Midterms are just around the corner for most of us, and for some others, the tidal wave has already hit.

As we struggle to find time to study for exams, pound out papers and even sleep, most of us wait until the last minute to do what we need to do.

Procrastination isn’t a stranger to the majority of us.

For example, think back to the last time you had a paper due. When did you start it? The day or night before? That’s how many of you will respond. Some of you will even say you started it hours before it was due. This is a perfect example of procrastination.

The question remains – why do we do it? Why not get it done as soon as possible?

That way, you won’t be staying up until four in the morning the night before trying to come up with a plausible thesis for your paper or cramming facts into your brain.

The answer can be any number of things. It depends on the person and the task at hand. Getting things done early, even though a lot of us are capable of it, and have done it before, isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

According to a psychological self-help section on procrastination on www.mentalhelp.net, “we feel good about setting goals and declaring that we are going to change or succeed ‘sometime.’ By procrastinating we shorten the time we actually have to work on the task; and much of the time we avoid the unpleasant task altogether.”

You may be asking yourself at this point why this is such an issue. As long as you’re getting it done, everything’s cool, right? Well, not only are we putting stress on ourselves while trying to complete something or cram our brains at the last minute, studies show students who procrastinate more tend to do poorly in comparison with those who didn’t procrastinate as much or at all.

According to a study at Ohio State University, Bruce Tuckman, a professor of education, surveyed the degree to which his students procrastinated.

His reports show students who rated themselves as being a high-level procrastinator ended up achieving a lower grade in the class than those who considered themselves moderate or low-level procrastinators.

The statistics are there – procrastination isn’t good for your grades, folks. So what can you do?

Advice on how to try and stop procrastinating is available, at www.mentalhelp.net.

The site recommends you keep a “to-be-done” list. Checking things off your list is sure to give you a satisfying feeling and push you to get things done quicker.

They also suggest studying in increments over a period of days. Set the small goal of studying for five minutes, and you may find you are able to tackle more than that after immersing yourself in the material. The same goes for writing papers.

Another tip the site suggests is to enlist a friend to bug you or “fine you a dollar” if you’re not doing what you need to be doing at a specific time.

Whichever way you do it, if you want to maintain your stress level and keep your grades at their maximum, you should try your best to kick the habit.

For more information and help with procrastination, there are many Web sites that provide excellent information and tips. To start, try visiting

www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/2005/05/need-procrastination-help.html.

Good luck!

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.