Do you find yourself constantly making excuses when you repeatedly arrive late? Are you prone to leaving things to get done at the last minute? Do you find yourself lacking the motivation to finish things when they are due? If this sounds like you, then there may be a physiological reason you are never on time.

While some people occasionally run late due to various reasons, recent studies have shown that some people are chronically late, making it nearly impossible for them to ever be on time.

“Usually the main reasons that people are late are medical or dental appointments, traffic or are simply just late,” Data Manager Brenda Askew said.

According toDiana DeLonzor, management consultant and author of the book “Never Be Late Again,” there are three different types of late people: deadliners, producers and absent-minded professors. Deadliners believe that they work best under pressure and have a hard time finding motivation to do things. Producers try to do as much as they can in as little time as possible. Sometimes these people are not realistic with how much time a task will actually take them to complete. Lastly, absent-minded professors are people who get distracted easily, causing them to have trouble getting things done.

“I think I’m a producer, because I always overshoot the amount of time I have before I have to be somewhere,” junior Taylor Pruitt said.

People may become agitated when a person is constantly late and it can get in the way of personal relationships. Whether it be to school, work or meeting up with friends, being late can be a hassle.

“It concerns me when a student repeatedly arrives late because it becomes hard on the students in class when they keep getting interrupted,” Spanish teacher Ramon Sanchez said.

In a study conducted by Harris Interactive, several patterns were discovered in chronically late people that prohibited them from being on time. A lack of self control, enjoyment of thrill-seeking and minor Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) like symptoms, along with procrastination, influenced these people’s lives.

“I think being late is kind of a natural thing,” junior Jessica Jennings said. “ You start it when you’re little and it becomes a habit. I’m late to everything, school, work, dinners, anything. But I don’t think I’m late because I don’t care about those things. It just kind of happens and I’ve tried to do things to help it like getting up earlier, but I still end up being late. I guess it’s just a bad habit.”

As for anything, there are ways to improve.

“I wake up at the right time and do everything pretty much at the same time everyday,”  junior Anna Culpepper said. “I stick to a schedule.”

For some people the stress caused by being late motivates them to always be on time.

“I am really bothered by being late. I don’t want to miss anything and I feel like people look down on you when you are late,” senior Kathrin Hennigan said.

The late person is not the only one impacted by the tardiness.

“It bothers me when students are late because I close the door when the bell rings and I am ready to start. It is an interruption,” science teacher Katie Neller said.

Many students only struggle with being on time when it involves getting to school on time. This can happen from a lack of sleep, not waking up on time, not leaving early enough, or being unprepared in the morning.

“School is usually the only place that I’m late to,” sophomore Olivia Maramenides said. “That is only because my alarm doesn’t always go off.”

FFHS previously had a program called Time for Time that was based on attendance. When students repeatedly missed school, they had to make up the time they missed.  The policy did not have a positive impact on the school, Principal Arty Tillett said.

“After re-evaluating the program, a new procedure was put in place. Students that were not passing a class because of attendance issues were denied the right to participate in activities until they were passing again,” Tillett said. “The faculty found that the new policy motivated students to come to school, and be on time. Punctuality plays a heavy role in life.  Being on time is a life skill that must be acquired.”

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