I'll Decide on a Title Tomorrow?: Advice Concerning Procrastination by Kira

I'll Decide on a Title Tomorrow?: Advice Concerning Procrastination by Kira - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

It is a seemingly calm, Sunday night, with birds chirping and a subtle breeze blowing through the trees. Everything things alright until you look at that clock, with its malicious face staring down at you, and you realize that you have just a few short hours to complete an entire weekend’s worth of homework and studying, into just a few short hours. You dash to the library, a coffee the size of your head firmly in hand, and prepare to keep sleep at bay all night long while you desperately attempt to finish the multitude of essays and projects you should have done a few days ago. The next morning, you groggily slump to your classes and hope with all of your might that you at least pull a B average out of your nocturnal suffering. College is a time of new friendships and good times, but the whole reason you are there is to gain an education and to stay on top of your work.
I have spoken with many a college freshman who have the mentality of being at college solely to meet new people and have a lot of fun. While neither of those things are necessarily bad, and are in fact vital to student morale, the real function of college is school. Yes, school. University is what prepares the future generations of our society for the world that lies beyond the safe bubble of campus and helps us get ready for the variety of careers we will later hold. The primary reason for us spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to attend post-secondary education is to acquire the necessary knowledge to propel us into a successful life, not for an extended vacation after high school.
Additionally, if there is one aspect of college almost everyone struggles with initially, it is keeping up with the strenuous workload. You can expect multiple hours of work and studying per class every night, and establishing these habits of actually doing the work can take time. Procrastination is the biggest killer of grades that I have thus far come into contact with, not just with other students, but in my own experience as well. The most useful piece of advice I can think to give is to start studying for exams at least a week before they are scheduled, do homework the day before it is due (so you can ask for additional help if needed), and to do quality work on your assignments (they tend to contribute to a larger part of your grade than you may think).
While it is imperative to keep up with your assigned work and to study ahead of time, you cannot forget to enjoy this chapter in your life. College is a new and exciting time for young adults, a time to break free from home and start discovering who you truly are. It is a time to make your own impressions on other people, learn about things you actually care about, and to make your own sort of difference in the world. Make a mark, meet new people, and don’t forget to study.