Why do students procrastinate?
Parents, feeling frustrated by teen procrastination? Let’s discuss: Why do students procrastinate?
Procrastination
noun-it's a thing.
- the action of delaying or postponing something.
"your first tip is to avoid procrastination."
“I’ll do it later” is often the party line of students. They are inclined to feel that time is on their side and that even hours reserved for sleep are available to them for completing tasks and course expectations. Both non-nuerodiverse and nuerodiverse young people struggle with time management. They struggle with executive functions, as well as accountability and transparency regarding their coursework. Why do students procrastinate?
What is procrastination?
CBC Kids describes it this way:
So, imagine you've got a big project due this week,
but, every time you try to work on it,
you just can’t seem to focus.
Suddenly, other tasks feel more important.
Before you know it, it's the night before your deadline.
And you haven't started.
Why do students procrastinate?
Deconstructing Stigma suggests that there are 5 main reasons for procrastination.
- Feeling Bored
- Lack of Belief in Your Abilities
- Fear & Anxiety
- Perfectionism
- Distraction
Boredom can mask depression and needs to be addressed; so, mental health is academic wealth. Speak with your doctor about boredom as it manifests for your young person. I often remind students that homework is intended to be an independent activity because a sense of confidence is essential for productivity. Students are not expected to self-teach each evening after a long day at school. Fear and Anxiety can correlate to perfectionism, resulting in productivity paralysis. Distraction is often a seeking of some form of immediate gratification.
What can we do to diminish procrastination?
Our first step is verifying that course expectations are properly communicated and published. These can be found within course portals such as Infinite Campus, Canvas, Schoology, etc. Procrastination may be fed by teacher disorganization because they do not effectively share their expectations. However, teachers who are clear about course expectations by publishing assignments daily, updating their grade book, and providing a course syllabus complete with pacing guides and calendars effectively address student excuses.
Students need to know what is expected of them by effectively referencing the course portal, which provides daily lecture slide decks related to and access to materials.
Students who diminish procrastination are clear about when and where they will initiate their daily assignments. So, these students keep a calendar. Additionally, they set notifications and reminders that prompt initiation of tasks, and they share their plan in calendar format with their Accountability Coach.
Just2’s Accountability in Action services are an effective support to diminishing procrastination. Click here to find out more.