Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study

of Academic Procrastination Among

Undergraduate Students During the Pandemic

Helengrace Lao(B) , Katreena Gayle Lao , Kent Adnil Lao ,

Marianet Delos Santos, and Ericson Alieto

Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga, Philippines

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Abstract. Academic Procrastination (AP) has become even more widespread in

today’s society, especially in the higher education sector. Considering that it has
been reported as a detriment to success and productivity, the need for a more in-
depth analysis of AP that extends beyond the horizons of quantitative methods
increases. Based on this, this qualitative descriptive study sought to realize the
following objectives: (1) How undergraduate students view academic procrasti-
nation, and (2) The reasons why undergraduate students procrastinate on their
academic obligations. The study administered semi-structured interviews to 10
undergraduate students and through thematic analysis. It was able to reveal six
recurring views toward AP, which can be simplified as follows: AP is a form of rest;
it’s unproductive, a common habit of students; it limits one’s ability due to wasted
time, negatively affects one’s physical and mental health, and it boosts one’s ideas
and creativity. Furthermore, nine recurring reasons why students resort to AP were
also disclosed, the reasons being: the task is too lengthy, academic burnouts, peer
conformity, length of due dates, wanting to finish the task in one sitting, unclear
instructions, lack of knowledge, professors’ leniency, and non-conducive learning
environments. Based on these findings, it can be inferred that AP is not an isolated
problem pinned to the students, but it is also a concern involving the management
of learning of the faculty as well as the educational institutions.

Keywords: Academic procrastination · Views on academic procrastination ·

Reasons for procrastination · Undergraduate students · Qualitative analysis

1 Introduction
Academic Procrastination (AP) is a variation of procrastination that may as well be
considered the bane of student success and productivity. This is in a way that it manifests
itself as a counter-productive habit of deliberately delaying actions toward completing
academic tasks and obligations without any regard for their significance or the adverse
consequences that might follow suit if left unaccomplished [1]. Similar to the concept of
procrastination in general, AP is commonly characterized as a maladaptive force in the

© The Author(s) 2023

V. P. H. Pham et al. (Eds.): AsiaCALL 2022, ASSEHR 744, pp. 197–221, 2023.
[Link]
198 H. Lao et al.

sense that even if an individual wants to break through their habit of procrastination, they
are unable to procure the will to enforce such changes in their behavior. As a result, they
become entrapped within their own cycle of suffering from the consequences caused by
their inability to take action and responsibility for their obligations [2].
As opposed to the general assumption that AP is only a by-product of an individual’s
indolence and irresponsibility, according to [3] the concept of AP transcends such beliefs,
given the fact that most of the underlying factors that trigger such behavior are found
to have strong connections with more complex concepts such as but not limited to the
fear of failure, anxiety, perfectionism, self-esteem, self-preservation, and self-sabotage.
In connection, AP may also be linked to “Self-handicapping,” which is described as a
behavior that somewhat parallels the concept of self-preservation wherein an individual
would rather avoid doing their tasks deliberately out of fear of potential failure [4]. By
completely avoiding their tasks altogether, they wouldn’t have to face the possibility of
realizing their failures, and as a result, their self-esteem remains intact despite having
unfulfilled their task. This is because, the way they see it, their failure does not stem
from the fact that they are failures themselves but because they willed themselves to
fail. In a similar vein, AP can also be triggered by an individual’s lack of motivation
and knowledge on how to accomplish a task, a common occurrence among students that
would eventually lead to the voluntary aversion to the task itself, a reaction that is found
to mirror that of self-sabotage [2]. The belief that AP goes beyond behavioral traits such
as laziness and irresponsibility is further strengthened with that by an inference drawn
by [5], which stipulates that “procrastination is not only a behavioral delay but also
involves cognitive and affective aspects as well” (p. 159).
As far as literature goes, AP has gained quite a negative reputation over the years as it
is often labeled as a dysfunctional behavior that leads to negative outcomes. However, in
contrast to this common notion, a new perspective on AP made its rounds as [6] were able
to discover another form of procrastination termed as Active Procrastination. In this type
of procrastination, individuals tend to procrastinate not because they lack self-control,
motivation, or knowledge or because of their fear of failure but rather because they do
it of their own volition as they find themselves to be more productive and motivated
to accomplish their tasks when they feel pressured. The existence of another form of
procrastination only adds up to the list of possible reasons behind the prevalence of
student procrastination, and despite the growing pool of AP literature, the long-standing
question still remains, what exactly are the reasons behind student procrastination and
its escalation among the student populace?
As AP continues to become even more widespread, especially among the majority of
tertiary level students, [1, 7, 8] the need to further understand it has continued to intensify
over the years, which unsurprisingly resulted in the growth of AP literature. However,
despite being a widely studied concept, [5] pointed out that most of its literature is pri-
marily executed using quantitative approaches, which makes the understanding of AP
confined only within the information sifted from self-administered questionnaires. This
would then mean that an in-depth understanding of AP, particularly the contributing
factors that influence its prevalence, is yet to be fully addressed even at present. It is also
important to note that with the rise of virtual learning among academic institutions due
to the restrictions caused by the current global health crisis comes in observations from
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 199

various studies [2, 3, 9] suggesting that the mandatory preference to a more technology-
driven setup may have inadvertently become a catalyst for procrastination tendencies
among students. This is further reinforced by the findings reported by [9] wherein it
was found that students in a virtual learning environment displayed high levels of AP
behavior. In addition, it has also alluded that the conditions commonly attributed to
studying under a virtual learning environment, such as the increase in workload, diffi-
culties with the assigned materials and activities, and technological barriers like limited
internet connectivity and unavailability of gadgets, are also considered to contribute to
the procrastinating behaviors of students [10–12].
Given the aforementioned reports on how AP is becoming even more prevalent in
our present situation, the need to further expand AP literature beyond numerical analysis
by probing a more in-depth understanding of AP through students’ personal narratives.
Thus, the current study aims to investigate how undergraduate students view AP, as well
as their perceived reasons for procrastinating on their academic obligations.

2 Research Questions
This study sought to investigate academic procrastination among undergraduate students
amidst a global health crisis. Specifically, it aims to answer the following:

1. How do undergraduate students view academic procrastination?

2. Why do undergraduate students procrastinate on their academic obligations?

3 Methods
3.1 Research Design
The current study employed a qualitative descriptive research design which is charac-
terized as a means to comprehensively summarize and elucidate themes emerging from
specific and unique experiences of individuals [13]. Furthermore, it is also considered by
[14] to be a detailed analysis set on unraveling the nuances surrounding human behavior.
In order to fulfill its rationale of further expanding the understanding of the nature of AP
among undergraduates, the present study utilized one-on-one semi-structured interviews
that are comprised of open-ended questions, all of which are administered through phone
calls. Through this, this study provided an in-depth analysis of its two variables which
are the views of undergraduates toward AP and the reasons as to why undergraduates
procrastinate on their academic obligations. In order to render the data in further detail,
the study utilized thematic analysis, a method in qualitative research that is used to sys-
tematically identify and interpret emerging patterns or themes from unique and personal
narratives derived from complex groups of data [15, 16].

