A Letter To Procrastinators
Dear procrastinators,
We’re told through all levels of school that we’re preparing for what comes next. In elementary school we’re being prepared for middle school, in middle school we’re being prepared for high school, in high school we’re being prepared for college. But what if I told you there’s one crucial step, with detrimental effects, that’s been missed in our preparation?
According to a 2014 study conducted by StudyMode, 87% of high school and college students consider themselves to be procrastinators. Many high schools are working to curb the issue, with newly implemented “SEL” periods, in which students are taught emotional and academic skills. Although the idea sounds impressive, there’s one big catch: it’s not working. In high school, most students have already solidified their work habits, so these programs only work to a limited extent. Before I get ahead of myself, though, let’s discuss how these procrastination issues even came about.
For starters, let’s visit the happiest place on earth: middle school. Although this varies from school to school, I’ve heard stories from two types of middle schools. Either they are, A, excessively harsh or B, excessively relaxed. The former expect their students to be able to manage their time on their own already, forgetting that a majority of US students have grown up with rigid schedules, and as a result, aren’t used to managing their time on their own. Plus, they’re coming from elementary school, where students don’t get much work and don’t learn these key time management skills. The latter give their students practically no homework to practice time management with, leaving them completely unprepared for the next level of schooling. There are some obvious, surface-level issues with this, but these unbalanced standards have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
A CDC survey found that 41% of adults in the US have experienced mental health issues during the pandemic, most of them being 18-24 years old. Now translate that over to teenagers, who are already at a higher risk of experiencing these issues. Personally, I can’t tell you how many tales I’ve heard from students of heightened stress during quarantine, and everyone always mentions that it’s largely caused by their bad time-management skills. Our modern school systems tell us they’re preparing us for the future, for our eventual adulthood, but they’ve missed such an essential aspect--how to manage our time--leaving students blaming themselves. What about the teenagers living below the poverty line, who have to work after school everyday, who have to teach themselves these time-management skills to stay above their schoolwork and help feed their families? Or the LGBTQIA+ students who came out and weren’t supported by their families? They too had to teach themselves these basic skills that should’ve been taught by our schools, while dealing with trauma from their experiences, just to survive. If they didn’t teach themselves these things, they’d be stuck in the same vicious cycle for the rest of their lives.
Maybe one of you reading this is a straight-A student who never procrastinates, but you’ve undoubtedly seen it. You’ve seen the students struggling to manage their time well, and you’ve seen the chain of mental health issues that arise from it. You’ve seen the effects of an issue that could’ve been easily quelled by our schools. We can’t change the past, so how do we change the future?
There’s actually a quite simple answer: schools need to teach these skills to us as early as possible. Most elementary and middle schools don’t prioritize this teaching, so it only starts in high school (if then) and at that point it’s a lost cause for many. Teaching students how to manage their time at an earlier age makes it a simpler task in the long run, and it leads to a much better future. So to all my procrastinators, I encourage you to reach out to your school districts to see what you can do. Most schools welcome and encourage student feedback--to be honest, they depend on it. You’d be surprised how much of an impact you can make.
Sincerely,
A fellow procrastinator
Lucia Paulsen is a writer for the Social Justice section of the Next Gen Politics blog. She is an avid human rights activist. Being interested in politics and government, Lucia is a member of her local youth council and has helped organize several events dealing with current and urgent political matters. She loves iced coffee, biking around her town, fashion- as sustainable as possible, and advocating for what she believes in.