To take part in discussions on talkSFU, please apply for membership (SFU email id required).
Time Management
Hey everyone,
As stuff start piling up, I found that I have a time management issue.
Right now, I got three major papers to work on and one of them is due next Wednesday. I also have a presentation due next Friday for my Tech and War course and I haven’t even started researching for it yet. Finally, I got the bomb shell from my Egyptian history course that the paper needs to be at least 16 pages, whereas I planned for only 10 pages MAX.
It is not so much that I start my paper a night before it is due and complain on the shout box that I need to pull an all nighter, but it is just that my writing process is slow.
I am a very slow writer and that is why I start my paper so early. Instead of writing what's on my mind, I had an elaborate system of writing an outline of my paper, visit my Profs in his/ her office hour and get it approved, write the paper, restructure the paper, and then edit. I found that if I didn't complete one step, I can't get started on the next step. If I am not happy with one step, I am not moving onto the next step.
Also, I wouldn't work on more than one paper at a time. Meaning that if I can't finish one, I can't start writing on the next few. This would pose a particular problem when I have two or more papers due at the same week.
Am I just too much of a perfectionist (even though profs have a field day with finding grammatical errors on my papers)? What can I do to speed up my writing?
As stuff start piling up, I found that I have a time management issue.
Right now, I got three major papers to work on and one of them is due next Wednesday. I also have a presentation due next Friday for my Tech and War course and I haven’t even started researching for it yet. Finally, I got the bomb shell from my Egyptian history course that the paper needs to be at least 16 pages, whereas I planned for only 10 pages MAX.
It is not so much that I start my paper a night before it is due and complain on the shout box that I need to pull an all nighter, but it is just that my writing process is slow.
I am a very slow writer and that is why I start my paper so early. Instead of writing what's on my mind, I had an elaborate system of writing an outline of my paper, visit my Profs in his/ her office hour and get it approved, write the paper, restructure the paper, and then edit. I found that if I didn't complete one step, I can't get started on the next step. If I am not happy with one step, I am not moving onto the next step.
Also, I wouldn't work on more than one paper at a time. Meaning that if I can't finish one, I can't start writing on the next few. This would pose a particular problem when I have two or more papers due at the same week.
Am I just too much of a perfectionist (even though profs have a field day with finding grammatical errors on my papers)? What can I do to speed up my writing?
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I find myself procrastinating and by the time it comes down to writing the papers it seems I am quite a perfectionist rewriting/reediting every little detail until it sounds like it came from the heavens...all complex and wordy, fortunately I've yet to encounter an instance where I'm unsatisfied with the final product or I get a bad grade.
What I tend to try and do is, like you, start with an outline or at least a brief brainstorm of what's going on.
I stay away from the profs/TA's for the most part until I have it all down on paper with a good grasp of things, if not, I tend to use emails (at least if I'm not on such a short deadline and I can manage to wait the few days or what not).
This is what I do (I'm a crim major btw)
1. Before I even do any research/reading, I take a good long look at the topic/question/whatever and try and figure out what I want to argue. I'll work with something broad and break it down until it fits a specific thesis statement that will adhere to the guidelines (length and what not) of the paper.
2. Begin reading/researching and TAGGING key quotations and whatever in anything I read/skim over even if I'm unsure as to whether it will be utilized. I'll end up with a ton of notes/quotations on paper or on tabs after the research part.
3. Take a look at my thesis, the general underlying arguments of the various research material, and the quotations, and look to put them together in a coherent fashion, i.e. organizing similar arguments/concepts so the paper flows.
4. Start working on the body paragraphs from #1 down. I look at the arguments, rephrase them however, incorporate the quotes and dazzle it all up with complexity and grammatical perfection.
5. Do the intro/conclusion at the end when you have the bulk of the body done, it's A LOT easier that way.
Plan your schedule weeks in advance. What I like to do is look 1-2 weeks ahead. Write what I need to get done I.e. Monday Jan 5th, research, Tuesday, Jan 6, readings/find quotes, Wednesday Jan 7th, 2 body paragraphs
I was in a situation like yours since the beginning of the semester. First it was presentations, then small 5-6 page assignments, then midterms and take-home midterm papers, then research proposals, research papers (in progress) and soon to be finals.
To be honest, I dont know if this will help seeing as I myself have yet to properly time manage over the past few years. I still procrastinate even when shit is due. Man when your a canucks fan and assignments due, the game is still just unavoidable....I find myself drawn the the TV
And I'm with you on the end paper-start paper thing. I just love the feeling of finishing a paper and completely committing myself, time, and energy onto a new topic. But I am finding nowadays that that I really do have to juggle everything all at once. I just think I need to work on my multitasking skills.
Do it the night before, because then you know if you don't get it done you fail.
As well as time managements, I, like xxk1nky, also encounter writer's block this semester. Seriously, my ability to come up with new paper topic was so bad that I had to resort to recycling ideas from two of my old papers for this semester's paper...
If things are this bad, should I consider taking a break this summer?
It could be different for you, but who knows. I love programming, but there's only so many 2-3 hours sleep and deadlines I can take before I snap.
works like a charm
Student, I have this idea: if you wana manage time, go to bed early, say like 8 pm and wake up early,like 3 pm. Man, believe me, that is the best time you can do much of your assigned work and don't forget, the blessing of the morning will rain on you, lol.
The early bird catches the worm!
Depending if you're a scholarship winner, time management will be necessary if you want to keep getting back 60% of your tuition each semester/go to some post-BA program
However, if you just want to pass and get the degree well, then it makes perfect sense.
+2?
My writing process is simple. First I figure out what I want to write on, then I look on wikipedia for any sources to back me. Then I will look on google, then google labs and then if I don't find anything I will go into the library to look for books.
By that point I should have enough to start writing, so that's what I do. I start writing.
There is no need for this useless, writing an outline, getting it approved by the prof crap, that just wastes writing time.