Academic Autobiography

I am completely intimidated by writing. When it comes to writing papers I will procrastinate until the very last minute. It doesn't matter how long or how short, how difficult or easy, I usually find myself starting a paper a day before or the day that it is due. This isn't a habit that I enjoy continuing but year after year I vow to quit but I just can't find it in myself to relinquish my terrible tendencies.

I wasn't always this way. There was a time when I was like most students and started my papers the week of a due date. Sadly to say, this was back in high school a few years ago. When I was in high school, I was friends with very intelligent people; my best friends were the valedictorian and salutatorian of our class. They played sports, participated in theatre, and held office, yet rarely seemed stressed out over schoolwork even though they procrastinated profusely. They miraculously made the struggles of high school seem so effortless. I wanted to cruise through high school just like they did. I didn't believe increasing my procrastination was going to make anything easier, and I don't blame them for my current habits, but throughout the years, I was getting work done closer and closer to the minute before class started.

The more I put things off the more I felt coercion from writing. I was under tremendous pressure to write something well because I only had a few hours. This left absolutely no time for error or any reorganization of thoughts. As a person who likes getting things right the first time, starting a paper early is starting something when I don't really care. The closer I get to the due date, concern increases because I care greatly about having something to turn in when I get to class.

I suppose my bad habits continue because I am getting away with it. I still receive passing grades on my papers even though I may be running from the library to class and almost falling asleep by the time I arrive. I also believe that this procrastination will carry on until I stop getting away with it. The past few years are proof that even though I hate myself for waking up at 6 to get work completed, I will still pass my classes.

I speculate that this cycle of wasting time when I should be working will persist until I stop getting away with it. I learn quickly, and when it comes to schoolwork I am knowledgeable to what works and what doesn't. Even though I know my bad