You know who you are, all my procrastinator friends out there put your hands right up. Then again, you’d probably procrastinate in doing that too so forget I said anything. It’s all too familiar, this routine, everything that we tell ourselves year after year after year – it’s a vicious cycle. Somehow we get by and we just aren’t too bothered to change much. We’re the ones always finding an easy (sometimes but not always effective) way of doing things. If you’re a fellow procrastinator, you’ll find the following very relatable.

I’ll start studying right after I’m done with this show

Ah, this one’s a classic. Most times, it’s not a movie, it’s a whole series you’re referring to. You think you can lie to yourself that you’ll start studying right after one episode but it almost never happens. One episode turns into two and before you know it, you’re on the last episode of How To Get Away With Murder. Frankly at this rate, the only thing you’re getting away with is hopefully a pass grade on your exam. Even that’s going to take some divine intervention. 

I’ll just take a quick nap and get right back to studying

It’s a slippery slope. You and I both know it’s never a quick nap. You set your alarm for 30 minutes in the afternoon and BAM! It’s dinner time. You wake up feeling groggy, cussing after looking at the time and realising it’s not 4pm, lie in bed questioning your life choices and how you possibly let that happen… AGAIN. Somehow you make your peace with it, drag yourself out of bed and grab some dinner to feel better. Dinner works, dinner always works. You start feeling better and less guilty about sleeping 4 hours longer than intended. Now that you’re full, you’ve got to let the food digest first before studying… right? Wrong, but you’ll do it anyway. You reach for the remote and tell yourself “I’ll start studying right after I’m done with this show”.

Okay, very good. I’ve studied for like 30 minutes now, I deserve a break.

No, no you don’t. IT’S LITERALLY ONLY BEEN 30 MINUTES. You can have a KitKat and continue but of course you won’t. You’ll reward yourself with “five minutes” of screen time to scroll Instagram/TikTok/Facebook/Twitter/YouTube. Spoiler alert: It’s never only five minutes.

I got my week planned out for studying already, don’t worry

Planning is one thing, execution is another. We all know how plans change, temptations at every corner. It’s always a struggle saying no to the “fun stuff”. One moment you think you have Monday to Friday study plans panned out, the next you’re meeting friends for a Mobile Legends gaming marathon, a few rounds of Mahjong and drinks. That escalated quickly, in a very different direction. POOF! There goes study week.

Never mind, still early

This is arguably one of the biggest lies while still remaining a fact that we tell ourselves. Two hours before the exam commences? Yeah, you’re still early for the exam but you’re late in terms of studying for it. It’s never a sudden realisation, it always snowballs from the very first “I’ll start tomorrow”. The elusive tomorrow that never comes… will arrive.

If you have an upcoming assignment/test/exam, I suggest you really start studying for it. You’d be surprised how much focus and extra time can do to your grades. You know what? Let me help. I’ll write an article on effective studying tips, just let me take a nap first.