Lately I have had a million things to do, most of them I have had no interest in doing but have had an obligation to do them. I thought it might be good to hear how others deal with these circumstances.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Two words.
Buckle Down.
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
I work out elaborate ways to see it as my responsibility to do them. Once its a responsibility, I can do them just fine.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
hhhm....well starting these "things" (if thats what they really are) might be a good place to begin. You can finish them very efficiently if you never started them.
[ September 13, 2004, 11:04 PM: Message edited by: Little_Doctor ]
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
So not starting my homework means I won't finish it? Interesting thought
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
It's true, too. Inertia is not just a property of physical objects.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
This coming from a person who never does his homework. I'm supposed to be working on that this year. To me, if a student is doing well on the tests, why does he need to do extra un-needed work at home? It's just a waste of time! Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Tests are for short-term.
Homework, aka "busywork" is there to imprint the facts on your brain.
It's the only way that I can still name all the capitals, or the states in alphabetical order.
I don't have to tell you how many times THAT'S saved my butt.
*whew*
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
Homework is not the only unwanted project but it is one of the worst. In the past I have had a really hard time getting homework done but I got better in high school. Now senioritis is kicking in and it is getting hard to stay motivated.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Oh God! I remember the States in Alphabetical order becasue of this abomination of a song that they made us memorize in the fifth grade. Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
You had that song too! I hated it almost as much as the teacher,a hard thing to do.
Posted by Jess N (Member # 6744) on :
This is how I manage--most of the time. When you are overwhelmed with obligations, you take them one at a time. Do not attempt to multi-task. Multi-tasking only leads to burn out. Give yourself a certain amount of time to complete each task and then concentrate on only one task. Then move to the next task.
Make a list of what you must do. Prioritize it--which one is the most important and most pressing task. Do that one first. If one task is going to be time consuming, break it down into steps and put it toward the top of the list. Once you've completed a task, take it off the list.
If you can't complete everything in one day, come back early the next morning when you're fresh.
One last thing, pace yourself. Give yourself plenty of short breaks and then return to your task.
Oh, and DON"T PANIC!
Good luck!
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Alabama...
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Conneticut...
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
BWAHAHAHAHA! You did it!
HAHAHA!
That's hysterical.
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
Damn me and my slow typing Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I'm totally bummed cause you left out Arizona.
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
Sorry. I have a bad memory. I love Arizona. *Hugs for Arizona*
Posted by Princess Leah (Member # 6026) on :
As a senior in high school with NO idea where I want to go to college I know what you mean about the million things.
I agree that if you're overwhelmed the most important thing is DON'T THINK ABOUT IT. Just do one little thing. Then the next one. Breathe. Relax.
As a born procrastinator, I would hesitantly encourage the idea of all-nighters. There are schools of thought that beat them into the ground, but one really hard night of really hard work can for me sometimes be worth about twice as much as the same number of hours at a different time of day.
But don't go overboard on the caffeine, becaseu if anyone ever tells you that you can't get REALLY buzzed, messed up, paranoid, and shakey on just caffeine they've never had a real caffeine addiction. And one tends not to work well if one can't hold a pencil and cant focus thier eyes and cant forget about the maniac hiding under the bed.
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
I had my first run in with large amounts of caffiene. I drank a pint of strong black coffee, and I was shaking all through the first half of the day.
Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :
are the next words "and more.."
were they the 50 States in Rhyme? I liked that song... I get stuck near the end, though.
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
Hah.
This topic is tragically ironic for me to read...
*mops in self-pity*
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
In college, when I had REALLY boring reading to do (really dense and dull sociology or somesuch), I'd give myself little rewards: I'd take a book I liked, and for every 2 pages of the dull sociology book I read and took notes on, I'd get to read 2 pages of a good SF book. (I was very good, and whatever SF book I did this with, I'd ONLY allow myself to read it in conjunction with studying.)
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
How about candy?
[ September 13, 2004, 11:36 PM: Message edited by: Little_Doctor ]
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
No. It is the states in alphabetical order to a very stupid tune. There are lyrics inserted at the beginning and end for your listening pleasure.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
No. The lyrics begin:
"50 Nifty United States from 13 original colonies..."
and so on.
(agreeing with Allegra)
[ September 13, 2004, 11:38 PM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
count em, shout em, tell all about em....
