That being said, it has been identified by Baik, Naylor, and Arkoudis (205) that while there has been a slight drop over the two decades in the distribution of first-year students claiming they find it difficult to get motivated to study (42% in 994 to 36% in 204), over a third of the students surveyed in 204 indicated difficulty in getting motivated. This is concerning as low motivation can result in disengagement, which places students at a higher risk of unsatisfactory academic performance or discontinuing their studies (Baik, Naylor & Arkoudis 205). According to Ekundayo, Konwea, and Yusuf (200), procrastination has adverse effects on organizations, one of which is work-related stress. Therefore, if a lack of motivation and productivity persists, it can adversely impact a students emotional stability and it will be an ongoing issue even when the student enters the workforce.
Procrastination in university settings has gained the awareness of researchers, with findings that academic procrastination is related to lower levels of self-
regulation, academic self-efficacy, and self-esteem, and is correlated with higher levels of stress and illness (Klassen, Krawchuk & Rajani 2007). Although academic procrastination may sometimes be deemed a trivial matter, the consequences are not so trivial for the minority of students for whom procrastination is a major problem (Klassen, Krawchuk & Rajani 2007). Klassen, Krawchuk, and Rajani (2007) consider that procrastination is associated with adverse study habits and consequences, such as submitting late assignments, cramming, and reduced confidence, which can lead to detrimental mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. According to Ellis and Knaus (977), academic procrastination is reported as a chronic problem that affects approximately 70% of college students and is associated with unsatisfactory academic performance and lower levels of well-being. Hence, procrastination is certainly a big and prevalent problem that adversely affects not only students study habits and academic goals but also their mental well-being.