Everyone remembers that all-nighter back in college — that final exam you spent the preceding eight hours cramming for. But that final exam was planned. You knew when the date was, and were given sufficient time to prepare. Syllabi are a huge part of college. Each semester is laid out in its entirety, and you can plan for all your assignments accordingly. If you don’t complete an assignment on time, you can even ask for an extension. Yet after senior year, this bailout system ends and your deadlines will be hard and fast. For those who abused the system, their first job will be a wake up call.
In the real world, there are no syllabi and there are no extensions. There are only the quickly changing demands of your bosses and clients, and as a professional, you must roll with the punches. You never know what the next day’s news will bring or when the next crisis will strike. Especially in fields like PR and event planning, there is no set schedule and you take projects as they come. I found this summer that I had to get ahead of my work to be successful. Leaving assignments until the last minute is a recipe for disaster, and nine times out of ten, the quality of the work will suffer.
Next time you think about procrastinating, think twice. Use college assignments as guinea pigs for professional ones. And get ahead of your workload because you know what’s coming next. A little planning can go a long way. So when you finish reading this post, go make a to-do list. You may just find your peace of mind along the way.