Angles: Can procrastination lead to productivity?

All work, no play? Or work hard, play hard? Nobody seems to be able to agree, but regardless of the stance, someone will always end up shamed for their process. 

If you don’t accomplish tasks in a timely manner, then you are, of course, lazy and pathetic and an all-around awful person. Apparently. If a student waits until the night before to study for an exam or to write a lengthy essay, they must be unprepared.

But when those “rushed” tests and papers come back with high grades and positive feedback, is that just luck, or does it prove that we all learn and work at different paces? 

On the other hand, those who prepare their assignments weeks in advance and still receive poor results are left wondering what went wrong. They often compare themselves to their procrastinating peers — fueled by adrenaline and copious amounts of caffeine — while trying to get through an all-nighter.

This clash of processes results in happiness for no one. Whether within our country, our communities or our own university, individuals often suggest it is alright to “think differently” until they are faced with someone who actually acts on that. 

Below, two students examine whether or not there is actually a “correct” way to accomplish our work, or if waiting until the last minute can, in a way, be a benefit.

Madisyn Stogsdill, Forum Editor

Yes, my brain just does that

Jocelyn Baas is a senior English and Spanish double major.

Look. I’m not trying to stress you out.

Admittedly, it does make me laugh every time my procrastination makes my type-A friends widen their eyes and scold me. But if you told me to be serious about it, I would, with some effort, concede that it’s not really a laughing matter.

That middle-of-the-night grind during which I write entire essays in one sitting isn’t exactly something I woke up one day and decided to do. It’s how I’ve always been, and I know plenty of other people who have a similar process.

If you’re an outsider looking in at us and our habits, you probably frown, consider our ADHD diagnoses and conclude, “Ah, yes — this is what executive dysfunction looks like.”

Executive function is an umbrella term for a whole host of cognitive processes, including working memory, organization, impulse and emotional control, and time management. There are many conditions that can affect any number of these elements of cognition; ADHD is only one.

But I want you to consider for a moment what exactly it is that causes you to call my cognitive process “dysfunctional.” It isn’t that I’m not getting things done: You’re reading this, aren’t you? It isn’t that it’s harming me: Some executive dysfunctions can result in a decrease in quality of life, but I can speak to the fact that it’s not bothering me to manage tasks like this. In fact, it’s the only way I’ve ever done things.

If I’m not “dysfunctional” because I’m incapable or because my process is causing me harm, then it must be something else. Let me give you a hint. 

The demonization of procrastination is a social construct that’s dependent upon the assumption that we as individuals exist within society for one reason and one reason only: productivity. 

Despite the fact that so many of us with type-B tendencies still get our work done, our inability to conform directly to a strict, organized process threatens the social and economic models we live in. 

We’re labeled “neurodivergent,” a word which implies a norm from which we “diverge.” Those who do conform to that norm are called “neurotypical, implying adherence to a social ideal which allows them to fit easily into the structure of a 9–5.

I recently watched a video from one of my favorite content creators, science educator Hank Green, in which he talks about his childhood experience with neurodivergence and how we define diagnosable “disorders.”

While he discusses this, Hank says, “There’s no doubt in my mind that ADHD in particular is not a disorder except that the world is not well-suited to people who have it.” My experience has led me to a very similar conclusion about the way my brain works. 

Maybe my process isn’t “typical,” but you should ask yourself what made you decide that that’s a bad thing. Do you measure your value as a person by your level of so-called productivity? Who even decided what it means to be productive? Shouldn’t my choice to go see my friends, knowing I can write the essay tomorrow, be considered a good and healthy use of my time?

At the end of the day, I get everything done. It doesn’t matter when I do it.

No, it hinders potential

Ben Knobloch is a freshman government and international affairs and journalism double major.

We’ve all been there. It’s 11 p.m., and the assignment that’s been staring back at you on Canvas for a week is now due in an hour. It’s you versus a blank Word document. As you look back at your week, it becomes abundantly clear why your professor gave you so much time.

Let’s be honest. People don’t procrastinate because they want to. They do it because that’s the mental habit they have ingrained.

Procrastination involves a series of small, seemingly insignificant choices that feel harmless in isolation but become costly when the clock starts to work against you. We know this, so why do we continue to do it? 

Procrastinators often suggest that they are the victims of the habit, controlled by some mysterious force that makes them wait until the eleventh hour. But procrastination is not a personality trait or an innate flaw. Rather, it’s a vote for instant gratification.

Have you ever noticed that you never procrastinate watching your favorite Netflix series or listening to the newest album from your favorite artist? We procrastinate the difficult things to make time for the easy things. 

By framing procrastination as something that happens to us rather than through us, we remove all responsibility, and this is precisely what makes procrastination such a detrimental habit.   

If we’re honest, this isn’t a controversial issue. No one likes procrastination, but they will make excuses for it, arguing that they simply work better under pressure. This excuse doesn’t hold water. Procrastinators aren’t working better, just faster. 

Cramming a week of work into an hour causes a spike in cortisol, which activates the body’s “fight or flight” response. Doing so frequently can leave procrastinators with chronic stress, mental burnout and even physical health problems like high blood pressure or weakened immunity. Procrastinators don’t thrive under pressure; they lack discipline to work without it, and that can be devastating. 

When the mindset shifts from “do it well” to “get it done,” a second, more implicit excuse tends to emerge. It’s 11:56 p.m. when you click the “Submit” button. You did it. The hour-long battle between you and that assignment prompt is over. Who needed that extra week anyway? 

Then the grade notification appears days later, and it turns out you didn’t do as well as you told yourself you would. But who cares? You only had an hour to do it. 

This is a classic example of self-handicapping, a psychological defense mechanism in which one creates an obstacle so that, if they fail, they can blame that obstacle rather than their own capability.  

In reality, we are rarely incapable of meeting the task at hand. We often have all the intelligence and talent required. What holds us back is not incapability but a fear that we’re incapable.

By leaning into procrastination, we create a safety net for our egos. If we wait until the last minute and the results are mediocre, we assure ourselves it was a lack of time — not a lack of talent — that failed us. Procrastination prevents us from ever realizing the potential of our intelligence when paired with discipline.

We don’t want to procrastinate. So, the next time an assignment appears on Canvas a week in advance of its due date, try to kick that bad habit. Do your best, and I believe you will find that feeling of determination far outweighs an eleventh-hour sprint.