Procrastination is the art of "putting things off," an art that many students around the world grapple with on a daily basis. Whether a mother asks her son or daughter to clean up their messy room, or a teacher assigns a boring six-page essay as homework, many, if not most of us, will procrastinate. Frankly there is much more that we would like to do than we have to. Procrastination plays such an important role in the daily life of a teenager that it becomes a real talent and skill. Those who recognize and practice the following steps may be blessed in realizing the art of procrastination. The first step towards this valuable and coveted talent is to decipher precisely how many hours exactly the task at hand will require. You need to accurately estimate when it will be the absolute last nanosecond possible to start and finish the activity before going to bed, at a fairly reasonable time, say midnight. For example, you have an English essay to write about calculus, a math assignment to complete about logarithms, and a history terms quiz to study about the Civil War, all due tomorrow. Through careful estimation you determine that it will take four hours to complete all the work. Two hours to write the analysis essay, one hour to complete the math homework, and one hour to study history. Now you know that if you start your homework before eight, you'll still get everything done and go to bed at a reasonable hour. If I were in this situation I wouldn't worry too much about the fact that the essay might take up to four hours to write and I still have to think of an interesting topic to analyze, or that I might start my homework at ten because my best friend called to ask my opinion on the new......middle of paper......mily, and remember to savor every bite. Participating in family conversation is crucial as your time is precious, so you want to spend it wisely. It's okay if you're not working on your essay, because time spent with family is key, no matter how long dinner lasts. After dinner you may feel a little tired, so close your eyes for a while, thinking about the work you need to finish. The next step in procrastination is to “involuntarily” fall asleep on the couch, perhaps using a textbook as a pillow. That way, when you wake up at 4 in the morning, you'll be ready to finish the essay in four hours. If you don't wake up to finish the essay, don't worry because you can always try to fake a stomach ache. If you can get past the oblivious parents, so much the better. Of course this is something I would never do, but the strategy is still valid!