It’s been a week since the beginning of Spring 2010. A week ago Queens College students started another semester and now a week has passed, in fact an important week. Many of us are still adjusting to our new schedule and classes. There are classes that we’re not too sure whether we’re going to keep them or not. There are new professors and so on.

We all have a tendency to procrastinate and for college students the worse thing that can stop them from progressing is procrastination. In order to make sure that you have NOT procrastinated so far and are in the right track make sure you have done the following things by now:

1. Have read the syllabus for each class.
   Often there are important information about the course in the syllabus and very often students don’t ever finish reading beyond the first paragraph of the syllabus.
2. Have logged on to Blackboard
   Professors use Blackboard as tool for communication and distribution of handouts, assignments and etc. So make sure you have logged on to Blackboard at least once so far and checked to see if there are any documents that you should download or print.
3. Have checked your QC email.
   Besides Blackboard professors make important announcements via email and you do not want to miss out simply because you did not log in to your email account.
4. Have already purchased some or all of your textbooks.
   Professors do not like to waste time, so they try to start the course as early as possible. Not having the textbook can really hurt you by falling behind, and missing out homework assignments, readings and class works. Try to get the text books as fast as possible.
   
5. Have Been prepared.
   I don’t think it was necessary to point out this, but believe it or not I have seen students who are not prepared midway through the semester. Being physically in the class but not having the right tools is as incompetent as just being absent.
6. Have read the text & your class notes.
   Just because it was the first week that does not mean that what professors taught were not important. Try to take thing serious from now so that you don’t have to stay up 3 nights in a row to study for midterms or your finals.
7. Have asked your questions.
   Many times students have questions and they decide to ask their professor at the end of the session, but then once the class is over they are so excited to leave the class room that they end up not asking their question at all.
8. Have planned for your breaks in between classes.
   I know it sounds silly to say this but one must remember that as college student his/her occupation is student. It’s almost like a job, a job that will pay in the future. Try to use the time in between your classes to the best possible way. Plan what you’re going to do when you don’t have a class and perhaps review your notes from the last session to refresh your memory.

I wrote this post as a reminder to myself. In all honesty I am a big procrastinator. I wasn’t always a procrastinator, but at some point in my life I did become one, and it’s not the best thing. Procrastination can totally ruin your future. It will be regretful, but unfortunately regret is all you’re going to be left with. I’m in the process of fixing myself so that I never ever procrastinate again.

In my opinion the only voluntary obstacle on one’s path to success is procrastination. It is not created by any external factors, no one can force one to procrastinate, therefore it’s 100 % voluntary, and it is destructive.