“Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” - Christopher Parker – professional actor.

Unfortunately, procrastination is a term that we are all familiar with as students; the vast majority of us have experienced it firsthand. It saps our time and results like a parasite, a burden on its host. However, despite it’s reputation, recent studies have shown that when harnessed correctly, procrastination can be a powerful tool to improve both academic efficiency and self-efficacy.

As students, we all lead busy lives. We constantly find ourselves torn between responsibility and recreation, without the time to indulge in both. However, a solution has recently presented itself, and the secret lies in the intentional delaying of important tasks with the intent to reap the benefits of a pressured environment. Meet active procrastination, an emerging study technique backed by scientific research.

In essence, active procrastination describes the deliberate delaying of significant work with the intent to stimulate creativity and productivity. In the meantime, smaller, simpler tasks are checked off. On the contrary, passive procrastination is the type we are all familiar with - the involuntary delaying of important tasks, despite the knowledge that it will result in negative consequences in the future.

Now let me be perfectly clear here, I am not encouraging you to begin, say, your 2000-word physics assignment 10 minutes before the deadline in the name of active procrastination. That’s just ludicrous. While active procrastination is a powerful tool, we still need to be realistic. The foundation of this technique relies on the fact that active procrastinators are in control, which results in a wide range of psychological benefits. By consciously delaying tasks, active procrastinators place themselves in an environment where they feel motivated and challenged, and this can improve creativity.

The benefits of active procrastination are demonstrated by leading researchers, Chu and Choi who associated a significant 0.17 average increase in GPA with active procrastination, as opposed to passive procrastination. To put it simply, active procrastination allows you to get your work done more quickly, to a higher standard, freeing up time for the things you love.

The benefits are not limited to academic performance, however, and extensive research has shown that using active procrastination also significantly influences self-efficacy. To quote the American Psychological association, “Self-efficacy reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation, behaviour, and social environment.”

As a student, our health can easily be overlooked in our busy lives, and active procrastination allows us to prioritise our own wellbeing. How many times have you found yourself in the rut of despair associated with passive procrastination? Active procrastination provides an escape by allowing us to use our time in a more purposeful manner (Wessel, J. 2019). This is exemplified by a study by the Colombus state university who found that “Active procrastination was positively correlated with self-efficacy.” Essentially, implementing active procrastination into your study routine promotes an important sense of control over our life.

Overall, active procrastination has been associated with substantial improvements in both academic performance and self-belief. It has the capacity to break the dragging chains of poor time management and set you free. Instead of sitting at your desk passively procrastinating on an English assignment, you could be spending time on the trails with your friends or watching a thrilling movie. With this in mind, I encourage you to take initiative and implement this novel technique into your assessment schedule. Having personally experienced the benefits – this piece is due in 15 minutes – it is abundantly clear that this study technique should not be overlooked.

By Alex Vanzella, Year 9 TGS Student

References –

Carey, M., & Forsyth, A. (2009). Teaching Tip Sheet: Self-Efficacy [Paper presentation]. American Psychological Association.

Chu, A. H. C., & Choi, J. N. (2005). Rethinking Procrastination: Positive Effects of "Active" Procrastination Behavior on Attitudes and Performance. The Journal of Social Psychology, 145(3), 245–264. https://doi.org/10.3200/SOCP.145.3.245-264

Da Silva, S, Smith, A, & Facciolo, M. (2020). Relations between Self-Efficacy and Procrastination Types in College Students [Online document]. Colombus State University. https://scholar.utc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1476&context=mps

Wessel, J., Bradely, G., & Hood, M. (2019). Comparing effects of active and passive procrastination: A field study of behavioral delay [Online document]. Science Direct. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid...