Last-Minute

It's a very very common word amongst students and workers alike. Some tear the worksheets out of the last-minute people, most are the people. Doing things at the very last minute is a habit. When someone does it and find themselves comfortable with the habit (such as not getting punished or dead for doing it), they do it again. That's just part of it.. Now let's get to know last-minute more; what are the possible causes? Why avoid it?

Doing things at the very last minute... 
(Thanks to hotelprincess.com for this pic)

The first I just mentioned earlier. Maybe a last-minute person is comfortable being that way. They think it's ok to do things that way. It became a habit. The worst part is that some people always think that their habits are just fine..until one day they actually fall into deep trouble. So, I guess it's a matter of awareness. They have to open their eyes or something else will.

The next factor for the so-called lateness of last-minute people is none other than procrastination. It's explanation is supposed to be on another post because it's a topic by itself but I'll just explain briefly. People procrastinate maybe because they think they will have time to finish off the work they have. For instance, you are given a homework/assignment and have to finish it by 3 more days. You say, "Oh, still a lot of time for that." Then finally, when it's the last night, you start doing it and then find that the work actually takes more than just a night to finish it off completely. The same happens for exams. Do you think you're that good to actually study for a science paper in one night when you've been sleeping in class and playing around all the time? The fact is, last-minute people need to realize that they sometimes are over-confident of their capabilities. I mean, I can't study a whole-semester's worth of physics in just one night (and even two nights is hard). Not that I don't think it's impossible. It's just plain hard. So, why make it so hard for yourself? Here's more about procrastination: http://www.sparknotes.com/missmarm/2010/01/25/how-to-stop-procrastinating

The third one is overconfidence. Oh..wait..I already mentioned that in procrastination. Then, just don't be overconfident. Too uch of a good thing is bad. Realize your true potential and use it wisely.

Although there are more factors for procrastination, here's why you and everybody else should avoid the last-minute habit...

Last-minute work usually has less quality. You spend less-than-supposed-to time for a project and finally pass it up in an insufficiently developed state. How good is that? What if it was a final year project? You actually show how your are least concerned and enthusiastic about the project. Maybe that's not the real truth but that's what lecturers might see. That might cost you marks.

Furthermore, last-minute can have a disastrous effect. At times, that very act may lead to other people's misery. Especially if you're the leader of a team or project. Maybe your team might lose because of that bad habit of yours.

Last but not least here, doing things at the very last minute will be the first thing you'll regret in mind when something unexpected happens. Try and imagine yourself in a situation where you did something in last-minute and something unwanted happens that stops you dead in your tracks..it's a very bad feeling.

In a nutshell, don't do last-minute work. It's bad for you and can be bad for others too.