The Art of Procrastination by Giselle

The Art of Procrastination by Giselle - September 2026 Scholarship Essay

A few minutes before my biology test, I sat devastated and defeated. Papers were being handed out, and I was still slumped at my desk with no knowledge of what a dichotomous key was...or what we even discussed in class on Monday. I thought I was paying attention to the lecture, but maybe it was going in one ear and coming out the other. To understand my state, it is necessary to explain what I had been doing months before to cause this. I had enrolled in the IB Diploma Program, the most rigorous academic program offered. I was ready to take on the academic pressure of the program, but once I started the school year, I felt behind already. There was a constant workload, and there were no breaks. I tried to practice the study habits I had previously used, but they were not up to par with all of my challenging activities and courses. I didn't realize the extent of my procrastination, and by November, I was falling behind. My grades were B's, which were technically okay, but a decline from my usual straight A streak. I knew I could do better. I decided to start new study techniques and habits. It was hard at first, and I didn't know if it would make a difference. I started going to my teachers for help, tracking all of my assignments in an online planner (via Google Sheets), and not procrastinating. Instead of having the mindset of "I can just do this later; it's not due for another week", I thought, "I can get this done now and not have to deal with it later." These tiny habits changed my grades and, most importantly, the way I learned and understood subjects. During class, I tried to zone in on what my teacher was actually saying, rather than just copying notes from a slideshow. If I didn't understand what my teacher was explaining during a presentation, I asked questions after class or watched videos to fully grasp the topic. Part of me is glad that I learned the art of procrastination before I entered higher education in the future.