Student techniques for procrastination abound

To study or not to study, that is the question. How common is sitting down to study for that big test (maybe even a final) only to start doing something totally different?

Procrastination is definitely an art that Pennsylvania State University students are extremely skilled in. Whether it involves watching a movie, playing on a computer or even getting out that dust pan and broom, students are finding any way to put off reading that chapter or writing that paper.

The key to procrastination is convincing yourself that what you are doing is more important than studying. I could make myself think that my game of Snood is dependent for the survival of the world if I had to.

For the few who aren't familiar with the game, it is a series of funny little creatures that are shot with their matches to make them fall. It is very reminiscent of the Nintendo classic, Tetris. I see these little monsters in my sleep.

The game of Snood is the ultimate procrastination tool among Penn State students, and this year it is more popular than ever.

"I find any reason not to do work", said Jennifer Ueland (freshman-psychology), who found out about Snood during the worst time - finals week.

"One game till I die and then you get a score and you tell yourself - I can beat that! Before you know it, it's been hours."

Ueland also blames PSView, more commonly referred to as channel 72, for her procrastination. The choice of recent movies makes it hard to resist.

Many students convince themselves that they need a break or that they can study in their room instead of at the library. That is when Ueland says she gets in trouble.

"I convince myself that I need a break and start watching a movie, and then it's two hours later."

Watching movies can be a great way to waste your time, but others find that cleaning is the way to keep the books aside. A sparkling room may not be the college standard, but during finals week many have found the residence halls are a little cleaner.

Leslie Slowikowski (sophomore-art) says that when she studies she can't bare a dirty room.

"If I'm studying, I look around me and I figure I can put my pens away. Then I think I need more room so I clean off my desk or wash my dishes."

But just cleaning portions of a room is not enough. In order to study effectively, students convince themselves that the whole room must gleam in order to study in the perfect environment.

"Eventually, I move to my bed, but it's not made and there's junk all over it so then I clean my bed," Slowikowski said.

It is an endless cycle that can keep a procrastinator busy for hours. Slowikowski said she never cleans like this at home.

With new innovations in technology, students are finding more ways than ever to put off their studies. Instant messenger is another popular way to procrastinate. Among the popular IM programs are ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger. The applications allow a person to communicate in real time with others on their buddy list.

Brian Piccolo (freshman-engineering) said that he has more than 120 buddies on his list.

"Last semester I was on for hours."

Being logged on to an instant messenger is like being in a room with all your friends at one time. It can get very hectic.

"I talk to five or six people at one time," Piccolo said.

The most popular feature used to procrastinate is not the communication feature but the away message feature. This allows people to post a user profile and message as well as allowing others to leave messages.

"I would sit there and read everyone's away message. It is so addicting," Piccolo said about the feature.

Instant messaging has even spilled over into class time.

All computer labs and computer-equipped classrooms have AOL Instant Messenger. This allows students to talk to others while they are in class.

With finals just around the corner, procrastination will be at a high around campus, and everyone will be posing the same questions. Will it be studying or Snood, concentration or cleanliness? Hold on, let me check my IM first.