College Student Procrastination Means More Than Late Assignments

Gregory Micek

Procrastination is an issue that affects students everywhere, and as students reach college, the negative results of procrastination reach a climax. Procrastination is the act of deferring or delaying action, and students often delay doing their homework until they recognize the approaching due date, often the night before the homework is due. In college, the large number of events and prevalent social life can cause students to procrastinate by distracting them from the work they need to do.

For example, according to the psychologist William Knaus, approximately 90% of college students procrastinate, and 25% of those students are chronic procrastinators that often drop out of college. Knaus explains that procrastination is a serious issue for college students in particular because, left unchecked, it can lead chronic procrastinators to drop out of college. As a result, procrastination can affect students’ academic performance to the extent that some students may leave college without obtaining a degree.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, other effects of procrastinating include “unhealthy sleep, diet, and exercise patterns,” as well as “higher rates of smoking, drinking, and a tendency to postpone seeing a doctor for acute health problems.” Therefore, procrastinating students may not only do their work at the last minute or turn it in late, but they may be more prone to problems involving smoking or drinking and may have less concern for their health. This issue is prevalent in college environments where harmful substances and alcohol are often more readily available than at other locations. Therefore, procrastination can cause unhealthy behaviors that can detract from college students’ academic performance in college as well as negatively affect their health.

Overall, procrastination negatively affects students not only through late and hurried homework assignments but also by having a harmful effect on their health. College students in particular are susceptible to the negative side effects of procrastination because of the availability of harmful substances and alcohol. Finally, procrastination can take such a toll on college students that chronic procrastinators may drop out of college.