# Fuck procrastinators who make their "emergency" your emergency **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 22, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999 "2011-07-22T16:56:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/41 "2011-07-23T19:54:21Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > Irregardless, I like to check these things out. > > šŸ˜ƒ Meh, by now itā€™s a mute point. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/42 "2011-07-23T20:00:34Z")
Could we segway back to procrastinators? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/43 "2011-07-23T20:04:09Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Sorry but I could never bring myself to feel much for procrastinators. I started papers at the earliest time I could manage. I absolutely hate to feel rushed about anything. I have always tried to get projects done as early as possible, because if something goes all wahooni shaped it doesnā€™t matter. My problem with papers (and to this day with lectures and such) is that I do much better work when Iā€™m up against a deadline. If Iā€™ve got two weeks to do a paper I can do an OK one in the first 13 days or a great one the night before. Itā€™s always been kind of annoying, because I really would try to get things done early in college, but Iā€™d usually end up scrapping it when the last minute rush came on and better stuff started coming out. And thereā€™s no psyching myself out of itā€“I canā€™t just set an arbitrary deadline for myself and pretend that itā€™s the real one. Doesnā€™t work. The difference, of course, is that I never would have considered it my professorā€™s problem if I didnā€™t manage to get it done (though I donā€™t believe it ever happened). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/44 "2011-07-24T04:40:26Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > Could we segway back to procrastinators? Now I donā€™t know if youā€™re messing with us or not. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/45 "2011-07-24T10:41:27Z")
All of you who work your asses off to meet ridiculous deadlines for procrastinators are just enabling them, you know? You pull their biscuits out of the fire, and thatā€™s all they care about. Yes, I realize that you do yourself more harm by refusing to play their games. And I have no idea what the answer should be - the ā€œLack of planning on your partā€¦ā€ mantra will pretty much get you fired, or in deep doo-doo at the least. So it becomes a no-win situation. And in the end, you do what you have to do for those who canā€™t be bothered. Slackers will make life hell for the rest of us. That is truth. That is life. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/46 "2011-07-24T12:50:35Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Now I donā€™t know if youā€™re messing with us or not. šŸ™‚ Aww..yer, I am there, admittedly; that one sounds better read out loud (I get it in student presentations a lot, and the first time missed the next part of the studentā€™s talk because I was trying to reconcile the image of the Beatles outting aside their time-traveling Segways to work on _Sgt Pepper_ ā€“ because as you know, the songs on that album segue from one to the otherā€¦) šŸ™‚ On topic with stories!: a huge cause of stress among my students are group projects, and they tend to fret mainly because there is always one or two people in each group who slag off and make life hell for the ones who want to do a good job. I know students hate group work, but again, in the real world, we canā€™t always work alone on a project ā€“ so I mark the individualā€™s work in each group as well as the group ā€“ and itā€™s usually pretty obvious after all these years who in the group didnā€™t actually do anything, but hopes by standing up next to the rest of the group he or she will get a good mark. Thatā€™s where questions from the Boods whoā€™s been sat quietly at the back of the room separates the wheat from the chaff. Other solutions weā€™ve had for group work ā€“ each member of the group is allowed to rate the contribute of their groupā€™s other members. So, they get 10 points to distribute among their group-mates. For the first project, everyone tries to be generous and fair (whether the slackers deserve it or not) ā€“ by the end of the term and project three or four, all bets are off. I also make it clear to groups that if youā€™re called on to present, and someone in your group isnā€™t there, YOU will get the mark, but HE/SHE will get zippity do dah. Finally, if the class is small enough (I usually have 50-90 in a class, but sometimes itā€™s a small section of 15 or 20), I figure out who the slackers are, and I put them in their own exclusive group. So far when Iā€™ve done that, _none_ of them have ever shown up on presentation day, each one assuming the others will be there to cover his or her arse. Sometimes I wonder if I teach history or drama, reallyā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/47 "2011-07-24T18:08:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Finally, if the class is small enough (I usually have 50-90 in a class, but sometimes itā€™s a small section of 15 or 20), I figure out who the slackers are, and I put them in their own exclusive group. So far when Iā€™ve done that, none of them have ever shown up on presentation day, each one assuming the others will be there to cover his or her arse. I love this. I always hated group projects. