What if I do this later? That is a question I have ask myself for multiple reasons: when doing homework, when I am about to clean my room, or text someone. I am pretty sure this has happened to you as well.

According to a 2007 study by the University of Calgary, an estimate of 80 to 95 percent of college students procrastinate, and almost 50 percent do it consistently and can create bad mental health problems.

It does not just apply to college work, it applies in all others life situations as well. We procrastinate both on things we want and don’t want to do.

Nicole Santiago, 19, a freshman student at CF, said that she procrastinates not very often, but she is aware of the consequences when doing it.

“I do procrastinate sometimes, and I think the most important factor is to know how much you procrastinate.” said Santiago.

There are six main types of procrastinators. You can see more information here: Which one are you?. Most of the time there is a reason why we avoid important things.

Dr. Monica Ramirez Basco, an expert in cognitive-behavioral therapy, told in “Wise Counsel” interview that her students write their papers the night before they’re due, and then they do an awful job.

Ramirez Basco also told in the interview that her book called “The procrastinator’s guide to getting things done”, helps people by giving solutions for problems with procrastination.

After I procrastinate, I regret it and feel rushed, so, these are four strategies I used to improve it when doing my college work:

1. Put my phone away. The phone is a huge distraction and makes me focus on completely different things and forget about my homework.
2. Clear my mind. I try to centralize on the important tasks.
3. Organize a to-do list. I write down the assignments for the week and the due dates. I also categorize them by which assignments are easy and which ones take a little longer to complete
4. Give myself a time limit. I calculate an hour that I should be finished with the assignments, while ignoring interruptions.
5. Look for someone supportive to talk about, it also helps a lot to vent your mind.

I tried a lot of options and methods to improve this habit. The first step was accepting that it was happening to me.

Julee McCammon, Professor at CF, was asked what advice she would give to students about procrastination.

“I tell students at a minimum to look at Canvas every single day. Make it a habit. Tell yourself that it’s only for two minutes,” said McCammon. “Once you start, you can usually continue on and you break through that resistance.”

When students face adversities that affect the desire to do the assignments, it can cause anxiety, fear, and difficulties with assignments.

Procrastination is not something you can get comfortable with, especially in college, we must all try to avoid it.

As McCammon said, “I think it’s very human. Most of us procrastinate but we can’t use it as an excuse. Developing strong habits is the best defense against procrastination.”