‭The Draws and Drawbacks of College Students’ Active‬

‭Procrastination‬‭Lauren C. Hensley‬

‭ hen students procrastinate, they divert time from‬‭academics‬‭toward other activities, returning‬
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‭to‬‭academics‬‭at a later time. The prevailing‬‭consensus‬‭among higher education scholars and‬
‭practitioners‬‭is that procrastination reflects motivational‬‭struggles and harms students‬
‭academically‬‭(Milgram & Tenne, 2000). However, some‬‭students intentionally procrastinate in‬
‭college and appear to‬‭benefit‬‭from doing so. Active‬‭procrastination describes the behavior of‬
‭students who prefer to work under pressure, choose to postpone‬‭assigned‬‭work, complete‬
‭requirements‬‭by deadlines, and‬‭attain‬‭satisfactory‬‭grades‬‭(Chu & Choi, 2005). An active‬
‭procrastinator might, for‬‭instance‬‭, start writing‬‭a paper the night before it is due. She would‬
‭engage in this activity not as a last resort but with the‬‭anticipation‬‭of staying‬‭focused‬‭, meeting‬
‭assignment‬‭expectations, and‬‭achieving‬‭her desired‬‭grade‬‭in a‬‭minimal‬‭amount of time.‬
‭Although “legitimizing the procrastination‬‭process‬‭”‬‭is a possible‬‭implication‬‭(Schraw, Wadkins,‬
‭& Olafson, 2007, p. 23), caution is warranted in light of the competing‬‭evidence‬‭and‬‭potential‬
‭impact‬‭on students. To simultaneously weigh the appeal‬‭and ramifications of active‬
‭procrastination, this study‬‭identifies‬‭reasons for‬‭college students’‬‭commitment‬‭to‬
‭procrastination alongside‬‭perceived‬‭limitations of‬‭the behavior.‬

‭ ctive procrastination is a departure from the form of procrastination‬‭defined‬‭by scholars as‬

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‭passive‬‭(i.e., avoidant, maladaptive) in nature.‬‭Traditionally‬‭,‬‭researchers‬‭linked‬‭procrastination‬
‭to difficulty with self-‬‭regulation‬‭and discomfort‬‭with making decisions‬ ‭(Milgram & Tenne,‬
‭2000), as well as low confidence and‬‭grades‬‭(Corkin,‬‭Yu, & Lindt, 2011).‬ ‭To better understand‬
‭why some procrastinators did not experience these correlates or‬‭outcomes‬‭,‬ ‭scholars reframed‬
‭procrastination as an active, rather than a‬‭passive‬‭,‬‭behavior (Choi & Moran,‬ ‭2009; Chu & Choi,‬
‭2005). By‬‭approaching‬‭procrastination as an active‬‭(i.e., purposeful,‬‭adaptive‬‭) behavior,‬
‭scholars could‬‭highlight‬‭beneficial‬‭outcomes‬‭for students‬‭who intentionally‬ ‭delayed‬‭academics‬‭.‬

‭Survey‬‭-based studies of active procrastination have‬‭included undergraduates of all‬‭academic‬

l‭evels and a‬‭range‬‭of‬‭ethnic‬‭backgrounds. The studies,‬‭which reported‬‭aggregate‬‭results and did‬
‭not test for group-level differences,‬‭demonstrated‬‭overall‬‭positive‬‭relations between active‬
‭procrastination and desirable characteristics.‬‭Researchers‬‭demonstrated connections to high‬
‭grades‬‭in a human development course (Corkin et al.,‬‭2011), life satisfaction and self-reported‬
‭cumulative GPA for students at three Canadian universities (Chu & Choi, 2005), and emotional‬
‭stability‬‭for Canadian business students (Choi & Moran,‬‭2009). Corkin et al. expressed concern,‬
‭however, about‬‭negative‬‭correlations with students’‬‭motivation‬‭for learning.‬

‭Two‬‭major‬‭qualitative‬‭studies shed light on college‬‭students’ procrastination. In an interview‬

b‭ ased study of German undergraduates from 17 disciplines, most‬‭themes‬‭were “deficit-‬