3.2 Research Design

A total of 10 respondents participated in the current study, all of which voluntarily went
through one-on-one interviews with the researchers via phone call, as per compliance
200 H. Lao et al.

with Covid-19 safety protocols. This study opted to work with this sample size as it is
in line with the recommendation of [17], which states that a sample size of 10 to 15
participants is deemed sufficient enough for data analysis as long as the participants are
able to provide detailed narratives vividly. Similar to the [5], the study did not utilize
theoretical sampling in the selection of respondents. Instead, it opted to purposively
select undergraduate students who perceive themselves to manifest procrastination habits
and/or tendencies. All respondents were third-year college students taking up Bachelor
of Secondary Education, with six students majoring in English, two in Science, one
in Math, and one in Special Needs Education. The mean age was 21 years. Seven
participants were male, and three were female. The following inclusion criteria were
strictly followed in the participant selection in order to determine homogeneity and
ensure accurate and reliable comparability of experiences, viz: (a) an education student
specializing in Bachelor of Secondary Education, (b) attending online classes, and (c)
perceives him/herself to manifest procrastination habits or tendencies.

3.3 Data Collection and Analysis

The present study utilized a semi-structured type of interview questions that underwent
three validation phases in order to ensure that the interview questions were in line with
the research questions and were liberated from any form of bias against the participants;
(1) validation from peers, which involved two research students; (2) validation from
professors, inclusive of three college professors with doctorate degrees; and (3) validation
from the research adviser. The set of interview questions employed by the study was also
pre-tested on two students coming from the same university, pursuant to the assertion
developed by [18], which states that before conducting a full-scale study, pre-testing
must first be administered as it is a crucial step in the construction of feasible and
contextualized interview questions. At the end of the interview, the audio recordings
collected from the interviews were kept strictly confidential and were not shared with
non-affiliates of the present study.

4 Results and Discussion

There are two (2) classifications that are recognized and discussed in this current paper,
which are: (1) Undergraduate students’ views toward Academic Procrastination (AP),
and (2) Reasons behind the procrastination habits of undergraduate students toward their
academic obligations.

4.1 The Views of Undergraduate Students Toward Academic Procrastination

Six recurring themes were analyzed from the interview. This suggests that there are six
different ways how undergraduate students view AP. These views are inclusive of the
following:
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 201

4.1.1 Academic Procrastination is a Form of Rest

5 out of 10 or 50% of the respondents perceived procrastination as an opportunity for them
to rest both mentally and physically. Aside from enabling them to unwind, according to
a statement by one of the respondents, academic procrastination is also considered for
preparing themselves mentally in order to perform or work on their academic obligations
effectively and efficiently.
The following are the extracted excerpts:

…I perceive procrastination as a resting, as an opportunity to rest. So, when I

procrastinate, I, at the same time, I also rest. But again, it works for me maybe
because when I do rest, it’s like I’m also preparing my mental aspect to be ready
on the upcoming requirements that I will do. (Participant 1)
…With the pros, of course, it gives rest, self-love, self-care, it gives time for students
to relax and not to be totally exhausted from academic demands… Yeah and it gives
the students, I would just elaborate the rest part and relax, relaxing part. It allows
students to still entertain their hobbies and interests out, from out, outside from
the academic demands. (Participant 4)
… I believe it’s really needed to rest our brains, to relax in order for it to create
something more creative or something more beautiful, if one is able to rest or
doesn’t have too much things to think about. (Participant 6)

According to a statement shared by participant 1, they procrastinate to mentally pre-

pare themselves to work on the various requirements that need to be done. This implies
that students resort to procrastination with the intent to recharge and condition them-
selves, both mentally and physically, in order for them to perform well on their academic
tasks. Furthermore, they view procrastinating on academic obligations as simply listen-
ing and providing what their bodies need to function well as students. As participant 4
would put it, procrastination is also a self-care method wherein students avoid getting
too exhausted. It is also a way for them to avoid academic burnout by giving themselves
a chance to explore activities outside the world of academics.

4.1.2 Academic Procrastination is Unproductive as It Takes Away the Time That

Could’ve Been Used to Work and Finish Tasks
Another perspective relayed by the respondents is on AP being a purveyor of unpro-
ductivity. This notion was collectively shared by 6 out of 10 respondents, or 60%.
Furthermore, according to the narratives shared by respondents 2 and 7, they feel that
they are being unproductive whenever they procrastinate because of the awareness that
as they procrastinate, they are losing more time that could’ve been used and maximized
in order to finish their school requirements.
Provided are the following excerpts extracted from the interview:

… I think, personally, if I’m going to focus it like, really on the concept of pro-
crastination only, it is basically unproductive… Because again, I do perceive pro-
crastination as rest. So, when I procrastinate, I basically just, I don’t do anything
related to academics. So, I rest, like I do things that will make me feel rested. So,
202 H. Lao et al.

that’s basically for me the concept of procrastination, you’re not doing anything
related to school and if you are done procrastinating, that’s the time you’re back
to being productive again. (Participant 1)
…well, from my own experiences, it’s unproductive because from the amount of
loss time for work, like, it’s like wasted, like that loss time, wait, let me rephrase.
The amount of time that we have done more and the time that we procrastinated,
that is like, already lost, we cannot really take it back anymore. It’s unproductive
because we cannot, you produce less in the small amount of time, that you’ve given
yourself because of the amount of time you procrastinate. (Participant 2)
… it gives more of unproductivity…. I still believe it’s unproductive because as
we delay things, we can actually do it right now, we also delay the things that
we can do tomorrow or the day after because we keep pushing things to be done
tomorrow. For my case, I could do three (3) tasks today, but those tasks would be
pushed further, further days. So, I end up just utilizing, just finishing them in the
days, in the days or in the days we are required to submit. So, I am limited, my
productivity is limited. (Participant 4)

This implies that regardless of their reason for resorting to such behavior, the mere
fact that they are delaying action toward their academic tasks is enough for them to
feel that their productivity as well as their days to finish their tasks, are becoming more
and more limited as they keep on procrastinating. This implication is augmented by
a statement made by respondent 1 that despite perceiving procrastination as a form
of rest, it is still considered as unproductive as there isn’t any action made to start or
finish the various requirements that are lined up for them to do until you decide to
stop procrastinating. These narratives coincide with the descriptions posited by various
authors on procrastination, that procrastination is a dysfunctional and counter-productive
habit of intentionally postponing action toward the initiation or completion of a task
despite impending consequences [1, 3, 19, 20].

