I think I am going to spontaneously combust this week, or if not this week then in the coming up two weeks. This research paper is going to cause my untimely death and I am so young too! I am talking five classes and working and these last weeks have been catching up with me. Not to mention this paper that have been causing me so much stress, I have four other classes that all have final research papers and/or final tests that I have to worry about as well. I only have a few pages done of the actual paper and I am getting a bit stressed that it is due this Sunday. I do not know when I am actually going to find some time to sit down and really work on this paper. When I write papers it usually takes me a while to get into the mood to write and until I get into this rhythm of writing it is hard for me to write well, or at least to write something that I am okay with. With this paper though I am hitting so many walls and cannot for the life of me get into the mood I have to be to actually write something and progress with the topic. And this inability to write anything good is making me more stressed about it and more worried, and this causes me to push it off till later. This viscous cycle continues to today when I decided to write my blog instead of working on the paper. I am not happy with this decision of putting the research paper off, but until I am in the mood to write anything, the stuff I do try to write I will end up just deleting later.
I am just having a lot of difficulties trying to get my topic and focus together. This paper is giving me more problems than any other paper I have ever had to write before. I am planning to reread The Great Gatsby and Reading Lolita in Tehran this week, or at least skim through them to gather up my thoughts again. Maybe with the books fresh in my head I can sit down and really make some progress with my research paper. And maybe to help me with the problems I am having I will make an outline. I usually never do this unless I have to for an assignment or if a teacher asks for one. But maybe an outline will help me gather my thoughts together for this very important paper. It is just the overwhelming stress that just seems to be pouring over me, that is making me freak out right now. I have always been one to stress out about things but it seems this semester is the worst for me. Maybe I should meditate, do some yoga to help me relax, a massage would be heaven right now. Once I start feeling the paper and my topic a bit more I know I will relax about it a bit, but until then please do not get upset if I am a total jerk.
I can’t even imagine having five classes and working. Well, okay, I can. But, what I’m saying is I can sympathize with you and I know your pain. The very thought of having to write this paper AND study for Rich’s last two tests alone makes me wanna break down and cry. I haven’t even started studying for the exam on Monday and there’s gotta be like one-hundred flashcards I’ve made for it by now. The paper, thankfully, will mostly be taken care of over this weekend. After that, it’s just revisions and possible tweaks here and there. Getting it together is the problem and I know what you mean by that. I find that, most times, I don’t need to get into a writing mood, but I know how hard it can be to concentrate. That’s my downfall every single time.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that it’s only two weeks left and then the semester is over. The paper? Give it patience and keep working. I’ve found that outlines, like you mentioned, work really well for some people. The cluster-bubble outline thing always works for my sister. I work on the fly, so they never help me. And, it’s always good to go back and skim the books. I’ve no idea if I’m going to do that, but I think it would be a good idea nonetheless. Monica, keep it up! After the paper, we’ll have to concentrate on Rich’s class. Which, for me, is where the real stress is at.
From the sounds of it, many of us are taking five classes this semester. I probably would have dropped this class at this time after understanding the shear load of work required, but I need it to graduate from Cal State Bakersfield this coming June. So I have been pushing through these last thirteen weeks in hopes of receiving a passing grade at least, which is definitely not my normal effort level. But what's a person to do when they face a deadline? They press on.
ReplyDeleteWell at least you aren’t alone! I feel the same way as you; this has not been an easy paper to write. I have had a real hard time staying on target, that is my weakness anyway, but for this one I had such a hard time. The good thing is that we get to post them to the file share. I can honestly say that I have learned so much from my peers. Their opinions have been invaluable.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the cycle of stress that immobilizes you into a paralyzing panic that completely dehabilitates all your brain function. It really is unfortunate that it happens that way. Too bad that our brain doesn’t have some kind of function to rescue us in these situations. Fight or Flight is really not the mechanism that I am personally looking for. Fighting is really not going to help me to formulate coherent thoughts, and although I would really like to exercise the flight option, I will pay for it dearly when I have to retake the class. So here we are Sunday night, I am still wondering if mine makes any sense whatsoever, if I am even close to topic and I have to inflict this paper upon my unsuspecting classmates…how sad.