‭Academic Year 2022-2023‬

‭1‬
‭Hensley, L.C. (2016). The Draws and Drawbacks of College Students’ Active Procrastination.‬‭Journal‬
 ‭of‬ ‭College Student Development 57‬‭(4), 465-471. doi:10.1353/csd.2016.0045.‬

o‭ riented‬‭” (p. 404), reflecting a lack of motivation,‬‭self-‬‭regulation‬‭, or confidence (Klingsieck,‬

‭Grund, Schmid, & Fries, 2013). The‬‭aspect‬‭of working‬‭best under pressure‬‭emerged‬‭for a small‬
‭group of‬‭participants‬‭as one of many‬‭themes‬‭. In another‬‭study, “students who viewed‬
‭themselves as successful procrastinators”‬‭participated‬‭in interviews and‬‭focus‬‭groups (Schraw‬
‭et al., 2007, p. 24). Findings‬‭revealed‬‭various‬‭benefits‬‭of procrastination, including heightened‬
‭creativity‬‭and the opportunity to reflect on a‬‭topic‬‭before working on it. One student remark‬
‭suggested that active procrastination was not entirely‬‭positive‬‭: “You’ve just got to tell yourself‬
‭that procrastination is the right thing to do even though you know it isn’t” (Schraw et al., p. 20).‬
‭To better understand this‬‭internal‬‭contradiction‬‭,‬‭I developed a phenomenology of college‬
‭students’ active procrastination. The study extends‬‭prior investigations‬‭by drawing out‬‭positive‬
‭and‬‭negative‬‭aspects‬‭that existed simultaneously in‬‭the lived experience of active‬
‭procrastination.‬

‭ ctive procrastination appears both‬‭contradictory‬‭and commonplace. The preponderance of‬

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‭evidence‬‭characterizes cramming as ineffective, yet‬‭it is difficult to‬‭ignore‬‭students’ descriptions‬
‭of working well under pressure (Ferrari, 2001). Although active procrastination is connected‬
‭with high‬‭grades‬‭, it has not been‬‭identified‬‭as a‬‭direct cause of high‬‭academic‬‭performance‬
‭(Chu & Choi, 2005). Active procrastinators are confident in their ability to learn but do not have‬
‭a strong desire to learn (Corkin et al., 2011). Further‬‭research‬‭is needed to explore the intricacies‬
‭of this behavior and‬‭clarify‬‭the extent of its‬‭benefits‬‭for students.‬

‭ ETHOD‬
M
‭The inductive‬‭processes‬‭of phenomenology provided‬‭a means for‬‭identifying‬‭themes‬‭that‬
‭defined‬‭what it meant to actively procrastinate. Phenomenology‬‭is a‬‭qualitative‬‭methodology‬
‭that‬‭enhances‬‭understanding of a‬‭specific‬‭phenomenon‬‭by developing a description of‬
‭shared,‬‭core‬‭meanings‬‭derived‬‭from‬‭individual‬‭accounts‬‭(Moustakas, 1994). I‬‭selected‬‭this‬
‭methodology‬‭in order to‬‭undertake‬‭an in-depth study‬‭of active procrastination‬‭via‬‭the‬
‭experiences and reflections of a small group of‬‭participants‬‭with firsthand knowledge of the‬
‭phenomenon‬‭.‬

‭ articipants‬‭and‬‭Data‬‭Collection‬
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‭Seven students whose recounted experiences reflected active procrastination became the‬‭focus‬‭of‬
‭the study,‬‭similar‬‭to the sampling‬‭method‬‭used by‬‭Schraw et al. (2007) and in line with‬
‭recommended‬‭ranges‬‭for phenomenological‬‭research‬‭.‬‭The sample reflected the use of‬‭criterion‬
‭sampling,‬‭whereby‬‭“all‬‭individuals‬‭studied represent‬‭people who have experienced the‬
‭phenomenon‬‭” (Creswell, 2013, p. 128).‬‭Participants‬‭were‬‭traditionally‬‭aged undergraduates at‬
‭a large, 4-year public university in the Midwestern United States during spring 2013. Students‬
‭represented six different majors,‬‭primarily‬‭in the‬‭sciences (e.g., microbiology, neuroscience).‬
‭Four students had‬‭minors‬‭, which were in the humanities‬‭(e.g., dance, English). Four‬
‭participants‬‭were men and three were women; all were‬‭White.‬