4.1.3 It is Comforting or Reassuring That It is a Common Habit That Can Be

Observed from Peers
7 out of 10, or 70% of the respondents, found procrastination a common habit they
have observed within themselves and most of their peers. This observation created the
perspective that because the majority of the students around them procrastinate, there
is nothing wrong with procrastinating on their academic obligations. Moreover, this
observed commonality even gives off a reassuring feeling to these respondents. They
find it comforting to know that procrastinating is not an atypical behavior among students.
The following are the extracted excerpts to support this notion:

…the people around me is a living testimony, like my classmates is the testimony

like I don’t know what’s the reason behind, but I know they procrastinate because I
ask them… I think somehow, it’s self-assuring, and in a sense that there’s, nothing
totally wrong with me, I don’t need to perceive myself as a bad student because
I procrastinate, like that, given the fact that yes, it is common among people.
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 203

Sometimes, it’s self-assuring and it has that, let’s say self-comfort that I can give
to myself, that it’s okay to procrastinate. (Participant 1)
… I just feel like it’s kinda funny in a sense that, ‘Oh wow!’ this is an experience
that not I alone am experiencing, it’s an experience that is very human to be like,
because almost everyone is doing and everyone, almost everyone is having the
same experiences as me. So, it’s like, quite funny and quite interesting that, okay,
this is not just a ‘me attitude’ or a ‘me problem…Well, I think, just for validation
that I’m not alone, just the validation that I have comrades who also suffer, just
kidding… Like, jokingly, I do have comrades who suffer with me as well it, doing
this in a very rushed manner, somewhat, yeah, it’s like just that validation that you
are not alone to suffer, you are not alone that is having a problem with this, you
are not alone, man. So, somewhat yeah, I think my reason why I ask, I don’t want
to be alone suffering. (Participant 2)

Most of these respondents also mentioned that they even feel the need to ask their
peers about the progress of their work just to gain some sort of validation or justification
to further delay action toward working on their requirements. The sense of comfort the
respondents felt the moment they found out that there are also others who also procrasti-
nate is similar to a statement made by [21] admitting that they did feel comforted by the
fact that there are a lot of their peers who also struggle with procrastination, especially
in the field of academics. Expanding from this notion, the current study found that as a
result of gaining this sense of comfort and assurance, most respondents reported feeling
even more compelled to tolerate their procrastinating habits. The respondents’ obser-
vations on how mainstream procrastination is among students, especially in the tertiary
level is supported by the findings posited by various authors [1, 8, 22–32] that not only
is procrastination rampant among students, but it is also particularly pervasive among
students enrolled in higher education. This then brings a supposition that procrastination
continues to grow even more prevalent, particularly among university students, due to
the students’ constant cycle of being relieved or comfortable enough to delay their own
academic tasks the moment they find out their other classmates are delaying theirs.

4.1.4 Due to the Time Wasted, Procrastinating Limits One’s Ability or Potential
and as a Result Induces Feelings of Dissatisfaction Toward School Outputs
or Performance
8 out of 10 or 80% of respondents viewed procrastination as an act that limits a student’s
ability or potential in their academic tasks and performances. According to them, students
are unable to truly give their best or their hundred percent effort in creating or performing
any requirement they procrastinated on because they are simply short on time to do so,
as they have already wasted a lot of it from procrastinating.
In support are the following extracted excerpts:

… At the same time, when I said that it’s not solely a good thing because I think
procrastination still limits your ability…because I sometimes, for example, in
myself, I know that even though that I am able to do my requirements, I am able
to pass it within the due date. I think, if I reflect, I know that I can still do more,
204 H. Lao et al.

I can still give more. It’s just that, I don’t have any more time because I didn’t
completely use the time, I procrastinate. (Participant 1)
…I feel it is bad because it kind of ruins a lot of potential…potential in students
because rather than them being able to bring out the most of what they are capable
because of academic procrastination like we keep putting things off, we keep
making, not being able to properly do work because of the little time. So, we are
not able to really give the best of what we can provide, because of the idea or habit
of procrastinating. So, yeah, it’s bad in that sense, it’s like we aren’t able to reach
our highest potentials as student. (Participant 2)
… It affects the student’s performance in a way like I said earlier its – like basically
academic procrastination takes away the full capacity of a student, it takes away
their opportunity to give their 100% on the particular task because basically
students delays or postponed a task. (Participant 3)
… It’s like wasting time, at the same time, I am wasting time and opportunities that
could’ve been used to read, learn, study… I think it’s sad, frustrating, on the part
of me or as a student because it’s like you could do your work better if only you
didn’t cram it. But like since you are procrastinating, the aftermath of the results
when it’s crammed is really sad because you know for yourself that you can do it
better or you still have more to bring, a better output, or a better quiz score if only
you studied, if only you didn’t waste time to procrastinate. (Participant 6)
…We received the grade, and there’s that sense of regret, that instead of that, this
should’ve been my grade if I did it, because of the consequences of my actions
that’s what I ended up receiving, so I’m left regretting it and accepting it because
that’s the result of my procrastination. (Participant 7)

The respondents who reported the same claims also share the same feelings about
it, that they tend to feel dissatisfied with the results their procrastination brought them.
According to them, despite getting decent results, they still feel regretful and bad about
it because they believed that they could’ve done better or acquired a better result if they
didn’t waste all their time procrastinating. This implies that procrastination hinders stu-
dents from reaching their highest potential and may cause them to feel unsatisfied and
regretful of the results of their outputs. Over the years, various studies found that pro-
crastination lowers the quality of academic outputs and is ultimately a major contributor
to the poor academic performance of students [33–36]. According to a study authored
by [34], because of the discrepancies between what was achieved and what could have
been achieved by the students, had they not run out of time to work on the task because
of procrastination, these procrastinators were found to end up experiencing high levels
of psychological distress and anxiety.

