I think college is a wonderful place to manage times of leisure and play while also being a student.

I think both actually are crucial if a student wants to maintain their sanity when it seems that school often catches up with us. But I have friends who like to juggle both — exactly sure how they’re going to do so.

And while they might recognize they are first a student and secondly a gamer, they haven’t quite gotten the whole time management thing down very well.

As I looked for an example for this article I couldn’t help wonder just how a lack of time management affects college students in a variety of ways.

In an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligence that talked about its influence, the study said “about 25 percent of students become chronic procrastinators,” the University at Buffalo’s counseling office said.

Such behaviors have many root causes, including fear of failure, lack of motivation and uncertain priorities that can make you feel more inclined to hang out with friends.

This is a powerful statistic because the reality is more college students are trying to figure out where their loyalties lie. I don’t think all students who prefer hanging out with friends are guilty of this per se. But I do think it is something to consider when things don’t seem to  be getting done at the rate they should be.

The danger with the lack of time management then becomes a lack of performance and drive to do well in school. It’s my hope that many of us are to be students first.

While I have my own moments of procrastination and a drive to do anything but homework, I also have to recognize when those things aren’t getting done.

Besides a potential downfall in academic performance, a lack of effective time management can impact one’s sleep and increase a student’s vulnerability to self-induced insomnia. A lack of sleep cheats one’s body of being able to fully grasp and hold onto valuable information. This is something I have learned about pulling all-nighters.

As the verdict comes in, it’s important to know that sleep is more important, and I actually don’t know as much as I thought I did. I am not only less prepared but also a whole lot less aware than before.

As a minority at UND, I also have added stress if this lack of time management ends up creeping up in my life.

According to the Education Trust, 40 percent of African-American and 49 percent of Hispanic-American students nationwide get a bachelor’s degree within six years of starting college, versus 60 percent of white students. The article by the Education Trust talks about how 16 percent of that is due to a lack of proper time management and skill setting. I do not think all students do this, nor am I am implying all minority students do.

Research shows having a lack of time management greatly hinders our practice to do well as students. I would encourage those who read to try and find ways to start implement this practice now.

Proper time management is not only beneficial, it’s a necessity in the fast-paced, busy lives we all live as university students.

Amina Chinnell-Mateen is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]