Poll the Audience
by Nina
It's that time of the semester where I find myself in a bind. (Are you there too?) It happens every semester. Even though I hope to avoid it and try to work hard through it- it still comes. Even though I prioritize and make charts of my reading and written assignments, project due dates and tests - it still comes. I'm guessing this happens to everyone, but maybe it's only a few of us.
I am now behind in every class. (Hopefully, none of my professors are dedicated readers of this blog). I cannot keep up with the reading assignments, exegetical exercises (digging into scripture for those of you who don't get to use that word all the time), papers, sermons, projects, research, etc. This happens every semester. It doesn't seem to get any easier, either. You'd think I'd get used to disappointing my own (and the professors') high expectations - but I never quite get there. Still, I never know whether to abandon that which I did not complete and focus on keeping up with the rest of the class, or to hunker down and catch up (at least in some classes), or to simply throw in the towel and stop trying. Inevitably, I end up in a moment of crisis every time - trying to figure out what my strategy should be.
I'm curious what you do.... If I were an administrator (rather than a contributor) of this blog I would make one of those fancy schmancy polls and find out. Instead, I'll invite you to comment on how you handle situations like this in school or in life. Here are the I'm-pretending-this-is-actually-a-poll options:
I am now behind in every class. (Hopefully, none of my professors are dedicated readers of this blog). I cannot keep up with the reading assignments, exegetical exercises (digging into scripture for those of you who don't get to use that word all the time), papers, sermons, projects, research, etc. This happens every semester. It doesn't seem to get any easier, either. You'd think I'd get used to disappointing my own (and the professors') high expectations - but I never quite get there. Still, I never know whether to abandon that which I did not complete and focus on keeping up with the rest of the class, or to hunker down and catch up (at least in some classes), or to simply throw in the towel and stop trying. Inevitably, I end up in a moment of crisis every time - trying to figure out what my strategy should be.
I'm curious what you do.... If I were an administrator (rather than a contributor) of this blog I would make one of those fancy schmancy polls and find out. Instead, I'll invite you to comment on how you handle situations like this in school or in life. Here are the I'm-pretending-this-is-actually-a-poll options:
- Stop whining and do it.
- Leave what's behind, behind - move forward.
- Take a walk, eat chocolate and stop trying so hard.
- Some other amazing strategy that I've not even considered (please tell us what it is).
posted by Nina at 1:10 AM
5 Comments:
5. First, I have to ask what you would suggest to someone else in your position. Folks (myself included)with high expectations of themselves often aren't nearly as hard as other people. BE KIND TO YOURSELF YOU ARE HUMAN NOT A MACHINE. Second, when I'm really overwhelmed it works best for me to break things up into time, like I'm going to do homework for 3 hours, that leaves me with 45 mintues for assignment a, 75 minutes for assignment b,...etc. If I attempt to get completely "caught up" in something, that invaribly leads to jet lag in another area, so by dividing work up by time I get a little of everything done.
I agree with michelle. You can only do so much. To expand just a little: you may not be able to do everything at the level you want to. You might have to set a time limit and then finish it in that time even if the quality suffers. This is especially true for reading; if you have one hour, then read the assignment in an hour, even if that means skimming. Same goes for writing. (PS I give you this advice because I am horrible at following it.
unbabl
I say sell all your books, prorate your remaining tuition, take a lien on your buick and join the circus.
Or, do what you can do, read what is going to be most helpful (and go back to the rest later), eat your vegetables, get your sleep so that you can keep putting one foot in front of the other. I'd personally put my eggs in the first basket.
Oh and try to break up the work or circus-going with jumping jacks, hands stands or singing really loudly with your head phones on.
I'd go with 2. matter of fact I'm about to do exactly that for myself this week. hehe.
T
Catch up on missed or skimmed reading during internship...at least some of it.
Music is essential: dancing to it, singing to it. Do you have access to a Kaoss pad?
Yoga with Rodney Yee can't hurt. Well, it does, but you know what I mean.
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