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
One by one till we have given a name to every state in the good ol U S A
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
No No No...count em shout em would have made too much sense. It was:
"scout em, shout em"
*shakes head*
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
someone(ME) is going to have nightmares tonight! Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Ah, scout em, my mistake
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
If I ever become a elementary music teacher it will only be to stop the teaching of horrible songs. I would expose them to the great classical music that might just catch their interest, and teach them music theory that might actually make sense to them. I honestly had no idea what they were talking about. They didn't tell you how all of the information fit together and it was annoying and confusing.
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish." -Samwise Gamgee
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Suddenly I'm glad we only have 6 states.
(Says the girl who is reading this instead of writing her thesis which is due in 2 1/2 weeks...)
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
I get the feeling that it all boils down to: pacing myself by setting goals, having rewards, and getting off of my ass and doing something.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Well, If they were that horrible, why do we remember all of the words?
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
Because they are the work of satan and they have already fused to our souls.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Works for me! Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Well, enough songs for me tonight, I'm going to sleep
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
I have to do a collage about my past. I have no idea what to put. Ideas?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
What's your past like? Maybe you can shape a bunch of little pictures like a rose window in a cathedral... Simply because I like those.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
omigawd you guys did NOT just post that stupid geography song...... talk about the ultimate in evil earworms!!!!!
Goody
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
I don't know how to discribe my past. This is for spanish so i have to have 10 sentences on there in spanish. Which means 10 items that I can talk about in spanish
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
Sorry Goody, Satan made me!
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Capital!
Albany, Atlanta, Tallahassee, Oklahoma City, Trenton, Nashville, Concord, Dover, Little Rock, Des Moines, Sacramento, Olympia, Montpelier, Jackson, Carson City, Juneau, Denver, Raleigh, Austin, Boston!
Providence, Topeka, Santa Fe, Indianapolis, Annapolis, St. Paul, Jefferson City, Honolulu, Baton Rouge, Harrisburg, Columbia, Augusta, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Salem, Madison, Cheyenne, I'm thinkin' Lincoln!
Bismarck Boise Springfield Frankfort Richmond Columbus Charleston Helena Capital Lansing Hartford Montgomery.
(Oh no! Oh no! Pierre! Pierre! We forgot Pierre!)
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
There is no way I could name all of the capitals. *claps for PSI*
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Wow... I don't even think I can name the states. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
When I have things to do that I don't want to, I try to break the task down into smaller parts, and minor rewards..
"I will get this much done of [project A] and then take a break and get a bowl of ice cream (or whatever reward you want to put in here), then do this much more then stop for awhile and work on [project B, which I want to do]" Type of thing.
It is interesting how different people like or dislike the same task. Such as a simple task like washing the dishes -- I don't mind at all doing the plates, bowls, cups, etc. But I detest washing the silverware. I hate it -- always want to put it off. So I either make myself do them FIRST, or I leave them for someone else -- who doesn't mind doing the silverware, but my hate doing the pots and pans (which don't bother me a bit). (this example is for all of you who, like me, have never had opportunity to actually own a dishwasher.)
Farmgirl
Posted by sarahdipity (Member # 3254) on :
Did any of you ever have to make the cell from food? So that pieces of it represented the different parts of the cell. Well I just used my memory of that project to help me in a graduate level class. I guess it's amazing how those silly projects stick with you.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I was recently told that Chile, rather than having states, is divided into 7 zones, each of which is numbered rather than named. Haven't gotten over to the CIA World Fact Book to confirm it yet though.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
"So I either make myself do them FIRST, or I leave them for someone else" Farmgirl, I do the same thing. If I do the things I don't like to do first, the inertia gets me going to do the other things I don't mind so much.
Also, a big tip is to get on a schedule. Make a set time every day to do homework or projects or whatever and then give yourself a reward at the end. Only give yourself the reward, though, if you've completed the tasks you were supposed to.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
it's probably been said by noww, but to get stuff done, you have to close the window.
the hatrack window, probably any aim convo's with me and those evil junior boys (everyone else too, but they are the ones that distract me the most)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote: Did any of you ever have to make the cell from food? So that pieces of it represented the different parts of the cell.
*cough* Every single bio student I have taught. Except I forbade using perishables after the first couple years -- we like to display them for a few weeks, and they got pretty gross.
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