Facebook-ing, AIM and text messaging - students will find any reason to delay what they have to do. The art of procrastination could be its own major for some.
With busy work schedules, classes and extra curricular activities, time is a precious entity for the college student. For Lindsey Nowotny, a junior occupational therapy major, procrastination always finds a way to get the best of her.
"I am definitely a victim of procrastination," she said. "I start every semester out saying that things will be different and I will get a head start on my work, but it never goes that way."
Despite the desire to "get ahead," students don't always use the time they have wisely.
"My experience is that many students have limited skill in budgeting time or money," said Dan Ryan, director of career services. "In ten minutes a day and the discipline to plan your work, and work your plan, any student can turn their life around."
The ambition to do well in everything can become overwhelming, and students feel overtaken by time and end up wasting it, Ryan said. Overcoming habitually procrastinating writing that research paper until the night before it is due takes a few small changes.
"Instead of feeling overwhelmed, the first thing to do is to write out all of the tasks you need to perform and how much time you think those tasks will take," Ryan said. "Then look at the time you have available and plot it out."
Most important in time management is a daily or monthly planner.
Like most students, Takla Boujaoude, a senior psychology and entertainment major, juggles classes, internships and a job. She avoids wasting time by keeping busy.
"It's hard to be a procrastinator when you have a lot of things going on," she said. "I have two internships, (I am) SA public relations manager, a job at Dibella's and classes at UB. I guess that at times I will wait until the last minute, but at the same time procrastinating really screws me over."
Takla, as Ryan suggests, uses a planner to organize her schedule.
"I have a big planner with every engagement written down. This helps me to complete the tasks," Boujaoude said.
Ed Brodka with career services has given time management presentations at UB and believes students can save a whole day each week by ridding themselves of their biggest time wasters.
"Determine and limit your time wasters such as excessive TV, instant messaging, Facebook or surfing the web." Brodka said.
According to Brodka, time management skills are important to being a successful student; the best students will use their time wisely.
"Remember, if you spend just one less hour a day on these time wasters, at the end of a week you will have saved an extra seven hours. That's almost one whole extra workday that you can gain each week." Brodka said.
Parker Mackay, a senior political science major, feels procrastination has overcome his life.
"Everybody is a victim of procrastination in college at some point," Mackay said. "I tend to do some of my best work under pressure, but that only applies to certain types of work. Some types of work absolutely cannot be left to the last minute."
If every student organizes their time in a way that allows them to put their best foot forward on every project, the best academic outcome will result.
"If I sit down at my computer, it will obviously be instant messages or the desire to check news sites online that keeps me from doing work," Mackay said. "If I do it somewhere more comfortable, like on my bed, the tendency is to fall asleep."
For whatever reason, when it comes to doing academic work students get distracted, and time is wasted in space. According to Brodka the student needs to take control and responsibility for the organization of their time.
"Take the calendar and plan your time. The first priority is your health. Make sure you budget enough, but not too much time, to sleep, then to eat, then to exercise and hygiene."
Brodka added, "Get started now. Put down this paper. Stop reading this article. Pick a project that you've been putting off. Divide, schedule and do."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