4.1.5 It Negatively Affects the Physical and Mental Health of Students

Another perspective relayed by 5 out of 10 or 50% of the respondents is that AP can
negatively affect the students’ physical and mental health. By means of being detrimental
to their mental health. This is in a way that because of the exhaustion and, at the same
time, panic brought by the bulk of workloads as well as being overloaded with backlogs
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 205

that they accumulated from constantly delaying their tasks, they end up experiencing
heightened levels of distress and anxiety. On the other hand, AP affects their physical
health in a way that because of all the times they procrastinate, they would most likely
cram everything to the point of straining their own physical well-being by pulling all-
nighters and constantly being sleep-deprived.
The following are the extracted excerpts from the interview:

… I also believe one disadvantage to that is…it sort of also affects the mental
health of the students… I think it distresses the student, it gives stress and anxiety,
stress with the meeting with the output, because there are a lot, and of course,
that is exhausting on the part of the student if activities are given consecutively.
(Participant 4)
… The disadvantage here is because you will budget your time to do your work,
you don’t have enough rest time. I feel that it gives us insufficient time to rest,
it’s deteriorating our health because our bodies should have sufficient rest, right?
(Participant 5)
… I don’t recommend students to procrastinate because it will take a toll on their
health. In my case, I worked on it a night before, so with that I was sleep deprived
throughout the night and I only slept for 1 h before attending class. Procrastination
isn’t good, it isn’t good for our bodies and our health… I really can’t recommend
procrastinating because once your backlogs will pile up, it can really affect your
health, especially the mental health of the students. (Participant 7)

The respondents made it a point to share that procrastination is one of their sources of
anxiety and exhaustion and overall, a contributor to their mental and physical state dete-
rioration. According to participant 4, procrastination is a disadvantage in the sense that
it breeds negative feelings, such as stress and anxiety among students. The respondents’
shared perspective on how AP negatively affects mental health is augmented by various
studies that were able to discover that the act of procrastinating creates higher chances
for students to experience heightened levels of stress, anxiety, guilt, and pessimism as
they struggle to complete the task at the last minute [37, 38]. In addition, according to
[34] the psychological torment procrastinators experience even extends after the dead-
line. On another note, aside from being a detriment to one’s mental health, participants
5 and 7 reported that procrastination was also able to negatively affect their physical
health. According to them, because they procrastinated on their tasks, in the end, they
were left to cram everything the night before the submission. This meant that they were
straining themselves by pulling-all nighters. Participant 7 relayed that they really don’t
recommend procrastination because it deteriorates one’s health. This statement is linked
to their experience when they ended with only an hour’s sleep because they crammed
a requirement the night before the deadline. With reference to experiences such as this,
it comes to no surprise that procrastination often leads students to have poor physical
health by the end of a semester, as they become more prone to having a weaker immune
system due to constant stress and sleep deprivation [35, 38–40].
206 H. Lao et al.

4.1.6 It’s a Skill or Talent That Boosts One’s Ideas and Creativity
6 out of 10 or 60% of the respondents shared that they view procrastination as a means
for them to boost their creative thinking, which is essential to create quality outputs.
With reference to their experiences, they perceive procrastination to be effective in the
sense that it creates a stronger surge of creative ideas within their minds compared to
when they are going to work on the task right away when the due date is still far away.
These are the excerpts from the interview:

… I feel that it’s like a skill, and at the same time a talent that even though we
weren’t able to spend so many days with this project but still what we did was still
excellent according to the teacher. It’s like it pushes you, it gives you the confidence
to procrastinate again because I can still produce quality output… I think it’s more
effective, the process I mentioned a while ago, when I procrastinate. But if I know
that I am given a deadline and it’s still far away, it’s like my creativity won’t come
out. (Participant 5)
… I believe it’s really needed to rest our brains, to relax in order to create something
more creative or beautiful, if you’re able to rest or doesn’t have anything else to
think about aside from that, it’s like it’s not stressful… I believe that, even if we
procrastinate how many minutes or hours or days, it’s beneficial for students to
rest his or her brain, as well as their body in order to create something creative.
(Participant 6)
… When I procrastinate, it’s like I’ll take my time to think on what to do… That’s
only the time my creativity and imagination work, that’s the only time my brain
works in order to make my task our output. (Participant 7)

Respondents 5 and 7 relayed their belief that it is only when they procrastinate and
cram their tasks would their brains work to generate creative ideas for their tasks. Respon-
dent 6, on the other hand, mentioned that procrastination is a form of rest needed by
students to have a clear head and ultimately be able to think or create something creative.
These narratives shared by the respondents can be linked to a study authored by [41],
which found that with moderate procrastination comes the opportunity for employees
to generate new and creative ideas. In a similar vein, [42, 43] alluded that despite being
viewed as a counter-productive habit, there is a possibility for procrastination to result
in better and more creative outputs or performances, especially when the task requires a
lot of creative thinking. Despite being commonly viewed as a counter-productive habit,
according to these scholars, procrastination is beneficial in boosting one’s creativity. By
procrastinating, procrastinators are actually buying themselves more time to think of
more creative and insightful ways to work on their tasks.

4.2 The Reasons Why Undergraduate Students Procrastinate on Academic

Obligations

There were 9 different reasons why undergraduate students procrastinate on their aca-
demic obligations. This suggests that there are 9 reasons why undergraduate students
engage in AP. These reasons are inclusive of the following:
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 207

4.2.1 Task is Too Lengthy, or It Requires a Lot of Preparations in General

When asked about the perceived reasons for procrastinating on their academic obliga-
tions, 6 out of 10 or 60% of respondents shared that they procrastinate on tasks that
they consider to be lengthy. This is in a sense that there are a lot of items to answer or
preparations that need to be done in order to accomplish the task.
Provided are the following extracted excerpts:

… Sometimes, if we say it’s easy but it’s also lengthy, I don’t prioritize it. It also
depends on the length of the workload, if it’s too long, it’s too demanding, even
though it’s easy, it’s like it’s not the time to do it now, I’ll prioritize the heavy ones
first, like that. (Participant 1)
… Honestly, first, I would not procrastinate on it because yeah, I would, I would
be interested in it and I would like want to work on it immediately, but later on,
because of the, let’s say, as you said, if it’s like lengthy, if it’s lot of, a task that
needs a lot of work, like soon, I kind of, I would like realize that and would kind
of procrastinate later on. (Participant 2)
…If it is very demanding, if it has high demands. Basically, it takes a lot of time, it
takes perhaps several days, it takes one week to finish it so very lengthy assignment
it needs a lot of focus because you need to gather a lot of information… Then those
are the kind of task that I tend to procrastinate. (Participant 3)
…I think, the requirement was, the requirement, that demo teaching requirement
was actually hectic, it was actually troublesome to think because the requirement
for that demo teaching is to record it like how a classroom, like in an actual class-
room setup, so with actual classroom setup… So, thinking that way, it somehow
made me realized that it is not a one (1) shot, it will not be a one (1) shot take, so
what happened was that I was more unmotivated to do it. (Participant 4)

According to respondent 1, regardless of how easy the task is, if it takes too much time
to do or there are a lot of preparations to consider, procrastination will most definitely
ensue. In an experience relayed by respondent 4, they tend to end up feeling unmotivated
to do the task because of how hectic and demanding the preparations were just to start
the task. There is also the case with that of respondent 2; according to them, the urge to
procrastinate wasn’t initially present. In fact, the respondent was even motivated to do it
as the task was interesting to them. However, the moment they realized that there were
many things to do and prepare to finish the task, the respondent’s initial motivation to
work on the task decreased, and procrastination took over. The implication that lengthy
tasks breed stronger urges to procrastinate is supported by the notion by [44] wherein it
was stipulated that when individuals are faced with lengthy tasks, they often experience
physical and mental burnout, and as a result, they do not make much effort in performing
such tasks.

