Pre-crastination

Procrastination. The one activity that all students in the world dabble in. Your familiar with the term, the concept and how it's the enemy of productivity, but you may be less familiar with procrastination's sibling - pre-crastination.

Procrastination: the art of doing important things last

Instead of postponing important tasks, precrastinators hurry to get a task done as soon as possible, even if it means more exertion in the long run.

Penn State University researchers conducted an experiment where students were requested to carry one of two buckets to an end line, with an emphasis on choosing the easier option. One bucket was placed closer to the student but further away from the end line (hence selecting this bucket would mean carrying it for longer); another bucket was placed further away from the student but closer to the end line (hence less exertion carrying it to end line).

The verdict? An overwhelming majority of students opted for the bucket closer to them, 'just to get the task over and done with', despite the fact that they would have to carry the bucket for a longer period. It appeared that mental exertion plays a crucial role in decision making - people value ticking items off their mental to-do list to lighten their memory load.

Signs that you are a precrastinator

• waiting for the university shuttle, when walking would have been faster
• answering an email while dining with friends, then spending extra time rewriting the whole thing

If you're a precrastinator who is always multitasking and starting assignments the nanosecond you receive them, you may want to take things down a notch to avoid burnout. Keep your eyes on the end goal and spend some time drafting a plan instead of springing into action right away.

Are you a precrastinator or a procrastinator?

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