to deal with this stress is to procrastinate.
This type of procrastination does not entail waiting until 6 a.m. to study for that 8 a.m. exam, and it doesn’t mean waiting until Thursday to write a paper that’s due Friday, because Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent playing World of Warcraft.
There is a right kind of procrastination, used in moderation, of course.
Putting homework off for an hour to do something enjoyable instead isn’t always a bad thing, and will actually relieve stress.
The bottom line is that you can’t sleep, eat, socialize — or do much of anything, really — when you’re dead, which is why you should do it now.
So take that hard-earned break and indulge in some fro-yo with a couple friends. Catch up on a favorite book or TV show. Go shoot hoops, or kick a ball around. Grab some coffee with an old friend. Attend that Zumba class you’ve always wanted to. Test out that new restaurant. Take a nap.
Whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up about it. That paper, project or study guide will still be there when you return.
This type of procrastination isn’t meant to undermine the value or importance of an education. But looking back on your college career 20 years from now, you will not remember the “fun” times you had studying for a test or writing a paper. Instead, the good times spent among great friends doing the things you love are the ones that will be remembered.
On the contrary, the popular saying, “The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time” is, in fact, true.