NationStates Jolt Archive

YOu guessed it, it's a 10-page paper due for tommorow. BUT, I know it will be crappy and just enough to get by (if that) and it will be a miserable rest of the day trying to put out a fake paper. I do have the option though, of doing a 20 pager at the end of the semester instead (rather than two 10 pagers, one 20 pager.) I want to do that, i would be allowed to deal with a book I really like and have some time to do it (which I squandered away stupidly this time.)

Thing is, he's expecting my paper tommorow, and I told him I'd have a 10 page paper, if I say I want to do a 20 pager now instead, it's pretty obvious I've procrastinated. He is a lenient and sympathetic teacher (perhaps overly so) but he's been lenient for me already and I'd be pushing it (but he's still lenient). I figure if I send him an email right now, and then have a "this is how it is" talk with him on monday, I could do my best to clear the air. But even if I email him now, it will probably be a sense of dissapointment and surprise and he will only read it tommorow morning if at all (very possible that class will start first before he reads it.)

In the mix of all the stupid people here an NS, there are always one or two of you really helpful considerate people that have something helpful and meaningful to say. I'm hoping one or two of you pop up here and give me some input.

Sorry, but no homework/scholl help threads allowed here. :(

Burn the tips of your fingers and say you couldn't type or hold onto a pen.

Sorry, but no homework/scholl help threads allowed here. :(
?

?

You're not allowed to have threads on schoolwork.

If you'd've bothered to read the fucking post, you'd notice that this wasn't about help with homework.

You should probably think about this more. You'll eventually come up with something.

You're not allowed to have threads on schoolwork.

Ease up. He wasn't asking someone to do his work for him.

miss a day of school and say you was ill make it something embarrassing like a bout of herpes the teacher wont ask questions

also In all my years of getting into trouble I can say one thing "it won't be nearly as bad as you imagine"

Ease up. He wasn't asking someone to do his work for him.

Erm... Oh. Sorry.

And Potarious, just be quiet.

miss a day of school and say you was ill make it something embarrassing like a bout of herpes the teacher wont ask questions

I propose claiming to have a burnt anus.

Then they really won't ask questions. They might ask for a medical certificate though. Hmmm.

And Potarious, just be quiet.

AIWHFOWIEHGTOYQO*YWRFHA:SKVNAEIPGHA:KSFNA:WHJGA:ESGJ~!

No. And lurn hau tu spel mi naem.

I propose claiming to have a burnt anus.

Then they really won't ask questions.

I suppose you would get a cushion as well:)

miss a day of school and say you was ill make it something embarrassing like a bout of herpes the teacher wont ask questions

I wish.. no I really should show up for class, and I think that I've decided either way that I should have send an email and have a talk with my teacher, seems responsible for me regardless of what I do. I'm still thinking a little but I will have to get back to work regardless of when I hand this in.

AIWHFOWIEHGTOYQO*YWRFHA:SKVNAEIPGHA:KSFNA:WHJGA:ESGJ~!

No. And lurn hau tu spel mi naem.

:rolleyes:

Anyway, bye.

:rolleyes:

Anyway, bye.

...Okay...

I wish.. no I really should show up for class, and I think that I've decided either way that I should have send an email and have a talk with my teacher, seems responsible for me regardless of what I do. I'm still thinking a little but I will have to get back to work regardless of when I hand this in.

Is there an off chance that your teacher might read it if you send an email now?

Be up front with him and tell him about a wonderful idea you just had for your essay (explain in some detail so it doesn't sound like BS) and politely ask for an extension of a day or two to research it properly - and apologise for being so late in doing so, but you'd only just thought of this idea and you think your essay will be far better if you use it.

Have you started it yet, or are you sitting there with nothing more than the title on screen?

Oh, and a tip to avoid procrastination - do your essays somewhere with no distractions. Sit at one of your uni's computers all day and finish it off there. That's what I do.

I wish.. no I really should show up for class, and I think that I've decided either way that I should have send an email and have a talk with my teacher, seems responsible for me regardless of what I do. I'm still thinking a little but I will have to get back to work regardless of when I hand this in.

I suggest asking if you can stay behind awhile after school and do a bit then that way you can get a real picture of what your doing and what you have to put in (also you have someone to read over it and make corrections before you hand it in so A+ all the way;) )

YOu guessed it, it's a 10-page paper due for tommorow. BUT, I know it will be crappy and just enough to get by (if that) and it will be a miserable rest of the day trying to put out a fake paper. I do have the option though, of doing a 20 pager at the end of the semester instead (rather than two 10 pagers, one 20 pager.) I want to do that, i would be allowed to deal with a book I really like and have some time to do it (which I squandered away stupidly this time.)

Thing is, he's expecting my paper tommorow, and I told him I'd have a 10 page paper, if I say I want to do a 20 pager now instead, it's pretty obvious I've procrastinated. He is a lenient and sympathetic teacher (perhaps overly so) but he's been lenient for me already and I'd be pushing it (but he's still lenient). I figure if I send him an email right now, and then have a "this is how it is" talk with him on monday, I could do my best to clear the air. But even if I email him now, it will probably be a sense of dissapointment and surprise and he will only read it tommorow morning if at all (very possible that class will start first before he reads it.)

In the mix of all the stupid people here an NS, there are always one or two of you really helpful considerate people that have something helpful and meaningful to say. I'm hoping one or two of you pop up here and give me some input.

Email him. Admit that you've not done the 10 page paper. Talk to him tomorrow about it. Say that you'd thought about it, and you'd prefer to do the longer one because you'll find it easier to form a coherent argument with a higher word count. And that you just prefer the longer assignment anyway. Basically just be honest - even if he's disappointed, he shoud still understand that you'd prefer to do the longer paper, and you haven't actually done anything wrong. Yet.

Email him and tell him tomorrow that yes, you've been procrastinating and had the choice between handing in a bad 10 pager or do a better job at the end of the semester with the 20 pager.

That sounds pretty damn honest and responsible to me, apart from the procrastination part, but seriously - it's probably more than he's used to from students, seeing how most would procrastinate AND hand in a bad 10 pager.

Oh, and a tip to avoid procrastination - do your essays somewhere with no distractions. Sit at one of your uni's computers all day and finish it off there. That's what I do.
Ha! You remember that discussion we had on dark chocolate? I wrote two 2500 word essays in 6 hours that day, while posting on here as well.

Over the last few days I've been trying to write my dissertation, but because I've posted on here so much, I've only managed 900 words.

Ha! You remember that discussion we had on dark chocolate? I wrote two 2500 word essays in 6 hours that day, while posting on here as well.

Over the last few days I've been trying to write my dissertation, but because I've posted on here so much, I've only managed 900 words.

That's a helluva effort. I can manage one in that time. I take it you'd done all of your research earlier?

I've taught a little bit in higher ed, so FWIW from the POV of a former instructor:

1. You realize that the essence of the problem right now is time management (both failing to exercise time management before now, but also in getting this puppy done). That's good, because so many students don't get that.

2. In the next 60 seconds, make the decision which paper to write, and *get started*. Spending more time on deciding or wringing your hands is wasting time.

If I were you, I'd buckle down and write the 10 pages. You can do it. It may not be great, but you do the dead level best you can, taking the project seriously and having fun with it as much as possible.

Get some healthy food and water, lock the door, tell all interrupters to go away, turn off the phone, and *focus*. Don't do anything but write that paper. No e-mail, no forum-browsing, no games, no nothing until you get it done. Most people operate at 10-20% of capacity, IMO, not using their time well, and not focusing on the project in the time they have to work on it. Time to ramp up and do it better than everyone else - because you can.

3. If you absolutely want to do that 20 pger instead, e-mail the instructor RIGHT NOW to express that desire and inquire if that's OK (does the syllabus require his/her approval? Always, always, always read the syllabus closely...).

Instructors always want advance notice, earlier the better, not excuses after deadlines.

4. If you do get approval on the 20pger, do not waste another second, and start researching/writing it *today*. Budget 1 hour per day, every day, from now until to deadline, with no exceptions -- you do nothing but work on that paper without distractions in that hour, every day.

You'll probably get it done early if you do, and can move on to other things that much sooner.

You know how you feel when you're in the paper-writing "zone", right? DON'T LOSE THAT ZONE. If you let yourself be interrupted, it probably takes 15 minutes or so to reset and remind yourself where you were, before getting back into the flow.

One last tip that varies from person to person, and conflicts with what I just wrote, somewhat, but here it is:

I find it very helpful to stop exactly at the end of the hour (or ninety minutes, or whatever) period I've devoted to writing, even if I still have ideas/energy/the zone. It carries my enthusiasm over to the next day, to want to get back into it, instead of a marathon 8 hour session that drains me and makes writing painful/something to avoid for the next two weeks.

See if that works for you.

AFTER you're completely done, go to www.stevepavlina.com and read his article "Do It Now." (Some of Steve's strategies differ a bit with what I just posted - figure out what works for you.) Time management is one of the most crucial skills you can learn, because you're not just more productive at your "day job," it lets you do much more of what you want to do. That piece by Steve inspired the heck out of me.

