When I start any big project or essay my first thought
process is the dread of starting the thing. When I have a lot of time for a big
assignment I tend to wait at least a few days to really start. In these few
days I sometimes do some preliminary planning or at least think the assignment,
but at this point all plans are in my head or non-existent. Sometimes I wait to
start because I’m legitimately too busy, and other times it is purely
procrastination. This is a habit of delaying the start of big assignments mine that
is unproductive for me and I should cut out this stage all together. Thankfully,
I have gotten better since my freshman year, when I was the
start-a-day-or-two-before-its-due kind of student. It was always very stressful
no-break or fun kind of work that would usually take the whole day. As of recently, I have realized that once I finally
start something, and brainstorm what I will do, I realize that it won’t be as
hard or time consuming as I had thought. And then I work better and get over
the “ugh” of having to do it.
Once I officially start an assignment, I usually think
about: how long it will take me, when I will be able to work on it, and when I
should do it. Since my senior year has started, I have been getting better at
planning out the time that it will take to finish my assignments. I am the kind
of person who hates doing the entirety of a project the day before it’s due,
because that situation is always way too stressful and the work never comes out
the best that it can be. I like doing projects and papers with several, or at
least a few days before the due date so that I can do a little each day. I have
barely stressed out with schoolwork at all this school year because of how I
have been planning out my time. I used to be so bad in terms of procrastination
and I’m glad I have been improving my time management skills, because I know
they will be helpful in college and in life.
Before I actually hands-on work on any assignment, I
like to come up with an on-paper plan. For papers, I always have some sort of
outline and for projects I draw sketches or take notes on my ideas about the
project. I find it very helpful to put my thoughts and ideas somewhere where I
can see, organize, and edit them as I go on. While I’m working I often come up
with more ideas, and it’s easy to just jot or draw them into the plan that I
already have.
When I actually start working on my project or paper I
only work for short periods of time. I break the work up into smaller,
stress-free parts. So I usually don’t work
on one assignment for more than an hour and half at a time, because to be
honest my attention span doesn’t last much longer than that. This method also
stops me from getting frustrated by having to work for hours on end. When I do
have to work for a few hours I will take short breaks. When I work on
something, I like to be comfortable, usually with music or TV to listen to as I
work. Most of the time I work while sitting on my couch or bed. But I like my
desk too sometimes. I keep it relaxed
while still being productive. As I work, I try to add creativity to my
assignments. For example, in my Mindbook and other projects I try to add colors,
borders, and other decorations so that my work is visually appealing. In my
papers and other formal writing, I go over and edit my work for grammar, but
also for flow, vocabulary and sentence / paragraph structure so that it is “pretty”
too. I willingly put time and effort into my work to make good quality work.
My attitude and thoughts about school and grades has
completely changed this year. Except surprisingly, not in the “senioritis” kind
of way. Now that high school grades are supposed to be less important to me as
a senior, I am actually getting better grades than I have ever. I think I am
doing so well because all of my classes genuinely interest me and I want to do
well in them for myself. Now that I am doing the work for reasons other than a
good GPA, I feel liberated. I am more motivated than ever, and it doesn’t feel
like work so much anymore. And that’s pretty much the biggest relief I’ve ever
experienced.
