Procrastination is something that practically every student has fallen victim to at some point in their academic career.

I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing wrong with procrastination. We are busy! There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done, and sometimes you have to prioritize your duties.

The version of procrastination that I just described is the productive version. There is another version that is often associated with laziness, and this picture depicts it perfectly.

Think of this blank sheet of paper as the canvas that all your goals and ideas are placed on. When you procrastinate the sheet stays blank, but when you put forth effort, the sheet fills up.

It’s really that simple!

You don’t have to succeed right away; in fact, most things take time. A big accomplishment often starts with a small idea and a little motivation, and then blooms into something wonderful.

This week, take ten minutes to construct a list of things you want to accomplish in the next few days. Some things should be small, and some things should lead to the big picture. For instance, if you’re working on your resume, make one of your objectives to call two people to use as a reference.

There is no challenge too big, and you will be amazed at how much you can do with just a little motivation.

Juice Editor

Right in the face!

It’s true, not everyone is a good sport. It’s natural for people to be competitive; of course some people take competition much more seriously than others.

For some reason I’m reminded of the movie, Cool Runnings when I think of sportsmanship. If you aren’t familiar with the movie, it’s about a bobsled team from Jamaica that decides to compete in the Olympics as the first ever Jamaican bobsled team.

Their coach, a washed up bobsled athlete, was caught cheating in a previous Olympics event. He put weights in the front of his team’s sled for added momentum and a resulting faster time.

Don’t be that guy.

Winning is one of the most satisfying feelings there is. For some people winning is even more important than ethics.

This week, consider what it means to truly succeed at something. Do you measure success simply by the place you finish, or do you assess the amount of effort put forth?

It’s great to get an “A” on a test or to finish first in a video contest, but at what cost are you willing to succeed?

Just because your conscious is at ease, doesn’t mean that it’s right. I can promise you this: an honest victory is far more satisfying in the long run than a tainted win that you didn’t really work that hard for.

Adventure is taking inappropriate equipment to out-of-the-way places.

Juice Editor

Does this picture remind you of a typical Brookings intersection on a warm spring day?

It’s easy to get to the point where you feel like there is no adventure in your life. You stick to the routine; get up, make coffee, go to class, work out, do homework, eat something when you have a chance, go to sleep, and repeat.

In fact the only real surprise comes when you find out Larson Commons is having “Carnival Night,” which might be your only chance to sing karaoke with Hellen.

Trust me, I know how that feels.

It seems like the only excitement in your life comes on the weekends when you have some free time to go out with friends. But even then, how exciting is a case of Keystone’s for the twelfth weekend in a row?

While I don’t recommend crossing the Nile in your off-road vehicle, I hope that adventure will find you soon.

An “adventure” is defined as, an unusual and exciting (typically hazardous) experience or activity.

This week, take a break from your routine and do something unique. You don’t need to BASE jump off the Campanile to find an adventure, but you do need to take a chance.

By now you probably know that spring is here.

Students are trading their winter coats for shorts and flip-flops and dreaming of warmer weather.

On the same hand, you feel completely overwhelmed by tests, projects and other end-of-semester papers that simply won’t write themselves.

It’s times like this where studying generally takes a backseat to social activities and planning for summer concerts and vacations. You are expected to crack down and get your ducks in a row for a successful future, but also to schedule time with your friends.

This week, remember to take time for fun and to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Life will happen inevitably. Sometimes all you can do is accept it; take a chill-pill and smile.

Beetle Juice says, “why so serious?”

Lighten up, laugh at a joke, take a weekend off, and remember this: you can’t be successful without taking time away from the daily grind to relax and clear your mind.

Trust me, you look good wearing those Bermuda shorts, but you look even better when you wear a smile.

An insurance adjuster’s job is to make judgement calls and decipher the truth. They are really good at telling when someone is stretching the truth and when they are being genuine and honest.

This picture depicts a reckless driver that got him or herself in quite a pickle. For the life of me I don’t know how you could explain this to an insurance agent!

This week, consider the things that you claim as “truth.” Are you telling a white lie to avoid hurting someones feelings? Are you making things up to avoid looking foolish in the process?

People may not like the truth or want to hear it, but they usually know. Honesty may not be pleasant, but it’s always the best policy.