Procrastination. We all practice it in one form or another. Whether it is because we don’t want to do the actual task, don’t understand the work or are just plain lazy, there is always something that each person puts off doing. Some people work better under pressure, and know if they wait until the last minute then everything will be fine. Other people wait until the end of a deadline and then stress about getting it done, making themselves sick in the process.
When it comes to schoolwork, however, procrastination is one of the worst things you can do to your GPA. If you wait until the last minute to start on a research paper, you aren’t going to get a good grade. If you don’t study your math, working the problems over and over, you just might fail the class. Putting off studying for the mid-term or final exam until the weekend before the test is also a really bad idea.
There are many places at NEIU where you can get the help you need to keep your grades from slipping. Talk to your teacher if you don’t understand something. This is what they are paid to do. Every department has tutors; people who are waiting to give you extra help. The only problem is, they are not going to come and find you. They won’t know you need help unless you ask. You must make time in your busy day, find them, and explain where the problem lies.
Most general education classes have personal tutors available. They generally come to the classrooms at the beginning of the semester to introduce themselves, tell you where they are located and leave business cards. If they didn’t, you either missed them or they forgot to stop by. Just ask your teacher; they can give you that information. You can also stop in at The Learning Center on the fourth floor of the library, where tutors in all subjects have scheduled times available. Call for more information or to make an appointment at (773) 442-5771 or e-mail them at Learn@neiu.edu. The math lab is also located on the fourth floor of the library. Their number is 773-442-4568.
The writing lab is located in the classroom building at CLS-2046; the tutors there are ready to help in all stages of writing, from helping you generate ideas to final proofreading. (773) 442-5480
Don’t procrastinate, use the resources available and keep your GPA the highest it can be!