‭Academic Year 2022-2023‬

 ‭2‬
‭Hensley, L.C. (2016). The Draws and Drawbacks of College Students’ Active Procrastination.‬‭Journal‬
‭of‬ ‭College Student Development 57‬‭(4), 465-471. doi:10.1353/csd.2016.0045.‬

‭ y writing in study‬‭j‭o‬ urnals‬‭,‬‭participants‬‭provided‬‭a personal record of procrastination. Guided‬

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‭by five questions in an introductory‬‭j‭o‬ urnal‬‭entry,‬‭students conveyed their typical‬‭perceptions‬‭of‬
‭procrastination and described the semester’s demands. Writing six additional entries over one‬
‭month, students reflected on thoughts, feelings, and‬‭outcomes‬‭associated with‬‭specific‬‭instances‬
‭of procrastination. In a follow-up semi-‬‭structured‬‭interview, each student described recent‬
‭procrastination in depth and elaborated upon multiple‬‭j‭o‬ urnal‬‭excerpts.‬

‭ nalysis‬
A
‭Using the phenomenological‬‭data analysis approach‬‭developed by Moustakas (1994), I first‬
‭identified significant‬‭statements thatreflected students’‬‭descriptions of active procrastination. I‬
‭then named‬‭core components‬‭common across‬‭participants‬‭by translating‬‭specific‬‭accounts into‬
‭shared‬‭concepts‬‭and‬‭abstractions‬‭. I discussed and‬‭revised‬‭the‬‭coding scheme‬‭with a doctoral‬
‭candidate until we reached‬‭consensus‬‭that it reflected‬‭participants‬‭’ experiences. Next, I‬
‭clustered‬‭themes‬‭in an overarching‬‭framework‬‭. To‬‭enhance‬‭trustworthiness, I‬‭created‬‭a cross‬
‭case‬‭analysis‬‭matrix to‬‭ensure‬‭each‬‭theme‬‭appeared‬‭across all cases.‬‭Finally‬‭, I developed the‬
‭written description of the‬‭phenomenon‬‭.‬

‭ INDINGS‬
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‭Findings‬‭revealed‬‭three‬‭major‬‭themes‬‭about active‬‭procrastination: Purposeful delay‬‭facilitated‬
‭greater efficiency (I’m good at it); was done systematically (I’ve learned I can); and was‬
‭reinforced‬‭by appealing‬‭academic‬‭and social‬‭outcomes‬‭(It’s worth it). Table 1 provides an‬
‭overview of‬‭themes‬‭,‬‭codes‬‭, and‬‭textual evidence‬‭. The‬‭existence of a concomitant‬‭negative‬
‭component‬‭for each‬‭potential benefit‬‭was an unexpected‬‭theme‬‭that‬‭emerged‬‭from the‬
‭analysis‬‭. The drawbacks of active procrastination‬‭did not‬‭function‬‭separately from the‬‭benefits‬‭.‬
‭Rather, they appeared as‬‭inherent‬‭counterpoints to‬‭the‬‭positive‬‭components‬‭and were part of‬
‭the broader experience; active procrastination was not active procrastination without both sides.‬

I‭ ’m Good at It: The Efficiency of Procrastination‬

‭Students‬‭viewed‬‭themselves‬‭as‬‭effective‬‭procrastinators.‬‭When‬‭students‬‭had‬‭open‬‭blocks‬‭of‬‭time,‬
‭they‬‭“ha[d]‬‭more‬‭excuses”‬‭to‬‭use‬‭social‬‭media‬‭,‬‭answer‬‭texts‬‭,‬‭play‬‭video‬‭games,‬‭or‬‭stream‬‭online‬
‭videos.‬‭With‬‭the‬‭urgency‬‭of‬‭an‬‭upcoming‬‭deadline,‬‭students‬‭could‬‭better‬‭regulate‬‭their‬‭attention.‬
‭Students preferred the efficiency of working under pressure, which they described as providing‬
‭them with an‬‭enhanced‬‭ability to‬‭focus‬‭and‬‭ignore‬‭distractions.‬

