With just a few days left until finals everyone is cramming to get last minute studying in. Why? Because we all procrastinated. We procrastinated to do our homework and we procrastinated to study. But it’s okay because it happens to everyone. Because procrastination has affected many students, especially seniors, teachers should learn to understand that sometimes some things are more important than doing homework. Seniors have to do so many things in their last year of high school: apply to colleges, apply for scholarships, go on college visits, and get ready for a whole new life.

Teachers expect students to complete their homework, but what they do not realize is that students have so much more to deal with. Many students participate in a sport, are part of a club, and have after-school jobs; how could they possibly find the time to do homework, study, and apply for colleges? Students drop the ball on the little things because they are more focused on bigger things. At this point they are not procrastinating, they are prioritizing.

Students know that getting their college application done is so much more important than doing notes for their class. And sometimes it is more important to deal with family issues than it is to do homework for Spanish class. Everyone deals with their own issues, but a problem arises when a student doesn’t communicate with the teacher. How is the teacher supposed to know that the student didn’t do their homework because the student has a family member in the hospital? Teachers are humans too. They understand that you have other priorities and will hopefully give you a break. But there comes a point when it happens so often that a teacher just can’t let it slide. If you’re going to prioritize, you still have to finish the little things, not just ignore them. You have to tend to your responsibilities, that is what life’s all about.

Students have to communicate and teachers should try to understand. They have gone through the entire school process already and should know how overwhelming things could get. Letting a couple unfinished homework assignments be turned in late won’t hurt anyone. It starts to turn into a problem when grades begin to drop and the student has completely ignored the fact that they have to still do the make up work. That is when the teacher should take action and give out consequences, not when it has only happened a couple of times.

Prioritizing is not the same as procrastinating, but they both have similar consequences. Everyone prioritizes and procrastinates– it’s a part of life– but don’t let it conquer you, you should be the one conquering it.