For most people, the time difference between France and the East Coast of the United States is five hours. But for study abroad students like myself, Europe exists in an alternate state of time, in which procrastination runs rampant and the semester definitely does not end in six weeks.

Whether it’s because I keep forgetting the difference between “study abroad” and “vacation” or because of an ongoing case of mental jet lag, I have been procrastinating ever since I arrived in Strasbourg. And while I can’t speak for all abroad students, I suspect many people who study in a foreign country leave many of their work ethics at home.

Being on a foreign campus makes procrastinating schoolwork even more tempting than it is in the States. I still haven’t entirely gotten over the feeling that my classes at the University of Strasbourg don’t count as “real” school. In addition, homework seems far too mundane to take up much time during a semester abroad. Why do homework when I could be having exotic cultural experiences, like taking BuzzFeed quizzes and painting my nails?

It’s also easy to put off making travel arrangements when you’re already in Europe. Maybe because the huge grid of European train tracks and bus routes makes transportation relatively easy, it’s tempting to leave travel plans to the last minute. Case in point: until a few hours ago, I wasn’t entirely sure how I’ll be getting to Morocco this Friday (the answer involves two trains, a bus and a plane, each way). I like to classify this type of last minute planning as “spontaneous,” but given that travel costs only get more expensive the longer you wait, “impractical” is probably a better word.

But the most dreaded task on an abroad student’s agenda is lining up a summer job or internship back in the States. Without the opportunity to meet potential employers in person, students studying abroad are left to emails and the occasional Skype call to secure summer jobs.

For me, at least, these are channels of communication that lend themselves to procrastination. While face-to-face meetings require being on time, emails can always be sent at three in the morning, from bed, after I watch three more episodes of “Girls.”

For many students, myself included, the summer after a spring semester abroad is an opportunity to put off returning home to a real job, or unpaid internship, by exploring Europe for a few weeks.

Aside from the procrastination factor, there are many reasons to stick around in Europe after the semester ends. For one thing, students have the opportunity to travel more, an opportunity that comes much cheaper when you’re already in Europe than when you’re in America contemplating a $2,000 transatlantic plane ticket.

Students who delay their return to the U.S. also have the chance to work or volunteer in Europe full-time, getting to see a different side of life in their country of choice. Many farms and businesses, from international organizations like Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms to privately run bed and breakfasts, are more than happy to exchange room and board for student labor.

The semester ends in six weeks for all study abroad students, whether they’re counting the days or dreading it, whether they’re staying abroad independently or catching the group flight home. That means there’s not much time left to procrastinate, and for most of us, the second half of the semester is crammed with travel plans and sightseeing.

That being the case, I should probably pencil in some time for actual studying tonight.  But then again, I can always do that the day before finals.

Maggie Cregan is a sophomore history and magazine journalism major. From Cleveland to Syracuse to Strasbourg, she enjoys rocking out and getting hopelessly lost. If you want to talk to her about this column, or are Keith Richards, reach her at mmcregan@syr.edu and follow her on Twitter at @MaggieCregan_SU.

Published on March 25, 2014 at 1:00 am