Precrastination is the opposite extreme of procrastination and affects a much smaller margin of the everyday population. At first glance, this concept seems ideal. After all, most people strive to get their work done early.
But upon closer examination, it is revealed that this habit causes the creative and efficient environment that procrastination is known for fostering to be lost, according to an article by Harvard Extension School. Precrastinators and chronic procrastinators even tend to have less original ideas than moderate, more active procrastinators, according to an experiment by Jihae Shin, who is now a professor at the University of Wisconsin.
 “I don’t like starting work early because oftentimes, you’re more productive when you get to plan more, and it’s less stressful to do it all in one night. Even if you want to get ahead, it’s probably better to break it down into chunks,” Valle Remond said.
Students with unhealthy studying habits often feel immense stress and pressure as a result.                                     Andrew Ghazouli
While there seem to be many appealing aspects to active procrastination, some teachers still oppose the idea of partaking in it.
“There are probably certain situations where it makes more sense to not do things right away. Maybe you’d want to take some time to stop and think about it and process it first. But generally speaking, and if it’s a regular and predictable thing, it might be better to do it sooner rather than later,” said Gregory Schoenstein, a Carlmont history teacher.
Schoenstein’s sentiment is reflected in many others as well, as active procrastination just isn’t built for everyone.
Between students like Valle Remond and those who can’t stand to have an incomplete assignment in their midst, there are different extents of procrastination and precrastination. Finding what works best as an individual is essential. But it is crucial to consider the benefits of controlled procrastination and what it can do to improve creative and academic output.
“I think we all need to learn about ourselves and how we work best. Sometimes, people work better with a time constraint, so that could be active procrastination,” said Andrew Ramroth, a Carlmont math teacher.
According to “Early Birds versus Just-in-Timers,” active procrastination is mainly useful for high scoring students, while it may negatively affect those who aren’t as comfortable with the material.Â
Still, the benefits derived from active procrastination remain for those who are up for the task. After all, actively procrastinating allows the mind to problem solve in new ways.
Andrew Ghazouli is a sophomore at Carlmont High School and this is his first year in journalism. He is interested in journalism because of its power to spread knowledge and ideas and believes that being informed is very important in everyday life.