‭ s an‬‭aspect‬‭of this‬‭approach‬‭, students experienced‬‭heightened levels of‬‭stress‬‭and anxiety as‬

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‭they turned to complete last-minute work.‬‭Despite‬‭their‬‭grades‬‭being satisfactory, students were‬
‭also‬‭aware‬‭that procrastination could reduce the quality‬‭of learning. Students could “cut to the‬
‭chase and give them what they want out of the paper” or “‬‭rely‬‭on short-term memory” without‬
‭developing deep understanding.‬
‭Academic Year 2022-2023‬
‭3‬
‭Hensley, L.C. (2016). The Draws and Drawbacks of College Students’ Active Procrastination.‬‭Journal‬
‭of‬ ‭College Student Development 57‬‭(4), 465-471. doi:10.1353/csd.2016.0045.‬

I‭ ’ve Learned I Can: The Intentionality of Procrastination‬

‭Students learned from‬‭prior‬‭schooling that procrastination‬‭was a viable‬‭response‬‭to‬‭academic‬
‭requirements‬‭. They‬‭credited‬‭their‬‭academic‬‭abilities‬‭with‬‭enabling‬‭them to “catch up or‬‭retain‬
‭more information than [their] peers.” Students who procrastinated in high school continued the‬
‭behavior in college, where their courses were‬‭somewhat‬‭more‬‭challenging‬‭yet did not‬‭require‬‭a‬
‭dramatic‬‭shift‬‭in study habits. They‬‭predicted‬‭how‬‭much effort‬‭assignments‬‭required‬‭and‬
‭allocated‬‭only that amount of time.‬

‭ rocrastination did not always go according to plan. Frustration resulted from under-‬‭estimating‬
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‭time, distractions, or obstacles. Looking to the future, students were not optimistic about “still‬
‭getting by with procrastinated work” in advanced courses, graduate school, or the workforce.‬

I‭ t’s Worth It: The‬‭Perceived‬‭Value of Procrastination‬

‭For the time being, students continued to procrastinate because working under pressure‬
‭repeatedly produced acceptable‬‭academic‬‭outcomes‬‭,‬‭such as As and Bs on most papers, exams,‬
‭and‬‭assignments‬‭completed close to deadlines. As one‬‭student reasoned, “What’s the point in‬
‭changing when I know I can do this and it works for me?” Still, students often sensed they‬
‭“could have done a little bit better” and that passing‬‭grades‬‭were “certainly not the quality of‬
‭work [they were] able to produce.” Moreover, they recognized it was risky to expect‬
‭procrastination to suffice in all situations.‬
‭Academic Year 2022-2023‬
‭4‬
‭Hensley, L.C. (2016). The Draws and Drawbacks of College Students’ Active Procrastination.‬‭Journal‬
‭of‬ ‭College Student Development 57‬‭(4), 465-471. doi:10.1353/csd.2016.0045.‬

‭TABLE 1.‬
‭Major‬‭Themes‬‭,‬‭Codes‬‭, and Exemplary‬‭Quotes‬
‭I’m Good At It‬

‭Research‬‭in‬‭Brief‬‭I Work and Learn Effectively Close‬ ‭But Efficiency Comes at a Cost‬
‭to‬ ‭Deadlines‬

I‭ ’m more efficient with less‬ “‭ If it’s due the next‬ ‭ rocrastination‬

‭time‬ ‭(few distractions, high‬
‭focus‬‭)‬
P ‭“I felt very rushed when‬
‭day, I can sit down‬ ‭causes‬‭stress‬ c‭ ompleting‬ ‭the‬‭assignments‬‭,‬
‭and‬‭focus‬‭just on‬ ‭which led to‬
‭my‬ ‭paper, and get‬ ‭an‬‭overall‬‭more‬‭stressful‬‭experience‬
‭it done‬ ‭really‬ ‭than I‬ ‭needed to have.”‬
 ‭efficiently.”‬