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/48 "2011-07-24T18:53:55Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I love this. I always hated group projects. Iā€™ve got to admit, the first time, it was hilarious (to me, anyway!) \*All four \*members of that group slagged off, assuming that he or she would be the only one, and that since it was a ā€˜groupā€™ project, theyā€™d all get the same mark whether they were there or not. Itā€™s happened at least twice since! Donā€™t the kids talk to one another, and warn each other? When I was a student, we did. I do sympathise with **FairyChatMom** , too, because I know exactly what you mean ā€“ I donā€™t want to mess up just because the colleague with whom Iā€™m working is a slacker; yet they know they can slag off because Iā€™ll pick up the bits. It really is a damned-if-you-do situation. Just last spring I had to eat a plane ticket and pay double for rooms at the last minute at a conference because the person organising one set of panels completely and utterly screwed up a lot of people. Heā€™d shifted and changed meeting times ā€“ not just from morning to afternoon, but one day to another ā€“ and then waited until less than a week before the conference to tell any of the participants. I found out only by accident that I had been moved from Saturday afternoon to Thursday evening :eek: He left a lot of people scrambling, cost a lot of money, booked people into conflicting panel times (ie had similarly themed panels meeting at the same time) ā€“ but it was a conference presentation I really needed to give. He blamed everyone else for the screw up except himself, really, as they do. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/49 "2011-07-24T20:19:33Z")
I am grinning and rubbing my hands together and cackling over here. Iā€™ve been the teammate who was the only one to show up. And Iā€™ve been the only teammate who actually put any work into a group/doubles project. I was usually assigned a partner or group, because the teacher wanted me to be an example to the others. Mostly this meant that I got to do most of the work AND the presentation. I wish that Iā€™d had an option to do a smaller project by myself, rather than a group project. Yes, we have group projects IRL, but not everyone is capable of working in a group, and the slackers shouldnā€™t be allowed to coast on the workersā€™ efforts. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/50 "2011-07-25T02:34:47Z")
Oh, I remembered a relevant story - I was working at a temp job with another temp. Our supervisor was away for a while, but I did my job anyway, and the other temp spent 90% of the day on the phone with personal calls and making social plans. When the supervisor came back, she mentioned to me that she had gotten glowing reviews of _our_ work while she was away. Before I even realized what I was saying, I said, ā€œBOTH of us?ā€ Of course, she wanted to know what THAT meant, and I told her that my co-worker was spending most of her days making personal calls. The other temp was fired by the end of the day. Sometimes things do work out. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/51 "2011-07-25T15:24:10Z")
We do this one event at an ungodly hour on one Friday morning. Itā€™s an hour long event and we plan for it for a couple of weeks in advance - we have 150-200 people in attendance. Anyway we hold it at a hotel, and we are allowed to bring stuff over the previous night and store it at the hotel. And I was surprised and pleased to have my new boss this year said we should go over at 2 pm and drop stuff off. Why? In past years my boss and my coworker have always spent the whole day slacking off and chatting, even with my gentle hints. Then, at 4 pm they want to go over, and set up the laptop, and make sure it works, and they want me to stay late, etc. I donā€™t mind staying late if there is a legitimate reason to do so. But Iā€™ve been working all day, assholes. So you want me to stay late just because you were too damn lazy to work??? ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/52 "2011-07-25T16:03:26Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I am grinning and rubbing my hands together and cackling over here. Iā€™ve been the teammate who was the only one to show up. And Iā€™ve been the only teammate who actually put any work into a group/doubles project. I was usually assigned a partner or group, because the teacher wanted me to be an example to the others. Mostly this meant that I got to do most of the work AND the presentation. I wish that Iā€™d had an option to do a smaller project by myself, rather than a group project. Yes, we have group projects IRL, but not everyone is capable of working in a group, and the slackers shouldnā€™t be allowed to coast on the workersā€™ efforts. I always found the best solution was the one my advisor used. When you got into his 400-level classes, he knew every student in the major and their degree of slackitude. So heā€™d assign groups, and heā€™d try to make a group with a known good leader, 1-2 known hard workers, and 1-2 known slackersā€“but heā€™d also let people know that the leader could boot someone from the group with minimal documented provocation (like not showing up at a group meeting), and the bootee would A) not be assigned to another group and B) have to do a solo version of the same projectā€“said assignment still of a scope designed for a 4-5 person group. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/53 "2011-07-25T17:02:52Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > All of you who work your asses off to meet ridiculous deadlines for procrastinators are just enabling them, you know? Of course we know. But, as youā€™ve observed, we have zero choice in the matter most of the time. > [@Zeriel](#): > > So heā€™d assign groups, and heā€™d try to make a group with a known good leader, 1-2 known hard workers, and 1-2 known slackersā€“but heā€™d also let people know that the leader could boot someone from the group with minimal documented provocation (like not showing up at a group meeting), and the bootee would A) not be assigned to another group and B) have to do a solo version of the same projectā€“said assignment still of a scope designed for a 4-5 person group. This is so beautiful, I think I cried a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/54 "2011-07-25T21:01:28Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > I always found the best solution was the one my advisor used. When you got into his 400-level classes, he knew every student in the major and their degree of slackitude. > > So heā€™d assign groups, and heā€™d try to make a group with a known good leader, 1-2 known hard workers, and 1-2 known slackersā€“but heā€™d also let people know that the leader could boot someone from the group with minimal documented provocation (like not showing up at a group meeting), and the bootee would A) not be assigned to another group and B) have to do a solo version of the same projectā€“said assignment still of a scope designed for a 4-5 person group. Normally I teach almost exclusively freshmen, but am taking over for a colleague whoā€™s off on sabbatical next termā€¦upper level class, majorsā€¦am frantically taking notes here, and softly laughing in a diabolical manner. It is a thing of beauty. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/55 "2011-07-25T21:16:52Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > I always found the best solution was the one my advisor used. When you got into his 400-level classes, he knew every student in the major and their degree of slackitude. > > So heā€™d assign groups, and heā€™d try to make a group with a known good leader, 1-2 known hard workers, and 1-2 known slackersā€“but heā€™d also let people know that the leader could boot someone from the group with minimal documented provocation (like not showing up at a group meeting), and the bootee would A) not be assigned to another group and B) have to do a solo version of the same projectā€“said assignment still of a scope designed for a 4-5 person group. Mwwuuaaahahahahahaha! This is a thing of beauty. I have struggled with the concept of group projects for this very reason (not wanting one student to end up being the sole worker). I am seriously considering how to adapt this idea to my classes this next semester. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/56 "2011-07-25T21:35:20Z")
Please note, Iā€™m not sure how much of this Dr. V. got away with because he essentially built a good portion of the major I was in from scratch (to hear his stories, anyway). šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/57 "2011-07-26T16:00:29Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > I like that, except when itā€™s a filing deadline for an asylum application, which, if not met, means someone is going to eventually be deported somewhere where people have already tried to kill him. That happened to me a couple of weeks ago - fault of group practice leader, but what am I going to do? He didnā€™t finish until after 6 pm, after which we had to assemble 7 copies of the thing with 60-some exhibits. It filled an entire box; I was here until almost midnight. > > Boss said ā€œthank you, you were a trooperā€ the next morning, and I told him ā€œyouā€™re welcome, but I hope not to make a habit of that.ā€ Why wasnā€™t said group practice leader right there beside you until midnight, helping fix the screwup that he caused? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999/58 "2011-07-26T18:12:58Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Why wasnā€™t said group practice leader right there beside you until midnight, helping fix the screwup that he caused? He had a prior engagement, plus we basically kicked him out because trust me, heā€™s the one person you donā€™t want involved in anything that requires organization. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-procrastinators-who-make-their-emergency-your-emergency/589999.md?page=2)