THE tendency to delay completing assigned tasks is quite common. In academic settings, such deferment, commonly referred to as academic procrastination, involves unnecessary delay by students in academic assignments, like preparing for a test or writing a paper or a report. More than 60 per cent of students procrastinate on a regular basis. It is prevalent among both undergraduate and graduate students, and the phenomenon is independent of gender and race.

Academic procrastination can be seen from a circumstantial viewpoint. In principle, it leads to diversified problems, ranging from abridged efficiency to shoddier career prospects, consequently affecting the mental as well as physical health in an adverse manner.

It is beneficial to understand what causes academic procrastination in the first place, because this can help one identify common issues, and to then employ anti-procrastination techniques to overcome the matter.

In most cases, a fundamental issue is the lack of motivation due to which one suffers fastidiousness and the obvious result is academic procrastination. The apprehension of failure, fatigue and ill-directed orientation results in this catastrophe. A careful analysis of the situation may reveal the utility of a specific approach.

In general, there are three approaches for reducing academic procrastination; therapeutic treatment, therapeutic prevention and instructor-teacher intervention. The last one is particularly effective.

Provisional deadlines, gentle automated reminders and self-regulation training may improve the state of affairs. Self-regulation training involves directing one’s actions, thoughts and feelings towards a cognitive construct. With reference to this particular approach, the interventions should help the students overcome procrastination. It is essential for academic institutions and academicians at all levels to give due consideration to this important issue and to design efficient methods to help their students.

Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2022