Editorial: Are you procrastinating?

Is there something else you should be doing right now?

This week is the home stretch — the… Is there something else you should be doing right now?

This week is the home stretch — the beginning of two weeks of final exams, papers and projects to mark the end of the school year. For some, the preparation for this began a while ago, but for most of us, the work is just beginning.

A University of Calgary professor’s 2007 study found that three out of four college students consider themselves procrastinators. That’s about 21,000 of us at Pitt who waste time instead of actually doing what we should be.

We think we need to address this epidemic of work-avoidance. The NBC news program “Today” reports on its website that procrastination makes us poorer, fatter and unhealthier — so here’s what we’ve found to help us stay out of debt, out of weight support groups and not out of our minds.

• Don’t tackle a big project all at once. It’s important to break up larger tasks into small, manageable chunks. We find that when we accomplish easy, small goals and cross tasks off our lists, we feel better about the work we’re doing and are encouraged to keep moving.

• Acknowledge the time of day you are most productive. Find a time when you’re least distracted — when there’s nothing on TV or when your distracting roommate is sleeping — and get to work. We find that sticking to a consistent work routine is the most efficient way to get stuff done.

• Go easy on the alcohol. Virginia Tech’s Alcohol Abuse Prevention website outlines some effects of alcohol that can last days after heavy drinking, such as less effective long-term memory, shorter attention span and inhibition of REM sleep. Not being able to recall information, stay on task or get refreshing sleep is detrimental to any final exam score. If you’re 21, go out for drinks to celebrate, not to avoid your work.

• Chomp on some sugar-free gum. The Los Angeles Times reported that a study at Baylor College of Medicine suggests a correlation between chewing gum and good academic performance. The study found that students who chewed gum in class while doing math homework and during tests increased their standardized math test scores by 3 percent and had higher math grades than those who didn’t chew gum. Teachers said the gum chewers seemed to require fewer breaks, sustain attention longer and remain quieter. We’re also fans of minty or cinnamon-y freshness.

• Take care of yourself. If you’re tired, dirty and wearing sweats all the time, we think you need to get your act together. Get as much sleep as you can, but limit your naps to 20 minutes — longer naps can cause you to feel groggy for about a half hour after waking. The Guardian reports that drinking coffee before a 20-minute nap could cause one to feel more alert upon waking, since caffeine takes about 20 to 30 minutes to take effect. We recommend counting backward from 300 by threes when hitting the sack — following the unfamiliar pattern of numbers diverts your attention from things that could make you anxious. We’ve also found that when we look good, we feel good. Don’t forsake your beauty sleep, hygiene or fashion sense just because you’ve been busy — everyone else has been, too.

We wish you a happy and healthy next two weeks — remember that worrying about working is probably worse than actually working. We hope those 21,000 of you out there get something accomplished today. Finish reading this paper and go do something productive.