Extreme Procrastination

orange · December 21, 2003, 06:16

If we made procrastination an 'extreme' sport, I'd be king of the world at it - that is, if I could be arsed to enter my name.

I've been notoriously bad at putting things off this semester. Evidenced most by my current situation: I have a 20 page paper due yesterday at 3PM which I am currently unable to put any effort into, yet here I am writing on Apolyton without problem.

The semester is officially over, grades were supposed to be in, and I'm sitting at home at 5 in the morning with 4 pages of untransitioned paragraphs and a rough sketch outline...I should be sleeping. I'm completely exhausted and yet I still have things that I have to do.

I'm really interested in the subject matter too (The Status of Women in Mozambique before and after the 1975 revolution), but for some reason I just have no motivation to actually get the research from the sources and write about it. I think I'm just tired of the whole format - read a few books and articles, hunt for striking quotes and facts, write the standard introduction and thesis, find places to fit those factoids and quotes into the body, make a memorable conclusion...it feels so cheap.

All I have to do is finish this paper to even the most basic readability and I'll get an A in the class. I've aced the semester in Hist439 thusfar, so it would be mad for me to throw that away on sheer apathy. For all intents and purposes, all I have to do is hand it in.

****, I've already written a page here already. 15 more of the same length on the actual topic and I could actually sleep tonight! So why do I continue to refuse to write the same amount on the subject matter which I have an abundence of information and ideas on?

I suppose axi summed up my feelings best in another thread - "If you're not writing a Thesis or a paper for a refereed journal, I don't think that anybody expects you to produce any new science, so it is expected that all content in your papers (at least the theoretical part) is taken mot-a-mot from your references..."1

See, look at that! I even cited my source! Can my paper be on procrastination? Do you think he'd notice?

1Thon, Aga University cheating: ever done it? p 2
Available: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...0&pagenumber=2

Imran Siddiqui · December 21, 2003, 06:17

Quote:

I have a 20 page paper due yesterday at 3PM which I am currently unable to put any effort into, yet here I am writing on Apolyton without problem.

You got your priorities in order

.

self biased · December 21, 2003, 06:20

welcome to the dark side my young padawan.

Imran Siddiqui · December 21, 2003, 06:21

What makes you think he's your padawan?

Drake Tungsten · December 21, 2003, 06:22

I turned in several papers months late in my college days. Usually ended up getting B's on them, as well. All you have to do is make sure the paper is good and show the proper amount of contrition and self-loathing that would be expected for someone that lazy. Remember, most of your profs are liberal softies, so use their naive compassion to take advantage of them to the fullest...

orange · December 21, 2003, 06:26

I already did that earlier in the semester for another class. Two in fact. 5 weeks late. Still got As on them. I mean really, it's as if they're encouraging my tardiness! Next semester this is going to change...

Imran Siddiqui · December 21, 2003, 06:28

You say that now.

orange · December 21, 2003, 06:29

I think it is partially because I write solid papers. I don't mean to gloat, but most of the papers of colleagues and friends that I read over are horrible. I feel like mine are outstanding in their structure, content, citations, and how well they read...and that's what my professors tell me over and over, but that familiar structure is just becoming so bland and uninteresting to me as the writer. I just feel like I'm vomitting the same words onto the page that I always do, even though I recognize that I'm not in fact doing this.

ARGH

orange · December 21, 2003, 06:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
You say that now.

And last semester, and the one before, and...

self biased · December 21, 2003, 06:46

and prolly the semester after that. i still can't be assed to finish that music theory project from three years ago... although i should if i ever want to actually get my degree.

DAVOUT · December 21, 2003, 06:48

Quote:

Originally posted by orange
I feel like mine are outstanding in their structure, content, citations, and how well they read...and that's what my professors tell me over and over,

No wonder that your professors hightly appreciate your resisting the so boring self-depreciating attitude.

orange · December 21, 2003, 06:57

well like I said, I'm not TRYING to boast for the sheer sake of doing so...i just don't want to hand in utter ****, you know, and it feels like that's all I can write right now because of the same old structure that is expected.

DRoseDARs · December 21, 2003, 07:18

Try this quote on for size, Orange:

Leela: "Bender, I can't see what's going on. Are we boned?"

*Bender looks over and sees Fry gorging himself on a tub of Royal Slurm*

Bender: "We're boned."

self biased · December 21, 2003, 07:18

ah, zen and the art of procrastination.

"i procrastinate, therefore, i will be later."

Spiffor · December 21, 2003, 11:49

Quote:

Originally posted by orange
I've been notoriously bad at putting things off this semester. Evidenced most by my current situation: I have a 20 page paper due yesterday at 3PM which I am currently unable to put any effort into, yet here I am writing on Apolyton without problem.

I know the feeling veeeeeery well. I had a 20 pages homework due last January. I gave it in September

The Emperor Fabulous · December 21, 2003, 11:55

I've been out of school since last Saturday, about 8 days now. I don't go back until Jan 20th.

I already have my grades.

...though I don't mean to rub anything in Orange

Urban Ranger · December 21, 2003, 12:14

I thought I was bad

OzzyKP · December 21, 2003, 12:27

Quote:

Originally posted by orange
I think it is partially because I write solid papers. I don't mean to gloat, but most of the papers of colleagues and friends that I read over are horrible. I feel like mine are outstanding in their structure, content, citations, and how well they read...and that's what my professors tell me over and over, but that familiar structure is just becoming so bland and uninteresting to me as the writer. I just feel like I'm vomitting the same words onto the page that I always do, even though I recognize that I'm not in fact doing this.

Absolutely. I was in your exact situation a year ago. Its not worth it.

Vomitting words on a page (which describes it well) prepares you for nothing in the real world. You aren't learning anything in college besides the fact that you should deny yourself all self-respect so you can slave away for a $120,000 piece of paper at the end of 4 years.

I was going mad writing papers, and I lost all concern for quality. I just wanted the torture to be over. I turned in the same paper (which I thought was garbage to begin with) for 5 different classes over the span of a year and a half. Got decent marks each time amazingly, but not a paper to be proud of. These are the things these stupid college papers push students to.

Its not worth it.

Just quit, find something better to do with your life. I did, and now I go on CNN and speak to audiences instead of vomit words on a page. Oh, and when I do want to write something of quality, I get it published, I don't submit it for the approval of a professor.

Urban Ranger · December 21, 2003, 12:37

Quote:

Originally posted by OzzyKP
You aren't learning anything in college besides the fact that you should deny yourself all self-respect so you can slave away for a $120,000 piece of paper at the end of 4 years.

Some of us actually learned something in uni. No really, it's just what you make of it. Sure, you can learn the stuff yourself, but at a college you have access to a lot more resources and you can ask questions.

Quote:

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Just quit, find something better to do with your life.

That does not seem like such a hot advice to me...

Quote:

Originally posted by OzzyKP
I did, and now I go on CNN and speak to audiences instead of vomit words on a page.

And Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard after a year - but there's only one Bill Gates. Statistically, a person is much better off with a college degree than without, so why throw it away?

Lefty Scaevola · December 21, 2003, 15:01

"If we made procrastination an 'extreme' sport, I'd be king of the world at it - that is, if I could be arsed to enter my name.
"

Be sure to include this on all your resumes.