Almost everyone would rather be doing something other than schoolwork. Nobody enjoys having multiple responsibilities every single day after school. Although motivation is scarce, not having enough drive or feeling burnt out is extremely common, and because of this many students at Grant Community High School end up suffering from the same issue, procrastination.
The Grant Perspective
There are tons of facts on procrastination online, but not one article has facts on how avoiding school work or other responsibilities affects the students at Grant Community High School. Ailani Mora, a sophomore at Grant, expressed how procrastination affects her life outside of school. She says, “Procrastination affects my sleep schedules and my eating habits. I’ll be so concerned with what’s going on with my school work that I’ll end up forgetting to take care of myself.” Sarah Alverez, another sophomore at Grant contributes a similar issue, “When I have a lot of responsibilities, they pile up because of procrastination, and eventually create more stress for me.” Sarah and Ailani both have the same obstacles, and there are psychological reasons behind them.
Why We Avoid
Human motivation is greatly influenced by how close a future reward is. Many people will assume that the further away a task is in the future, the less it needs to be prioritized. As someone continues to delay the amount of time they have to complete work, a person will engage in an activity that releases more dopamine than the actual responsibility itself. UNSW Student Life writes, “Our brains reward us for not doing the task that you’re supposed to be doing because it feels better for our brains.” Almost everyone wants to take the easy way out of any situation, and this is a constant cycle also shown within the students of Grant. On September 13, 2023, a Google Form was sent to the sophomore, junior, and senior classes asking about their own experiences with procrastination.
How to Manage
To stay on task and better yourself from distractions there are multiple easy ways a person can become more successful. For example, making a list. It has been scientifically proven that writing down your goals will help you become more productive. Mind Tools writes, “Taking an idea and putting it down on paper (or in a digital notes app) has been shown to decrease anxiety, and completing a task and crossing it off the list provides a sense of tangible satisfaction.” A to-do list is fast to make, and all it takes is some paper and a pencil. One more strategy that can improve productivity is removing distractions. Almost everyone has a phone, so limiting screen time may help with more effective focus.