Good luck, stop reading this long post, and focus on getting that paper done! ;)

Email him. Admit that you've not done the 10 page paper. Talk to him tomorrow about it. Say that you'd thought about it, and you'd prefer to do the longer one because you'll find it easier to form a coherent argument with a higher word count. And that you just prefer the longer assignment anyway. Basically just be honest - even if he's disappointed, he shoud still understand that you'd prefer to do the longer paper, and you haven't actually done anything wrong. Yet.

Thanks thanks. One of those "good posts" that I wanted, but I think this whole thread was perhaps to try to get others to convince me of this exact idea... because I want to do that but it's pretty irresponsible. Also he expects the paper tommorow and I've had to talk with him before about when I missed classes in the beginning of the semester so this would be just another thing underscoring a bad rep. I have with him.

I think I am going to email him right now and say what's what and that I want to shift to doing the 20 page one, and spend the rest of the night working on it. If I get a coherent 10-pager done (which I won't if I can keep reminding myself that I don't really have to do it) I bring that in tommorow (kind of having it both ways). I'll have a concluded paper to offer him but I'll say I'd rather integrate the material in it into a more worthy 20 pg paper. Then it's in his hands and I've still done my work and he can take it and have the chance to tell me "no", and I was still honest. And that will be what we talk about after class.

That's a helluva effort. I can manage one in that time. I take it you'd done all of your research earlier?
For one of them, yes.

Actually, give me an essay title and a deadline that's less than 12 hours away, and I could knock out something worthy of at least a high 2:2.

I've taught a little bit in higher ed, so FWIW from the POV of a former instructor:

1. You realize that the essence of the problem right now is time management (both failing to exercise time management before now, but also in getting this puppy done). That's good, because so many students don't get that.

2. In the next 60 seconds, make the decision which paper to write, and *get started*. Spending more time on deciding or wringing your hands is wasting time.

If I were you, I'd buckle down and write the 10 pages. You can do it. It may not be great, but you do the dead level best you can, taking the project seriously and having fun with it as much as possible.

Get some healthy food and water, lock the door, tell all interrupters to go away, turn off the phone, and *focus*. Don't do anything but write that paper. No e-mail, no forum-browsing, no games, no nothing until you get it done. Most people operate at 10-20% of capacity, IMO, not using their time well, and not focusing on the project in the time they have to work on it. Time to ramp up and do it better than everyone else - because you can.

3. If you absolutely want to do that 20 pger instead, e-mail the instructor RIGHT NOW to express that desire and inquire if that's OK (does the syllabus require his/her approval? Always, always, always read the syllabus closely...).

Instructors always want advance notice, earlier the better, not excuses after deadlines.

4. If you do get approval on the 20pger, do not waste another second, and start researching/writing it *today*. Budget 1 hour per day, every day, from now until to deadline, with no exceptions -- you do nothing but work on that paper without distractions in that hour, every day.

You'll probably get it done early if you do, and can move on to other things that much sooner.

You know how you feel when you're in the paper-writing "zone", right? DON'T LOSE THAT ZONE. If you let yourself be interrupted, it probably takes 15 minutes or so to reset and remind yourself where you were, before getting back into the flow.

One last tip that varies from person to person, and conflicts with what I just wrote, somewhat, but here it is:

I find it very helpful to stop exactly at the end of the hour (or ninety minutes, or whatever) period I've devoted to writing, even if I still have ideas/energy/the zone. It carries my enthusiasm over to the next day, to want to get back into it, instead of a marathon 8 hour session that drains me and makes writing painful/something to avoid for the next two weeks.

See if that works for you.

AFTER you're completely done, go to www.stevepavlina.com and read his article "Do It Now." (Some of Steve's strategies differ a bit with what I just posted - figure out what works for you.) Time management is one of the most crucial skills you can learn, because you're not just more productive at your "day job," it lets you do much more of what you want to do. That piece by Steve inspired the heck out of me.

Good luck, stop reading this long post, and focus on getting that paper done! ;)

Thanks, probably the best advice I could get. My solution is kind of like that. later

Thanks thanks. One of those "good posts" that I wanted, but I think this whole thread was perhaps to try to get others to convince me of this exact idea... because I want to do that but it's pretty irresponsible. Also he expects the paper tommorow and I've had to talk with him before about when I missed classes in the beginning of the semester so this would be just another thing underscoring a bad rep. I have with him.
No problem. Now, when I post a thread up here in a couple of weeks, moaning about how I've procrastinated my entire holiday when I should've been writing my dissertation, I can count on your support, yes? :p

I think I am going to email him right now and say what's what and that I want to shift to doing the 20 page one, and spend the rest of the night working on it. If I get a coherent 10-pager done (which I won't if I can keep reminding myself that I don't really have to do it) I bring that in tommorow (kind of having it both ways). I'll have a concluded paper to offer him but I'll say I'd rather integrate the material in it into a more worthy 20 pg paper. Then it's in his hands and I've still done my work and he can take it and have the chance to tell me "no", and I was still honest. And that will be what we talk about after class.
Good luck with it. What's it on, anyway?