4.2.2 Seeking Mental and/or Physical Rest Due to Academic Burnout

In connection with one of the views shared by the participants toward AP, 6 out of 10
or 60% of respondents also mentioned mental and/or physical rest as one of the reasons
208 H. Lao et al.

they procrastinate on their academics. According to them, they tend to procrastinate

in order to relieve their exhaustion and at the same time, prevent further burnout from
tending to their tasks and other academic obligations.
The following are the excerpts:

…I procrastinate because most of the time I’m just tired, that’s why I procras-
tinate…Once that I know that I am mentally, physically and like emotionally
exhausted because on academics I know I needed time to rest, that time of rest,
it appears to be procrastination already… I think it was really just the burnout.
That’s the sole reason. I was really burnout, really… To the point I was just
really exhausted of school, doing everything, online class, doing requirements and
everything. (Participant 1)
… One of the reasons why I procrastinate is I am tired, I need to do something to
not feel tired so I can start doing the task, so I need to relax, I need to take a rest…I
procrastinate because I am tired, I need to relax and so even if I am relaxing, I am
still thinking of the task of whether I should do it and what happens if I may not be
able to accomplish it on time? And so, what happens I am not able to relax. So, if
I am not able to relax then I’m most likely to procrastinate again simply because
I won’t be able simply to fulfill my goal, my purpose to take a rest so you do not
feel the tiredness anymore. (Participant 3)
… I procrastinate because that’s the thing, our units are heavy, I don’t have enough
time to rest, so that’s why sometimes I treated the days where I should’ve used
to make my requirements as rest days… To cope-up sometimes with my sleeping
scheds or in other words, it’s like I’m giving myself a reward to rest. I procrastinate,
maybe in one week, 5 days I will rest then I will work on it for 2 days. (Participant
5)

[45] operationalized the term “academic burnout” as the feeling of exhaustion expe-
rienced by students due to the demands of their academic obligations. It is further con-
ceptualized to involve students being cynical or detached toward the academic tasks and
obligations that they need to accomplish. Moreover, students experiencing academic
burnout also tend to feel incompetent, and as a result, their efficiency in accomplishing
tasks decreases. In the account of respondent 1, it was mentioned that their sole reason for
procrastinating was really because of burnout. This is the same for the other respondents,
as they also reported that they procrastinate because of exhaustion from tending to their
academic obligations and also because they want to recharge and prepare themselves
to work on their tasks efficiently by being physically and mentally rested. Most of the
respondents who reported having this reason shared that after procrastinating for a few
days, they will eventually return to work when they feel rested. However, despite sharing
the same reason as the others, this wasn’t the case for respondent 3. In their account,
the reason why they procrastinate is that they want to feel relaxed and alleviate their
exhaustion, but as they procrastinate, they constantly keep stressing over the possibility
of not finishing the task because they are procrastinating. Due to their constant worries
over this possibility, the respondent shared that they weren’t able to fully rest despite
procrastinating, and as if being stuck in a cycle, they procrastinated yet again as they
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 209

weren’t able to fulfill their purpose for procrastinating the first time, which is to feel
rested.

4.2.3 Peer Conformity

Another reason why students procrastinate in their academics is because of the influence
of their peers. 6 out of 10 or 60% of students expressed that they delay their academic
obligations because their classmates are also doing the same. They claimed that the urge
to procrastinate grows stronger when they discover that their peers are also procrastinat-
ing. According to the narratives they shared, their habit of constantly deferring action
toward their tasks feels validated when they realize they are not the only ones with this
habit. As a result, their procrastination worsens the more they feel comfortable with it.
These are the excerpts extracted from the interview:

…I procrastinate, not solely on my will to procrastinate, sometimes I ask people, I

ask my classmates, “Hey, did you do it already?”. So, the more people I ask, then
the more people that said that, no they haven’t done anything yet. So, it gives me,
like an assurance that it’s okay to procrastinate…They are one of the factors…
Like sometimes, I ask them, ‘Hey, did you do it already’ and then when I find out
that none of them started working, the more I want to procrastinate, the more I
feel at peace in my procrastination process. (Participant 1)
…If I found out that my classmates are also delayed in the progress of their work, it
becomes more tempting to really procrastinate it.…I found out that my classmates
are still working on, they are still far away in finishing the assignment. So, I tend to
go with the flow like I can easily convince myself to keep procrastinating. So, like
if most of my classmates are not yet done so even if I am close to accomplishing
the task I just tend to go with the flow. I tend also to convince myself not to finish
it until they are able to finish their task too. (Participant 3)
…In terms of influence, I think asking classmates or knowing that my classmates
are also procrastinating on their end. Because knowing that you’re also procras-
tinating, it gives the, it gives the feeling of company, I’m not just alone in here,
procrastinating or relaxing which gives me the hope that I can still do it like them,
like I can still do it by tomorrow like them if they can do it after days, I can also do
it after days. So, it gives a conforming feeling that yeah, I’m not, I’m not feeling
or I’m not behaving wrongly, that it’s normal, and with that feeling that it is only
normal, it further tolerates that there is nothing wrong with me. (Participant 4)

The respondents’ constant need to ask their classmates about their progress on the
tasks they are working on is conjectured to be a means for them to fish for reasons
to validate or justify their own procrastination habits. According to respondent 1, they
feel more at peace with procrastinating when they find out that none of their classmates
have started working. It assures them that further delaying their tasks is fine because the
majority is doing it. In the narrative shared by respondent 4, once they find out that their
peers are also procrastinating, it gives them a conforming feeling that their behavior is
normal and that there’s nothing wrong with tolerating such a habit. There are various
210 H. Lao et al.

factors that influence AP, which can be divided into those that are internal (e.g., self-
regulation, self-efficacy, time management) and external factors, such as the influence
brought by peer conformity [46]. In the study of [46], it was revealed that higher levels
of peer conformity among students also lead to higher AP tendencies. Similar to the
experiences relayed by the respondents of the current study, procrastinators who tend to
confide in peer conformity tend to delay their own requirements as soon as they discover
that the majority of their peers, especially their group of friends, are procrastinating as
well.

