Academic Endeavour

[ailbhe]

I have to post a 2000 word essay today. I have written 672 words, including the title. I can't think of anything else to write, I have skim-read my material, and I am beginning to seriously consider dropping out of the course - my last essay was similarly frustrating and poorly done, and I will have to do the next one while on my honeymoon.

I'll probably post it anyway, but I -

Oh, I don't know.

Comments

[souldier-blue.livejournal.com]

What subject are you studying?

[ailbhe]

Philosophy with the Open University - course code A211.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Ah, memories! Every essay I ever wrote at college went like this:

1. Typetypetypetypetype - this is going well - typetypetype - word count: 300 words. That wasn't so hard. Six more of them and it's done.

2. Typetypetypetypetypetype - word count: 420 words. Where's that reference? Why don't I make myself a sandwich? Keep my strength up. I wonder what's on television. Hmmm...not much. Oh, but in half an hour there's - no. Can't. Huge effort of will (because this is inevitably the night before the deadline): wrench self back to computer.

3. Typetypetype - word count: 459 words. Typetypetype - word count: 495 words. Fuckit. There's no point. Game of Tetris. An age goes by.

4. A bit twitchy and parched now. Everyone else in the house long asleep. Read over what I've written. Get an idea. Typetypetypetypetypetypetype - word count: 672 words. That's more like it. Right. More of that. After I make a cup of tea.

5. Tea in hand, where's my momentum gone? Read over what I've written. Make a few changes. Word count: 660 words. Fuck. Go through text inserting circumlocutions and asides. Word count: 701 words. Sit panicking for a bit. Play some more Tetris. Stretch cramped muscles. Look for a quotation - any quotation - to flesh out paragraph three. Find one - and somehow it sparks another idea, and I suddenly know what to write next.

6. Typetypetypetypetypetypetypetypetype - word count: 1452 words. Yay! Go me! Read over it again, make some notes, find some references. Typetypetypetypetypetypetypetypetype - word count: 1709 words. Nearly there. Typetypetype - word count: 1819 words. Typetypetype - word count: 1872 words. Typetypetype - word count: 1901 words. Will this never end? Why, god, why? Look out window at breaking dawn. Realise that if I take a break now I'll fall asleep and never wake up.

7. Gird up loins and launch into final stretch. Typetypetypetypetypetypetypetypetype - word count: 2352 words. How the fuck did that happen? Go through text removing circumlocutions and asides inserted at stage 5. Pare prose down to bare essentials. Word count: 2178 words. Read through it one last time. Shaggit, it'll have to do; I'm going to bed.

Not for a moment suggesting that this is in any way similar to your situation, you understand, but was seized by the recollection and just had to share... :-)

[ailbhe]

I'm pretty good at getting the final version done three days before deadline, because it has to be posted. I also can't do them at night because I start to write gibberish. But apart from that, it looks a lot like my essays used to go before braindeath set in, yes!