For one of them, yes.

Nice, then. Usually I left them until the day it was due, and had to finish it off before the 5pm deadline - and I usually hadn't started research. I usually got to uni at about 10am...and had it done by 4:30pm or so. Occasionally missed it and handed it in the next day (with the supposed penalty, though more often than not they forget about it).

I've tried to avoid doing lately myself. I was going along last year on a high credit/low distinction level last year. This year, my marks actually matter, and I know I can do better if I put in the effort. I've done about 2000 of the 10,000 words I have due in next Monday. Too bad they're mostly nonsensical. :p

Nice, then. Usually I left them until the day it was due, and had to finish it off before the 5pm deadline - and I usually hadn't started research. I usually got to uni at about 10am...and had it done by 4:30pm or so. Occasionally missed it and handed it in the next day (with the supposed penalty, though more often than not they forget about it).

I've tried to avoid doing lately myself. I was going along last year on a high credit/low distinction level last year. This year, my marks actually matter, and I know I can do better if I put in the effort. I've done about 2000 of the 10,000 words I have due in next Monday. Too bad they're mostly nonsensical. :p
I'm sure it's grand. :)
My department always manages to remember the penalty. I'd be cruising my degree if they didn't. What's your degree?

I'm sure it's grand. :)
My department always manages to remember the penalty. I'd be cruising my degree if they didn't. What's your degree?

Arts, double-majoring in Politics/International Studies. You?

you have my sympathy.

Beauty of being an English major is that we write so many papers that I have it down to an art form. 10 pages is about 3 hours of work, including an occasional trip to addictinggames.com or NS.

good luck with whichever you choose.

Arts, double-majoring in Politics/International Studies. You?
History. We don't bother with silly things like majors over here. Buggered if I know what I'm going to do with a history degree though.

History. We don't bother with silly things like majors over here. Buggered if I know what I'm going to do with a history degree though.

I wouldn't call them silly. I had no idea what I wanted to do in first year, and only really made the decision midway through last year. I was originally going to do journalism...but I hated it (though I got awesome marks, it's impossible for a uni student to get interviews...), so i'm glad that we have a system that gives some flexibility. I did a few History subjects, but they mostly bored me (except for one Middle Eastern history class, which was awesome). "International Studies" is just a fancy name for "recent History", which I find a bit more interesting, because I can get into current affairs stuff.

And yeah, I know the feeling. The only real option is teaching, and I really, really, really don't want to be a teacher. I'm thinking of hanging back and doing science as well, but that realistically means 3 more years of working in a supermarket. Ugh.

I wouldn't call them silly. I had no idea what I wanted to do in first year, and only really made the decision midway through last year. I was originally going to do journalism...but I hated it (though I got awesome marks, it's impossible for a uni student to get interviews...), so i'm glad that we have a system that gives some flexibility. I did a few History subjects, but they mostly bored me (except for one Middle Eastern history class, which was awesome). "International Studies" is just a fancy name for "recent History", which I find a bit more interesting, because I can get into current affairs stuff.

And yeah, I know the feeling. The only real option is teaching, and I really, really, really don't want to be a teacher. I'm thinking of hanging back and doing science as well, but that realistically means 3 more years of working in a supermarket. Ugh.
I'm probaby going to end up going into journalism...at least until I've made enough money to open my record shop. It'll need another year of uni, but it'll be worth it in the end though.

I'm probaby going to end up going into journalism...at least until I've made enough money to open my record shop. It'll need another year of uni, but it'll be worth it in the end though.
Bah, I was looking forward to the appearance of the ESP on the ballot paper. It would make a nice change to have a sensible party in British politics.

Bah, I was looking forward to the appearance of the ESP on the ballot paper. It would make a nice change to have a sensible party in British politics.
Ah, well. Vote Monster Raving Loony Party then. It would cost me too much to run the ESP. Besides, I wasn't the founder, and I imagine Carops would probably notice if his party started running in national elections.

i can empathise with you quite well just now. i have a dissertaion proposal to do for tomorrow but im in such an existensial funk at the moment i'm even considering dropping out of uni to avoid it and any subsequent papers that i'd be required to do. :( :rolleyes: . my advice is, if you really feel like you can't do a satisfactory essay by tomorrow, then send the email and arrange a meeting with your professor tomorrow to sort yourself out with doing the twenty pager. but go with ideas so it doesn't seem like you've just been time-wasting, your professor will be much more sympathetic if you show some interest in actually doing work at some point. good luck :) ;)