‭I complete coursework best‬ “‭ When I‬ I‭ don’t learn as deeply‬ ‭“If‬ ‭I‬ ‭did‬ ‭not‬ ‭procrastinate‬‭I‬‭would‬
‭under‬ ‭pressure‬ ‭procrastinate,‬ ‭I‬ ‭as I‬ ‭could‬ s‭ tart‬ ‭preparing‬ ‭for‬ ‭exams‬ ‭earlier‬
‭write better. I‬ ‭and‬ ‭have‬ ‭a‬ ‭better‬ ‭grasp‬ ‭of‬
‭remember things‬ ‭material.”‬
‭better. So as far as‬
‭quality of‬
‭schoolwork,‬ ‭I‬
‭think that I do‬
‭better‬ ‭when I‬
‭procrastinate.”‬

‭I’ve Learned I Can I Know I Can‬

‭Respond‬‭to‬‭A‭c‬ ademic‬‭Requirements‬‭With Procrastination‬ ‭But This System May Not Always Work‬

‭Innate‬‭academic‬‭ability‬ “‭ You can feel like,‬ ‭ y abilities differ based on‬

‭‘I’ll‬ ‭put that off.‬
‭I’m smart‬ ‭enough. I‬
‭can catch up‬ ‭to‬
‭that.’”‬
M “‭ In biology, that doesn’t‬
‭the‬ ‭course‬ ‭work‬ ‭for me. I have to‬
‭read.”‬

‭Planning to procrastinate‬ “‭ I have a plan and I‬ ‭My plans don’t always work‬ ‭“It was like, ‘yeah, that’s‬
‭believe it will help‬ n‭ ot‬ ‭happening.’”‬
‭me‬ ‭in the end.”‬

‭I’ve figured out a system‬ “‭ I’ve done a lot of‬ ‭I know I can’t do this forever‬ ‭“I think in the future it’s‬
‭[papers] and I know‬ p‭ robably gonna backfire on‬
‭how long they take.”‬ ‭me‬ ‭sometime.”‬

‭It’s Worth It‬

‭It’s Worth It in Terms of‬‭A‬‭cademic‬‭Outcomes‬ ‭But I Know I Could Still Do Better‬

‭ y‬‭grades‬‭are not threatened by‬

M “‭ Procrastination‬ ‭My‬‭academic‬‭outcomes‬ “‭ I‬ ‭did‬ ‭decent;‬ ‭however,‬ ‭I‬
‭procrastination‬ ‭usually‬ ‭doesn’t have‬ c‭ ould‬ ‭be better‬ ‭think‬ ‭I‬ ‭could‬ ‭have‬ ‭done‬ ‭a‬
‭a‬ ‭little‬ ‭better‬ ‭if‬ ‭I‬ ‭had‬ ‭started‬
‭large‬‭impact‬‭on‬ ‭studying earlier.”‬
‭my‬‭grade‬‭.”‬

‭ ositive‬‭academic‬‭outcomes‬‭reinforce‬
P “‭ When I do‬‭finally‬ I‭ need to be careful not to‬ ‭“There’s‬ ‭trouble‬ ‭when‬ ‭you‬
‭my‬‭behavior‬ ‭do‬ ‭[‭a‬ ssignments‬‭]‬ ‭overgeneralize‬ t‭ake‬ ‭that‬ ‭j‬‭ustification‬ ‭and‬
‭I get‬ ‭apply‬ ‭it‬ ‭to‬ ‭another‬ ‭course‬
‭good‬‭grades‬‭and‬ ‭where that‬
‭the‬‭project‬‭looks‬ ‭doesn’t work.”‬
‭pretty‬ ‭good. So then‬
‭I think‬ ‭that I can‬
‭just‬
‭procrastinate all the‬
‭time.”‬

‭It’s Worth It in Terms of Social‬‭Outcomes‬ ‭But What I’m Procrastinating Is on the Back of My Mind‬

