Speaking as a student, I must say that it irks me when people say that students are lazy wasters who lie around all day not doing anything.
Speaking as a student, I must say that it irks me when people say that students are lazy wasters who lie around all day not doing anything. It irks me, but speaking as an honest person I also have to say that they’re probably right.
If you are reading this as a student and you are 100 percent honest, odds are good that there’s something that you should probably doing if you weren’t busy procrastinating on the internet.
I know what it’s like, I’m there right now.
At time of writing, I’ve a dissertation to be writing, a documentary treatment to be planning, work experience to be sorting out and a regular job to find because the student loan isn’t high enough to cover my rent. I’d be willing to put money on the fact that I am no different to the vast majority of people at universities and colleges across the land.
However as students we all now the acute fear and panic that an unmet deadline can instil, it really does feel like the end of the world.
The best example that I myself can think of was last semester. I am in my third and final year as are most of my friends at university and it was around deadline time last semester when the cracks started to show.
Long days, sleepless nights and never-arriving deadlines take their toll every year, but it was especially acute this year because one of the things that becomes most apparent further on down the line is the whole: “Oh God this is my final year at uni, I’ve got so much work due in, I’ve got to pay rent tomorrow, Do I have enough money to see me through? I’ve got to find a job next year and a flat and a car and pick a career that I want to get into for the rest of my life and AAAAAAAAHHHH!”
This was pretty much me, but what I found helpful was not digging my heels in and mulishly denying that anything was wrong. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, a little too far on the side of cliché to use in actual conversation but it looks quite good in print.
Basically what I’m saying is that, having experienced the stress and panic last semester, I really, really don’t want that again so I’m starting to chip away at it already.
Doing a little bit of writing here, some emailing here, some dissertating over there and a bit of documentary brainstorming at some point and I’m golden, on track to actually getting it all done….eventually. Already, only one week back and I can actually relax without feeling guilty because I really need to be doing something else.
So to you fellow internet user, we both know there’s something you can be doing, so stop procrastinating. One more cat video, another status update followed by 15 minutes of voyeuristic Facebook stalking and then it’s back to work.
What is your way to help get through uni? Have your say in the comments section below, on Facebook or on Twitter.