4.2.4 Because the Due Date is Still Far Away or There isn’t One Given
6 out of 10 or 60% of the respondents claimed that one reason they procrastinate is
how far a task’s due date is, or if there is one in the first place. According to their
shared experiences, they are more likely to procrastinate when given tasks with a wide
timeframe. The reason behind this is that because the due date is still far away, they still
have a lot of time to work on the task; therefore, it’s okay not to do it right away.
The following are the excerpts:

… When the requirements are due, for instance, it was given just this day and the
due date is let’s say, still after four (4) days or five (5) days. So that gives me a
whole option to not do it now because the due date is not yet today. (Participant
1)
… Those big kinds of tasks, just example, the video thing. I often procrastinate on
it because we are given lots of time to work on it. So, I would be thinking like,
yeah, lots of time also to not do it. So, yeah, I procrastinate on big tasks because
of that, that I think there’s lots of time. In the end, again, I regret. (Participant 2)
… I grow dependent on the due dates, without due dates I find it hard to do the
requirements…The longer the due date the more the, the more the chances to
procrastinate because especially with a week-long, a week-long duration of due
dates because you have, if put in Filipino terms, in Filipino phrasing, “May bukas
pa” (there’s still tomorrow). So, why suffer now when I can suffer tomorrow?
(Participant 5)
… The activities that I see myself procrastinating are the tasks that don’t have
deadlines… I don’t know the specific reason why I procrastinate on those, but
I think the mindset that it doesn’t have deadline makes me set them aside to do
other tasks instead, instead of working on a task that doesn’t have a deadline.
(Participant 7)

According to respondent 5, they have grown dependent on the due dates in the sense
that they find it hard to gain the motivation to do their tasks as long as the timeframe
remains wide. As they put it, they would rather suffer through working on their require-
ments the next day instead of the present. Hence they constantly procrastinate until they
are left to cram their tasks a day or a few days before it’s due. Similarly, respondent
2 also shared the same experience wherein they find themselves procrastinating when
they are given a lot of time to work on big tasks because of the illusion that there would
still be a lot of time even if they delay working on it, only to regret it in the end. In cases
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 211

where there is no fixed due date in the first place, Respondent 7 mentioned that they
would procrastinate on tasks without any given due date and work on those with nearer
submission dates instead. These experiences are somewhat similar to a field experiment
conducted by [47] on the effect of deadline length on task completion, where they found
that their respondents procrastinated more on the task with the 1-month deadline. In addi-
tion, it was revealed in the study authored by [48] that tasks with long deadlines would
most likely cause higher procrastination tendencies among students despite providing
flexibility and more leeway in task completion.

4.2.5 Due to the Belief That Even if They Start on the Task Right Away, They
Won’t Be Able to Do or Finish it Anyway
Another reason why students resort to AP is because they believe that even if they do
start on the task as soon as it was given, they still wouldn’t be able to finish it right away
in just one sitting. 5 out of 10 or 50% of respondents reported that they prefer to just
leave the task for tomorrow, thinking that by then, there would be a higher chance for
them to finish it right away.
Provided are the extracted excerpts to support this notion:

… I know that I cannot afford to like to do it now or like to start a requirement

already because I know that even if I do start, my mind would just be so out of it,
like that, it’s like I’m so confused.…I would do it within the day, so it’s finished
right away, it’s just that, I’m not able to finish it, I’m not able to finish it. Most of
the time it’s like I quickly lose motivation, or like I get really sleepy. (Participant
1)
…We usually end up procrastinating it because what ends up in our minds is that
the task can’t be done in one sitting, so what happens then is that we get even more
unmotivated to do it, because you know that, it would not, if you will start today,
it would be more likely that it won’t be finished that same day or that same hour.
(Participant 4)
…Since I won’t be able to finish it on-the-spot, I’ll just leave it, it’s just like what
I said a while ago, like procrastination is my waiting time for the perfect moment
to do the requirements, and if it’s not followed, I won’t do it. (Participant 6)

With reference to the various experiences shared by these respondents, most of the
requirements given in college are too heavy for students to work on it in one sitting.
Whenever they would come to realize that it is unlikely for them to finish the task in
one go, they would most often feel unmotivated to start working on their tasks. In the
provided excerpts, the respondents made it clear that their procrastination habits are
triggered by thoughts of not being able to finish a certain task on the spot. Based on their
narratives, it seems like they see it as a waste of their time to force themselves to do a
task that they can’t finish on the spot. So instead of doing the task right away, regardless
if they can finish it or not, they would rather procrastinate until they find the perfect
moment to do the task; a day when they can be able to finish it in one sitting.
212 H. Lao et al.

4.2.6 The Details of the Academic Task are Unclear

4 out of 10 or 40% of respondents reported that they tend to procrastinate on tasks with
unclear details. According to their accounts, they tend to feel unmotivated to work on
tasks that do not have clear and complete details. This includes the instructions as well
as the fixed time and date of submission.
The excerpts are as follows:

…Because sometimes the due dates aren’t clear, I still tend to procrastinate.
(Participant 1)
…What I mean is like the task is too vague, it’s like very unclear there’s less details,
the date line is not set, and it’s very difficult to start it. And if it is very difficult to
start then it becomes very problematic, it is likely that I will procrastinate it rather
than actually start doing it. (Participant 3)
So, given that, we have two-month timeframe. However, I did not do it within that
timeframe, I did it only after midterms… The given instructions on how to do that
reflection paper weren’t that detailed… so that’s also like 1 reason why I don’t
seem to have to motivation to do it… (Participant 5)

Considering the experience shared by respondent 5, despite having two months to

work on a reflection paper, they still ended up procrastinating because they didn’t have
any motivation to work on it because the instructions on how to do the task weren’t clear
to them. It wasn’t detailed enough to instruct them on what to do. Similarly, respondents
1 and 3 also shared the same experience, only this time, their problem was the unclear
due dates. The lack of details of their task made it difficult for them to find the drive and
motivation to start, much less finish, the task at hand.

