To Do or Maybe To Do [tomorrow]? : Procrastination and its toll on Students amidst the Pandemic

By: Sean Malabo

Published: August 20, 2022

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I. Introduction: What is Procrastination, and what is its Relationship with Productivity?

Cherry (2020) defines procrastination as how people would do things at the last minute or past their deadline despite the consequences of these actions. It can either be done through neglecting one task to do another or completely failing to do anything about said task.

These can either be done by passive or active procrastinators. The former delay things to do because they cannot do them, while the latter sees the delay in performance as a challenge. (Solving Procrastination, n.d.) For the sake of discussion, this article delves into passive procrastinators during the pandemic.

Procrastination can be derived from students' lack of [academic] motivation. Because of the failure to perform academic tasks, students are haunted by anxiety, and their academic performance is at risk.

II.Common reasons why students procrastinate (and how to combat it) [before and during pandemic]

Before the pandemic, procrastination could be attributed to several external and internal factors. However, most of these can be attributed to a lack of motivation and resources to perform the tasks [at hand]. Some students, for instance, find the pacing of the academic events and activities too fast for them to catch up on. Some teachers may intimidate them, thus, discouraging them from asking questions and learning further. Moreover, some academic institutions practice rigid deadlines on activities and projects. (Korstange et al., 2019)

Some homes are also not conducive to learning environments, which boils down to the location of students' homes or those who live with them. This makes learning more of a challenge as they would opt to do it in school or coffee shops rather than at home, reducing the time and effort they can exert into their work.

In addition, internally, students may feel exhausted as they travel through school life. With projects coming down alongside other exams and activities, they can lose sleep and eventually become fatigued in performing their best. Their sleepless nights are often riddled with anxiety and uneasiness about when and how they will make ends meet. Because of this, students are often given mental health and counseling interventions to help put ease and focus into their minds. Apart from these, some student councils and organizations urge [school] administrations to ease or provide due rest for students to keep up with the demands of their curricula.

III. The Pandemic's contribution to rising procrastination

However, the pandemic worsened this situation, as academic institutions are still expected to perform generally under the online setup. As tired students barely had enough rest before the pandemic, this is worsened by the lack of boundaries and voluminous expectations and requirements under COVID-19 schooling.

For instance, the reliability of the internet service provider can be proven to be a disadvantage for those who are not financially adept. Data consumption is more burdensome for mobile data users than WiFi, affecting their connectivity in classes and exams.

Furthermore, this adds to additional costs alongside the need to provide additional gadgets, i.e., laptops, tablets, and cellphones, to keep up with schooling. Some homes cannot be conducive for students, especially when multiple students are in the household. Moreover, LMS (learning management systems) used for schooling can hinder how students and teachers communicate, unlike in face-to-face classes. There is also a brief time for them to familiarize the platforms and comply with online courses.

The struggle for students to become motivated drives them to miss deadlines despite the abundance of [Internet] resources and methods to finish these tasks. Fearing for their health, the uncertainty of today’s events, current circumstances, and the future, students opt to become procrastinators. (Melgaard et al., 2022) (Lim and Javadpour, 2021)

IV. How students can combat procrastination [or be assured that what they feel is normal]

It is normal to become anxious and feel exhausted, especially when socialization is limited, and so are the methods for students to learn through conventional methods. The uncertainty of today’s events may drive one to become wary of their school tasks, become pressured, and ends up not meeting deadlines.

To address procrastination, it must be acknowledged that this is a systematic issue rooted in basing worth on academic achievements. Accepting that the circumstances we have today during the pandemic are not the best time for students eases the burden brought upon them. Learning is already complicated; learning without physical interaction and strict guidance makes this the worst circumstance. As a fellow student, surviving is vital; achieving will always follow. Health must always come first. We must not compromise ourselves if we know we cannot perform fully.

Academic institutions now see the value of mental health intervention for students and, as a result, reach out to them to know how they can improve their mental and physical health. However, there is still a need to loosen and consider those suffering from external or internal factors in compliance regarding academic tasks. With the trend of #studytwt arising, it gives a new glimpse into how students can view and manage tasks. This helps encourage students and academics to revive their passion for learning and studying.

Furthermore, there is also an abundance in the use of scheduling apps like Class Up and Notion, which has pre-made templates that students can use to keep track of the volume of tasks available. They may also use traditional planners and calendars to monitor their academic progress closely. With all these resources available, students need to know they are not alone in these darkest times. As our world slowly recovers from the pandemic, may the students slowly recover too, regaining hope and light in a world they have yet to discover through learning.

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References

Cherry, K. (2020, May 30). What Is Procrastination?. Very Well Mind. [Article].

Retrieved July 30, 2022 from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-procrastination-2795944

Korstange, R.., Craig, M., & Duncan, M.D. (2019, November 13). Understanding and

Addressing Student Procrastination in College. Middle Tenessee State University. Retrieved July 30, 2022 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1234437.pdf

Lim, A.J., & Javadpour, S. (2021, August 18). Into the Unknown: Uncertainty and

Procrastination in Students From a Life History Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717380

Melgaard, J., Monir, R., Lasrado, L. A., & Fagerstrøm, A. (2022). Academic

Procrastination and Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Procedia Computer Science. 196. 117-124. ISSN 1877-0509. DOI: 10.1016/j.procs.2021.11.080.

Solving Procrastination (n.d.). Active and Passive Procrastination: Definitions,

Examples, Differences, and Criticisms. Retrieved July 30, 2022 from https://solvingprocrastination.com/active-passive-procrastination/