‭ rocrastinating‬‭ensures‬‭I have balance‬

P “‭ If I’d started‬
‭in‬ ‭my life‬ ‭earlier I‬ ‭might not‬
‭have been‬
‭able to hang out‬
‭with‬ ‭my friends.”‬
‭I can’t enjoy other activities‬
a‭ s‬ ‭much‬
‭“When I go to do something‬
e‭ lse, I’m always thinking‬
‭about‬ ‭what I’m supposed to‬
‭be‬
‭doing.”‬

‭ rocrastination makes time for‬

P “‭ Some of my best‬ ‭I feel upset with myself‬ ‭“Typically I feel a kind of‬
‭meaningful‬ ‭experiences‬ ‭times‬ ‭so far in‬ ‭ eird sense of guilt.”‬
w
‭college have‬ ‭been‬
‭from‬
‭procrastination.‬
‭They’re‬ ‭the‬
‭memories that are‬
‭priceless.”‬
‭ s for desirable social‬‭outcomes‬‭, students chose to procrastinate to‬‭ensure‬‭they would not miss‬
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‭out on the college experience. They defended the importance of “find[ing] the balance that works‬
‭for you,”‬‭highlighting‬‭extracurricular‬‭involvement‬‭and family visits made possible by the time‬
‭carved out by procrastination. Lingering thoughts about incomplete schoolwork would‬‭trigger‬
‭worry and guilt during students’ social and leisure activities. Managing these thoughts, however,‬
‭outweighed the‬‭prospect‬‭of “being a really perfect‬‭student and never having any fun.”‬

‭ ISCUSSION‬
D
‭This study portrays the‬‭inherent‬‭tension‬‭in students’‬‭decisions to delay, offering several‬
‭refinements‬‭to earlier conceptualizations of active‬‭procrastination (Choi & Moran, 2009; Chu &‬
‭Choi, 2005). Active procrastinators receive‬‭outcomes‬‭satisfying enough to encourage‬‭ongoing‬
‭procrastination but recognize they could learn more deeply or receive slightly higher‬‭grades‬‭.‬
‭These students use pressure to force themselves to‬‭focus‬‭, but this pressure is unpleasant and‬
‭depends on‬‭external‬‭regulation‬‭. Students meet deadlines‬‭in most situations, but their plans to‬
‭procrastinate can be unfruitful at times. They intentionally decide to delay, yet with this‬
‭intentionality comes the recognition that procrastination might not fit all‬‭contexts‬‭.‬‭Focus‬‭,‬‭stress‬‭,‬
‭fun, and guilt all‬‭contribute‬‭to the holistic experience‬‭of active procrastination,‬‭revealing‬‭the‬
‭complexity‬‭of its‬‭previously‬‭stated connections to‬‭affect‬‭and well-being (Choi & Moran, 2009).‬

‭ eatures‬‭of‬‭contemporary‬‭college students and‬‭environments‬‭reveal‬‭a broader‬‭context‬‭for‬

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‭active procrastination. As mobile‬‭devices‬‭and streaming‬‭media‬‭infuse campus, active‬
‭procrastination‬‭emerges‬‭as a way for students to force‬‭themselves to‬‭focus‬‭. Many young-‬‭adult‬
‭college students also have the Millennial characteristic of a need for immediate gratification, that‬
‭is, to‬‭attain‬‭nearly instantaneous results (Oblinger,‬‭2003). They place high value on relationships‬
‭and are accustomed to managing multiple activities (Levine & Dean, 2012). Lengthy papers and‬
‭end-of-semester exams offer less appeal than leisure or social experiences with more immediate‬
‭rewards. In line with these characteristics, it is not surprising to see college students‬‭strategically‬
‭procrastinating to fit in schoolwork as one of many activities.‬

‭ indings of this study‬‭reveal‬‭several reasons for‬‭students’‬‭commitment‬‭to procrastination.‬

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‭Active procrastinators can often complete‬‭assignments‬‭efficiently,‬‭attain‬‭acceptable‬‭grades‬‭, and‬
‭advance social connections. There are, however, drawbacks in terms of‬‭stress‬‭, surface-level‬
‭learning, and feelings of regret and guilt.‬‭Acknowledging‬‭the delicate balance between‬
‭procrastination’s draws and drawbacks,‬‭implications‬‭for practice relate to both educational‬
‭environments‬‭and support for self-directed change.‬