4.2.7 The Lack of Knowledge of Difficult or Complex Tasks

9 out of 10 or 90% of respondents claimed to resort to AP for the reason that their tasks
are too heavy or difficult for them to accomplish. According to their responses, when
they are faced with complex academic tasks that are as demanding as it is difficult, they
tend to procrastinate and set it aside first. As relayed by respondent 3, whenever they
encounter a very difficult task, their head will immediately be filled with doubts, making
it hard for them to focus on the task.
The following are the extracted excerpts from the interview:

Academic tasks that are basically difficult, it is very difficult, if it is very demanding,
if it has high demands… Then those are the kind of task that I tend to procrastinate…
Because if a task is difficult then doubts or questions will fill my headfirst rather
than actually focusing on finishing the task… If the task is very difficult then it’s
basically uncontrollable because the task is very difficult, and I don’t know how
the necessary information I need to make necessary preparations and then worse
case I found out that it’s not going to be enough. So, like I said what happens I
tend to feel that I am no longer in control in finishing this task. I cannot exactly tell
when will I be able to finish this task and that’s just going to instill fear in myself
and once the fear is in there’s going to be procrastination again…What causes me
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 213

to feel that I lack control over this procrastination is – probably the main reason
is the most case is the lack of expertise on the particular task… (Participant 3)
…Usually, similar to those I asked, I felt related that if the task is too heavy, we
usually end up procrastinating it. (Participant 4)
I think the degree of difficulty influences whether I would do the project or not…The
complexity of the tasks, that’s the reason why I procrastinate because if I know that
it is a bit complicated, it needs brainstorming, it needs absolute effort, I would set
aside that first… That’s also 1 reason why I don’t seem to have the motivation to
do it, to do that project within that timeframe because I don’t know how to do it…I
am very demotivated especially if I have a, example, academic requirement, that I
know I don’t know… I don’t have the excellent knowledge for that one. (Participant
5)
When I procrastinate, the reason is that…Usually I don’t have an idea or sometimes
I feel that it’s not enough, that idea is inadequate so, usually I research on it first,
so sometimes it takes time, or I ask help from my classmates if what I did was right
in this essay… I feel unmotivated and lack of confidence because I’m not sure if
what I’m doing is right or what we’re doing is right and most of the time we really
feel unmotivated, it’s like we don’t have energy to do the tasks. (Participant 7)

With reference to the various statements provided by the respondents, it can be

implied that in the face of complex and highly demanding academic tasks, they tend to
feel stressed out, unmotivated, or as one of the respondents would put it, have a lack
of control in finishing their tasks. Along with these feelings then comes their urge to
procrastinate. These experiences shared by the respondents correlate with the findings
of [29] and [49], where it was revealed that students tend to procrastinate on tasks that
they deem stressful, difficult, and unpleasant. Moreover, in the study of [50] it was found
that whenever procrastinators encounter tasks that they deem to be difficult or something
that requires a lot of effort, they tend to put it off with the excuse that the instructions on
how to do the task aren’t clear enough for them actually to start working on it.

4.2.8 Due to Lenient Professors

Another factor that urges students to procrastinate on their academic obligations is the
leniency of the professors who are dispensing the tasks, a notion that has been reported
by 4 out of 10 or 40% of respondents. According to the collective experiences they
shared, they tend to procrastinate less on tasks that their strict professors give due to
their fear of being given penalties if they are unable to submit on time. On the other
hand, if the professor is known to be lenient with the submission of requirements, it is
highly likely that they are going to procrastinate. This is supported by an experience
shared by respondent one, wherein they found it easier to procrastinate on tasks given
by their lenient professor because they would still accept late requirements. Unlike their
strict professors, the respondent would find themselves procrastinating the least because
they seem to be intimidated not only by the strictness of such professors but also by the
possibility of getting a failing grade.
The supporting excerpts:
214 H. Lao et al.

…I also consider the type of professors that the core subjects have, most especially
if the professor is strict, like that. So, those are the least, the requirements that are
coming from them, I procrastinate on those the least. Because given the strictness
that they have, I know that I need to work on it, I need to work hard for my
grade or for good remarks, for me to have passing grades… I have this very,
very kind professor back in 2nd year, it was okay for him/her if you will submit
late, she/he is very kind, he/she said so him/herself. So, I also kind of at easy to
pass late, because, that’s the thing he/she is kind, and is chill with regards to late
requirements. (Participant 1)
…I don’t tend to procrastinate if the teacher is very strict. She is very meticulous
it already like instills I would say a discipline to the students. If you won’t do this,
I would certainly give punishments, I would certainly give certain consequences.
Much more is she also stated that he/she will check the assignment, he/she will
make sure that he/she will monitor the assignment one by one. He will make sure
everybody submitted their assignments, he will check each and every assignment
that was submitted. So, it’s definitely going to affect the way I approach the work.
(Participant 2)
I guess, like this one prof of ours who really check do, who call out for recitation
and if ever you can’t answer they will really give you a failing grade. (Participant
6)

Taking into consideration the statements made by respondents 2 and 6, having the
discipline to not procrastinate on one’s academic tasks seems to be dependent on the
strictness of the teacher as well as the probability of having to deal with teacher-induced
consequences such as failing grades. The meticulousness of professors in monitoring the
students’ assignments is also another factor that influences students to not procrastinate.
This is according to the statement of respondent 2.

4.2.9 Challenges in the Learning Environment (e.g., Internet Connection Prob-

lems, Power Interruptions, Learning Environment Is Too Congested
and Noisy)
8 out of 10 or 80% of the respondents reported that the challenges they faced in their
learning environment also affected their tendency to procrastinate more in their academic
obligations. Based on the experiences the participants relayed, these challenges mainly
include internet connection problems, long power interruptions, and their homes being
noisy and overcrowded. According to respondents 3 and 6, most of the time, their poor
internet connection hinders them from delivering their performances well, and because of
those negative experiences, they become unmotivated to make an effort to do their tasks
the next time around. In addition, respondent four also shared they tend to procrastinate
more on tasks that involve taking self-made videos, such as a demo teaching presentation.
According to the participant, this is because there are a lot of things for them to consider
when preparing to make the task, such as finding a decent spot in the house to take the
video where the lighting is good, there are no background noises, and there are no other
distractions. However, since they live in a noisy area, the respondent procrastinated on
the task most of the time. Similarly, respondent six also reported the same situation
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 215

wherein their learning environment is not suitable for them, in the sense that it is noisy
all the time. Another challenge reported by respondent 5 is about the power interruptions
that keep happening in their area. Due to the constant power outages that last as much as
8 h, the respondent would eventually lose their motivation to do their tasks, especially
when the power interruption would happen as soon as they were about to work.
The following are the extracted excerpts:

