It's a Wednesday afternoon. School just got out. Your mind is on a sandwich and that DVD you bought last weekend, when it hits you: algebra test on Friday.

No big deal, right? There's always tomorrow. But you haven't started that paper on Crime and Punishment either. You'd start it tonight, if it weren't for the last-minute assignment your history teacher slammed you with this morning. Something's got to give. You make the tough call to skip writing the Crime and Punishment paper. You'll either plead for an extension or take the F. Then you settle down with your sandwich and DVD.

You aren't doing yourself -- or your future -- a favor. You're procrastinating.

High school can be a breeding ground for procrastination. Students may think that skipping one or two assignments serves the greater good, but there's nothing useful about procrastination. In fact, some find that it becomes a sort of addiction.

"That sense of being stuck overwhelms [students], and they don't know what to do," says Mark Kuranz. "So they do nothing, and it gets worse and worse."

Kuranz works as a school counselor at J.I. Case High School in Racine, Wisconsin. Over the years, he's heard some whoppers in the excuse department, from "I had work" to "I had a game this weekend." The most common: "It was hard."

"Sometimes 'hard' just means you have to put extra time and extra work into it," Kuranz says. "They use hard as an excuse not to do it."

At Monson High School in Monson, Massachusetts, director of guidance Bob Bardwell sees procrastinators regularly. These students put off everything from simple school work to college applications without realizing how quickly those delayed tasks can stack up.

"They don't recognize that there's a consequence," Bardwell says. "Especially those that dig a hole for themselves."

Consequences include jeopardizing high school graduation and missing out on college opportunities. Forgetting a deadline isn't like forgetting someone's birthday. A one-day delay can dash plans for the future.

Kuranz recalls a recent visit from a very bright student. She stopped by his office to drop off a college application packet in January. He was surprised, as seniors were encouraged to submit applications by Thanksgiving. Even promising students suffer from procrastination.

"I don't think kids often use that word [procrastination]," Kuranz says. "But their behavior tells me."

There are scores of resources available for students willing to name the dog and conquer procrastination. A quick search in the library can reveal several books. Online communities like Procrastinators Anonymous offer forums, columns and articles on recognizing and overcoming procrastination.

If you're fighting procrastination, your first step should be officials like Bardwell and Kuranz. School counselors are readily available sources of information and support.

Kuranz understands many procrastinators wrestle with a quiet fear that they'll always be five steps behind in life.

"I think the scariest part is thinking, 'I can't recover,'" Kuranz says.

But Kuranz has mapped a path to recovery.

Step one: Build awareness. Counselors can help students identify the good and bad things about their behavior and help them realize that they are in control.

Step two: Provide information. Students must learn that there are ways to do things differently. Making changes might require discussions with counselors, teachers and parents.

Step three: Make a plan. This could include keeping a written planner and designating chunks of time for particular assignments. Pick one thing to dedicate your night to, and then promise to complete it by, say, 8 p.m. Remember to do one thing at a time.

"You begin to feel empowered," Kuranz says.

Step four: Repeat step three. Slowly build from one assignment per night to two. You're taking small steps towards success.

"That's hard for parents because they feel a need to move fast," Kuranz says. Parents might be panicking about their child passing their courses.

A large part of confronting procrastination is identifying the cause of this behavior. Students who procrastinate could be struggling with issues of personal identity, and unwilling to seek help for fear of losing their independence. Even outside stresses, such as a divorce or death in the family, can leave students with a "who cares?" mindset.

There is also a three-step process touted by Procrastinators Anonymous.

Step one: Visualize the task and how good it will feel to complete it.

Step two: Break your battle into baby steps.

Step three: Commit to a task, use brute force and tap that reserve of will power.

But even these steps might not work.

"I think, genetically, some are given the ability to get the job done and others aren't," Bardwell says. "I've had lots of students over the years -- there's no rhyme or reason to it."

Joseph Ferrari is an associate professor in DePaul University's department of . He has written two books on procrastination. Ferrari believes that procrastination is a learned habit, not a genetic handicap.

But Bardwell argues that every situation is different. If a student can't or won't improve, there's nothing he or any other official can do. Ultimately, "they're responsible for their behavior."

"Most of my students will do one of two things," Bardwell says. "They'll either learn to do what they need to do to graduate, or they'll drop out."

If you don't break the procrastination habit in high school, it can follow you through your education and beyond.

According to studies by the University at Buffalo in New York state, an estimated 90 percent of college students in America procrastinate. Of those, 25 percent are chronic procrastinators.

So, next time a teacher announces the deadline for a research paper, hop to it early and leave the DVDs alone. And never be afraid to stop by the counseling office for advice. You'll thank yourself at graduation time, when you're shaking the dean's hand.