Most of us report putting off writing tasks, from important emails to high-stakes projects. When asked if they procrastinate, an estimated 95 percent of college students reported doing it. Moreover, countless studies have demonstrated strong links between procrastination and students’ performance on writing tasks. Researchers document strong links between procrastination and negative outcomes on academic performance.
Yet, weirdly, students resent rules that instructors put in place to limit procrastination—despite these rules dramatically improving students’ writing and........