… Other than that, there is also this problem of internet connections. Personally,
an internet connection is also a problem because there is a certain period or there
are certain times in a day when there is very poor internet connection. So, if this
is a hindrance and if this is something beyond the control of the students, then it
definitely can affect their drive, their motivation to attend classes. And the way I
see it also affects their will, their motivation to accomplish schoolwork. So, they
tend to procrastinate because if – for example, if there is a report then they put so
much effort and then the day of the report they encounter these internet connection
problems, they cut off and they are not able to deliver well then that is their negative
experience, and that would definitely affect their motivation if the next report, the
next schoolwork comes, they will tend to procrastinate. (Participant 3)
…The most, I think on video requirements, like demo teaching presentation wherein
we are required to take video of ourselves, and/or presenting concepts on a video
format. Anything that requires for us to video ourselves. Because given our setting
here at home, it’s, we just have a single spot wherein I find the, I find to be a good
one to be, to give a, at least a decent shot or decent shots…So, I often end up finding
the right timing to take, because our lighting here is a bit dim, and one more thing,
in video-setting, taking videos, I am required to use formal attire and then I have
to clear the background, there should be no sounds, I mean, there should be no
sounds, there should be unnecessary voice or unnecessary noise, there should be,
there should be no one, there should be no one distracting me or disturbing my
video, right there at the moment. And that’s, that’s, usually the key, the problem
there actually, we are near the road. So, it’s somehow inevitable to have jeepney
noises or motorcycle noises, yeah. So, I usually procrastinate them because I have
this thought that it should be, everything should be prepared, so, I end up lazy, just
from thinking from it, and deciding to do it tomorrow. (Participant 4)
…External circumstances, for example black out… In Talon-Talon, where I was
staying last semester, if there would be a black out there, it would take hours, 5 h,
7 h, 8 h… There is no information that there would be a blackout, and my working
time is 10 A.m. and then as soon as I open my laptop and open Microsoft Word,
there would suddenly be a black out, so with that I would say, I’m really not meant
to do the requirements because a while ago when I didn’t have anything to do
there wasn’t a black out, but once I opened my laptop there’s suddenly a power
interruption. I would leave my work again and then I would procrastinate already
because it’s like I lost my motivation. (Participant 5)
…We live in a community wherein everyone is noisy all the time, at night, so
there’s a certain time period wherein there’s a time of quietness, time of calmness,
that’s my waiting time to do things… I think the environment here is really not
216 H. Lao et al.

conducive for learning, the background is noisy, the neighbors are noisy, there are
children, the dogs, the chickens, it’s really not suitable for me, it’s not suitable for
learning…Aside from the gadgets for me I need, I do have a laptop but it’s just for
documents, I also don’t have a source of WiFi, I’m only using data. Sometimes in
school, it doesn’t really cooperate, and sometimes if the teacher gives us videos
with audios that are not really good in quality, it’s like a video of a teacher in
a normal classroom and then it’s hard to transcribe what is said or the audio
background of the video is too noisy, it’s tiring to make a manuscript like maybe
I’ll just do it tomorrow or I’ll just pester my classmates who have already done their
manuscript and I’ll just copy their work since they’re already done. (Participant
6)

In view of the online learning modality mandated by the Philippine government in

response to the current global health crisis, along with this technology-driven medium of
instruction comes different challenges such as poor internet connectivity, power inter-
ruptions, low student engagement, limited ICT knowledge and skills, inaccessibility
of gadgets, and external noise in the environment which hamper learning and moti-
vation among students [51–53]. Taking this into consideration, it can then be implied
that a non-conducive learning environment breeds procrastination among students. This
is supported by the notion that the prevalence of AP has been a by-product of these
aforementioned challenges [54, 55].

5 Conclusion

As AP is becoming even more prevalent in our society, most especially in the academic
sector, the need to further expand our understanding of such phenomena beyond numer-
ical analysis increases by the minute. To provide a more in-depth analysis of AP, the
current study investigated how undergraduate students view AP and their perceived rea-
sons for procrastinating on their academic obligations. In this study, it was found that
the views of undergraduate students on AP are as follows: it is a form of rest, it is unpro-
ductive as it takes away the time that could’ve been used to work and finish tasks, it is
comforting or reassuring that it is a common habit that can be observed from peers, it
limits one’s ability or potential due to the time wasted, and as a result induces a feeling
of dissatisfaction, it negatively affects one’s physical and mental health, and it is a skill
or talent that boosts one’s ideas and creativity. On another note, it was also discovered
that the reasons behind the procrastination behaviors of students are inclusive of the
following: because the task is too lengthy or it requires a lot of preparation in general,
the students are merely seeking mental or physical rest due to academic burnout, due
to peer conformity, because the due date is still far or there isn’t one, to begin with, the
belief that even if the students started right away, they wouldn’t be able to finish it, the
lack of knowledge on difficult of complex tasks urges them to procrastinate, they view
the leniency of the professors as a reason to procrastinate, and lastly, the challenges in
their learning environment hamper their motivation to work on their tasks and instead
resort to procrastination.
 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 217

6 Implications

Taking into account the various findings from the analysis conducted by the present
study comes the implication that the procrastination tendencies or habits of an individ-
ual are not solely attributed to internal factors such as one’s indolence, self-regulation,
and motivation, but rather it can also be directly or indirectly attributed or affected by
external factors, such as the duration of the task deadlines, the volume of requirements
being given, the level of the leniency of the faculty concerned, the suitability of the
requirements to the ability of the students, the challenges brought by a non-conducive
learning environment, and the existence of peer conformity among students. These find-
ings may then stipulate the assumption that procrastination is not an isolated problem
pinned to students alone but is also a concern of the management of learning of the faculty
as well as the educational institutions. In connection to this, the students’ perspectives
toward associating AP as a form of rest, a temporary escape from the exhaustion they
are experiencing due to the overwhelming volume of work and the meaningfulness of
the requirements they are being given. However, despite viewing it as a source of rest,
still they tend to view AP negatively as they believe it to be a hindrance for them to
reach their highest potential and being able to give their best in all of the requirements
that they need to accomplish. Although some of the participants view AP as a way to
boost their creativity and ideas, still it is undeniable that despite this seemingly positive
view, they also found that AP is a detriment not only to their physical state, but also their
mental state in the form of constant guilt and anxiety.

Acknowledgments. This research acknowledges the support and guidance given by its adviser
and those who extended help throughout its journey to completion. Most of all, this paper also
gives acknowledgment and appreciation to the unwavering support of Western Mindanao State
University.

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 Due Monday, Do Monday: A Qualitative Study of Academic Procrastination 221

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