Student syndrome
Encyclopedia
Student syndrome refers to the phenomenon that many people will start to fully apply themselves to a task just at the last possible moment before a deadline
. This leads to wasting any buffer
s built into individual task
duration
estimates.
It was noted by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
in his novel-style book about Critical Chain
, titled Critical Chain
.
The student syndrome is a form of procrastination
, but it usually includes more of a plan and sincerely good intentions. For example, if a student or group of students goes to a professor and asks for an extension to a deadline they will usually defend their request by noting how much better their project will be given more time to work on it; they request this with all the right intentions. In reality most students will have other task
s or events place a demand on the time they fully intended to commit to improving their paper or project. In the end they will often end up close to the same situation they started with: wishing they had more time as the new delayed deadline approaches. The student syndrome is defended by a layman's understanding of the functioning of the human memory, most notably the concept that a person's short-term memory fades over time, and thus studying at the last possible moment (cramming
) will allow more to be remembered during the exam, even though cramming damages long-term retention and is significantly inferior to a spaced presentation (which exploits the spacing effect
).
This same behaviour is seen in businesses; in project and task estimating, a time
- or resource
-buffer is applied to the task to allow for overrun or other scheduling problems. However, with Student syndrome, the latest possible start of tasks in which the buffer for any given task is wasted beforehand, rather than kept in reserve.
Time limit
A time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time, or particular point in time, by which an objective or task must be accomplished.In project management, deadlines are most often associated with milestone goals....
. This leads to wasting any buffer
Buffer
Buffer may refer to:*Buffer state, a country lying between two potentially hostile greater powers, thought to prevent conflict between them* Buffer zone, any area that keeps two or more other areas distant from one another, may be demilitarized...
s built into individual task
Activity
Activity may mean:* Action , in general* The Aristotelian concept of energeia, Latinized as actus* Physical exercise* Activity , a major task in Unified Modeling Language...
duration
Duration (project management)
Duration of a project's terminal element is the number of calendar periods it takes from the time the execution of element starts to the moment it is completed.Do not confuse duration with work. E.g...
estimates.
It was noted by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt was an Israeli physicist who became a business management guru. He was the originator of the Optimized Production Technology, the Theory of Constraints , the Thinking Processes, Drum-Buffer-Rope, Critical Chain Project Management and other TOC derived tools.He authored...
in his novel-style book about Critical Chain
Critical chain
Critical chain project management is a method of planning and managing projects that puts the main emphasis on the resources required to execute project tasks. It was developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. This is in contrast to the more traditional critical path and PERT methods, which emphasize task...
, titled Critical Chain
Critical Chain (novel)
Critical Chain is a novel by Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt using the Critical Chain theory of Project Management as the major theme. It is really a teaching method for the theory.-Plot introduction:...
.
The student syndrome is a form of procrastination
Procrastination
In psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time...
, but it usually includes more of a plan and sincerely good intentions. For example, if a student or group of students goes to a professor and asks for an extension to a deadline they will usually defend their request by noting how much better their project will be given more time to work on it; they request this with all the right intentions. In reality most students will have other task
Activity
Activity may mean:* Action , in general* The Aristotelian concept of energeia, Latinized as actus* Physical exercise* Activity , a major task in Unified Modeling Language...
s or events place a demand on the time they fully intended to commit to improving their paper or project. In the end they will often end up close to the same situation they started with: wishing they had more time as the new delayed deadline approaches. The student syndrome is defended by a layman's understanding of the functioning of the human memory, most notably the concept that a person's short-term memory fades over time, and thus studying at the last possible moment (cramming
Cramming (memorization)
In education, cramming is the practice of working intensively to absorb large volumes of informational material in short amounts of time. It is often done by students in preparation for upcoming exams...
) will allow more to be remembered during the exam, even though cramming damages long-term retention and is significantly inferior to a spaced presentation (which exploits the spacing effect
Spacing effect
In psychology, the spacing effect refers to the fact that humans and animals more easily remember or learn items in a list when they are studied a few times over a long period of time , rather than studied repeatedly in a short period time .The phenomenon was first identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus;...
).
This same behaviour is seen in businesses; in project and task estimating, a time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
- or resource
Resource
A resource is a source or supply from which benefit is produced, typically of limited availability.Resource may also refer to:* Resource , substances or objects required by a biological organism for normal maintenance, growth, and reproduction...
-buffer is applied to the task to allow for overrun or other scheduling problems. However, with Student syndrome, the latest possible start of tasks in which the buffer for any given task is wasted beforehand, rather than kept in reserve.