I sleep at 1 AM.
It’s become a routine for me for the past month, as junior year has started to sink its claws into me. Eight golden hours of sleep was the norm in middle school, but now six hours doesn’t seem so bad. If anyone asks, I’ll simply complain about all the AP classes I’m taking and how tennis eats up a lot of my time. But the reality is, I’m a master procrastinator.
Perhaps “master” is not the best word to use in this case, but my procrastinating has spanned from the zoom meetings of 2020 to this very moment. Even when I had a maximum of 5 pages of homework a day, I would put it off until the last possible moment. It’s quite common among my friends and several AP students as well, who also put tasks off until they absolutely must be done.
But why? Why is procrastination so common, anyway? Science says it occurs because of built up habits, perfectionism, and anxiety. While that’s completely true, I believe another reason is because of the lack of consequences. Sure, if you procrastinate too much you’ll end up turning in lackluster work or failing a test. But professional procrastinators often are able to leave just enough time to cram for a test or complete that last minute assignment, even if sleep is sacrificed.
These days, when time is so limited due to clubs, sports, and the classes I’m taking, I tend to hold on to every last drop of free time that I get. That means that I won’t utilize my weekends because I’m itching for a break from school, but I’m still stressed and guilty about not studying. My free time no longer belongs to me — it has been taken over by the overwhelming knowledge that soon, I’ll have to get up and study again.
If I just suffered through a month of organizing my time wisely, I would be able to achieve a perfect eight hours of sleep that I’ve been craving. For the past few weeks, however, I’ve fallen victim to my bad habits and no changes have been made. “Maybe I just need a reset,” I’ll think, while making the decision to enjoy my weekend.
But come Sunday afternoon, my homework always comes buzzing back like bees on honey.