Phenomenon where people delay starting tasks until just before the deadline, even when given ample time. Named after students' tendency to procrastinate on assignments until the night before they're due.
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Student Syndrome
Student Syndrome refers to the phenomenon where people delay starting tasks until just before the deadline, even when given ample time to complete them. The term is named after students' well-known tendency to procrastinate on assignments until the night before they're due, regardless of how far in advance they were assigned.
Student Syndrome is closely related to Parkinson's Law (work expands to fill available time), but with an important distinction:
Parkinson's Law: Work expands gradually throughout available time
Student Syndrome: Work is delayed until near the deadline, then rushed
Shorter Timeboxes: Break projects into smaller deadlines
Sprint Planning: Use Agile sprints (1-2 weeks) instead of long timelines
Milestones: Create interim deliverables and checkpoints
Time Tracking: Monitor time spent vs time remaining
Early Starts: Use "5-Second Rule" to begin immediately
Buffer Protection: Set internal deadlines earlier than external ones
Time tracking helps combat Student Syndrome by:
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