Finding a parking space or a seat at a free computer in the library is just one of the many battles University of Memphis students must face everyday. And now with finals and project due dates rapidly approaching, students must prepare to win the battle of procrastination.
Delaying schoolwork is common for many U of M students for several reasons, according to University officials.
"(Students procrastinate because they) don't like to do what they have to do, don't follow a schedule, fail to get started, have different priorities (social, work, family) or use procrastination because it has worked in the past," said Barbara Bekis, educational support program coordinator.
For graduate student Amy Salazar, balancing school and work is nearly impossible.
"It is hard to fit everything into just 24 hours, no matter how far you work in advance," Salazar said. "Try to balance your life and work so you're not completely stressed and end up in the psychological services center."
Salazar is not the only U of M student struggling with a hectic to-do list. Senior Sarah Bingham said it is the root of her postponement too."I procrastinate because my schedule is way overloaded," Bingham said. "I work two jobs and go to school full time and if I do ever get any free time I prefer to do what I want to do."
One campus department that experiences student procrastination in large doses toward the end of the semester is the foreign language department.
"Students complain when they need a video or program that has already been checked out but they should not wait until the last minute (to complete required hours), especially when we only have so many copies," said Junji Kamiya, technical support and assistant manager of the language lab. "It is just a bad habit a lot of people have."
For U of M freshmen, college life lends itself to delayed end of semester assignments.
"College is so different from high school," said Ebonie Stafford, biology freshman major. "That is why I procrastinate because no one is making me do everything. I mostly do my papers the night before they are due."
However, there is still hope for all students who feel they are drowning in assignments.
"Make a plan and post it on their mirror or on the T.V. screen, or have someone check your daily progress in keeping the schedule or plan," Bekis said. "It is a personal decision that has to be made based on the perceived value to the student."