‭Students most likely to engage in active procrastination appear to be those with a strong sense of‬
a‭ cademic‬‭confidence paired with a history of not putting‬‭forth great time or effort to earn high‬
‭grades‬‭. Advisors and support personnel who inquire into these students’ backgrounds will likely‬
‭hear statements about rarely having to study in high school. To support higher order learning‬

‭Academic Year 2022-2023‬

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‭Hensley, L.C. (2016). The Draws and Drawbacks of College Students’ Active Procrastination.‬‭Journal‬
‭of‬ ‭College Student Development 57‬‭(4), 465-471. doi:10.1353/csd.2016.0045.‬

o‭ utcomes‬‭, it may be important to help such students‬‭refine‬‭the number of situations in which‬

‭they procrastinate. Active procrastinators‬‭seek‬‭to‬‭minimize‬‭the time and effort spent on‬
‭academics‬‭, but cognitive growth‬‭requires‬‭expending‬‭mental energy‬‭(Nist & Holschuh, 2005).‬
‭The key to‬‭promoting‬‭learning may lie in connecting‬‭active procrastinators with opportunities‬
‭for cognitively‬‭challenging‬‭, engaging learning experiences.‬

‭ ctive procrastination often reflects detachment between the learner and the act of learning; it is‬
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‭a way, students reported, of “get[ting] it done and over with.” To‬‭shift‬‭the‬‭authority‬‭for learning‬
‭from an‬‭external‬‭to an‬‭internal‬‭perspective‬‭,‬‭instructors‬‭could‬‭create participatory‬‭classroom‬
‭environments‬‭(e.g., Learning Parterships Model; Baxter‬‭Magolda, 1999) in which students play‬
‭a‬‭major role‬‭in‬‭constructing‬‭knowledge. Advisors could‬‭help active procrastinators‬
‭select‬‭courses and cocurricular experiences that present‬‭high levels of‬‭challenge‬‭and‬
‭personal‬ ‭importance,‬‭factors‬‭associated with viewing‬‭effort as valuable rather than‬
‭wasteful.‬

‭ roducing greater‬‭awareness‬‭of the‬‭benefits‬‭and limitations‬‭of procrastination may also be key‬

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‭to supporting active procrastinators. The effectiveness of procrastination‬‭interventions‬‭depends‬
‭in large part on how well they reflect students’ reasons for procrastination (Klingsieck et al.,‬
‭2013). It is not effective to simply advise students to stop procrastinating in order to succeed in‬
‭college. Active procrastinators will likely disregard such overarching statementsas‬‭irrelevant‬
‭and‬‭inaccurate‬‭. Advisors might suggest study‬‭j‭o‬ urnals‬‭to help students track their behavior and‬
‭gather‬‭insights‬‭into the thoughts, feelings, behaviors,‬‭and‬‭outcomes‬‭associated with‬
‭procrastination. The‬‭process‬‭of change is supported‬‭when‬‭individuals‬‭’ reasons both for and‬
‭against making changes in their lives are brought to the surface, particularly in the‬‭context‬‭of an‬
‭advising or counseling relationship (Miller & Rose, 2009).‬

‭ eflections on procrastination were gathered from a small number of‬‭participants‬‭, whose depth‬
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‭of‬‭participation‬‭aligned with phenomenological‬‭research‬‭.‬‭Findings‬‭refined‬‭the‬
‭conceptualization of active procrastination and informed practical‬‭implications‬‭. The sample‬
‭used had limited‬‭diversity‬‭and findings may not represent‬‭the experience of active‬
‭procrastination for a broader‬‭range‬‭of ages, ethnicities,‬‭or background characteristics. Future‬
‭researchers‬‭may wish to use‬‭similar data‬‭collection‬‭methods‬‭to explore active procrastination‬
‭among more‬‭diverse‬‭samples. The extension of this‬‭research‬‭may‬‭reveal‬‭additional‬‭contextual‬
‭features relevant‬‭for active procrastinators who attend‬‭different types of‬‭institutions‬‭or are in a‬
‭different stage of life than their young-‬‭adult‬‭classmates.‬