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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Trying to write my last uni essay of the year for 9am Friday and so tired. Anyone else?

76 replies

FinalFurlongs · 24/04/2019 18:47

Not an AIBU but posting in busy part of the site for support. I'm excited at the thoughts of being done but so tired! Is anyone in the same boat?

2500 words to go Shock I have all evening and all day tomorrow to do it. Will I survive? Wondering if I should work through part of the night to get a big chunk done?

I know my topic fairly well, though have to do a bit more research. I have opinions on it so lots to say in anyway. I'm just really tired and feeling daunted, and definitely need a bit of a break after this is handed in.

Who can relate?

OP posts:
Original poster
FinalFurlongs · 25/04/2019 22:40

If I hand in about 2000 words for what was supposed to be 2500 do I have any chance of passing do you think?

Although my degree transcript will look shit if I just scrape a pass.

OP posts:
anothermansmother · 25/04/2019 22:48

Keep going you can do it. I remember it well ( graduated 10 years ago now)
I'm currently trying to finish an application form that's taken me weeks ages to do, it needs to be in by 9am tomorrow too!

UCOinanOCG · 25/04/2019 22:50

You can find these words. Keep going. You can do it.

NoClueWithStyle · 25/04/2019 22:51

Op you sound so panicked which will just stop your brain being able to concentrate.

I graduated last year and my uni had a 10% word count allowance. So you need to hand in 2250 words. Only 250 more than you've got! Have you done your conclusion yet, because that could easily use 200 words.

What's your essay about? If it's something I'm familiar with, I'd be happy to proof read.

Rarotonga · 25/04/2019 22:52

Of course you deserve to pass. This is doable.

It may be different for your course but for my two different degree courses I could go below or above the word count by 10%, therefore on a 2500 word essay I wouldn't have been penalised for submitting one with 2251 words. Worth checking though just in case that's not the same...

NothingElse · 25/04/2019 22:52

Depends what your submission guidelines say. Often it's 10% below is accepted, so you'd need 2,250 but I can't speak for your uni or department.
You can do it! You still have like 10 hours. I can relate to everything you've said about anxiety and perfectionism, but don't you find often that it's the essays you think are absolutely terrible that get the best marks?
At this point, you just need to submit something that meets the guidelines on time. If you can get to 2,250, sleep then get up early, re-read it and edit, I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine.

Aurignacian · 25/04/2019 23:00

Hey, you’ve got this far, doing well, you really can do this!

I’ve just handed in the final essay for this year for a MSc. I’m a slow writer and am amazed at people saying they can write 2500 words in a day. I really can’t, about 1000 on the very best day possible and mostly nothing like that.

I totally get the being disabled by panic stuff, but just keep plodding on!

Original poster
FinalFurlongs · 25/04/2019 23:11

I don't have 2000 words anymore that's the problem, I had to delete the bit that was completely wrong.

Don't know what's wrong with me. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE TO DO AND CAN'T DO IT.

I get up for a break, stretch my legs, have a loo break while the kettle is boiling. When peeing I think hey I know exactly how to tackle this section, I'll do x y and z and then once I sit back at my fucking desk it's like someone has draped a sack over my head. I can't read the documents. I can't write. I just sit there panicking.

OP posts:
NoClueWithStyle · 25/04/2019 23:15

Ok.
Open up the voice recording app on your phone and imagine you're having a conversation with someone about what you need to do.
Sit on the loo if thats a good thinking spot for you...waffle on into your phone.
Go back downstairs, make your brew, sit at your desk and replay it, taking notes/bullet points of what you said.

Sometimes just saying things out loud really helps.
I found reading my work out loud when proof reading really helped me to hear my work as a reader would read it. Especially useful when brain fried.

Original poster
FinalFurlongs · 25/04/2019 23:19

Ok going to try that it's worth a try. Thank you.

OP posts:
NothingElse · 25/04/2019 23:20

Yes, take something to the loo/to the kitchen that you can take notes on or dictate it, that's an excellent suggestion.
I used the accessibility options in docs to listen to my last essay through headphones when I couldn't make sense of it anymore. The automated voice reading out all the citations is a nightmare but it did help.

Aurignacian · 25/04/2019 23:23

Hope you manage it, so stressful

NoClueWithStyle · 25/04/2019 23:35

I used the accessibility options in docs to listen to my last essay through headphones when I couldn't make sense of it anymore. The automated voice reading out all the citations is a nightmare but it did help.

Ooh nice tip! Wish I'd thought of that last year when I was in the same position as OP.

Menarefrommarsitwouldseem · 25/04/2019 23:46

When I wrote my dissertation I worked for 27 hours straight as the deadline was approaching. It was horrific and I spent a lot or time crying while typing. The laptop switched off and I couldn't find my work- it 2 hours before it was due.
I handed my boyfriend the laptop and walked out of the house crying (again)
He found it and I sent it and passed somehow!

3 years of rushing and stressing last minute didn't teach me to start my dissi earlier.

Just plod on. You can look back smile and laugh nervously once it's all done and you graduate.

Oakmaiden · 25/04/2019 23:50

I hear you. It is now 23:47 - I have been in the lab at university since 8am. I am creating an application to play the game GO. It is not working. It is due in in 11 hours. Once the program is running I have to create a video demonstration of its capabilities as well.

This coursework is worth about 2.5 marks on my overall degree. I have spent at least 60 hours on it so far. I have another 5 sizeable assignments due in over the next two weeks.

I want to cry.

Original poster
FinalFurlongs · 26/04/2019 00:03

Oakmaiden I hope we can both pull this off. I have an energy drink which I hope livens up my brain.

I'm grazing constantly as I go, is this normal? It's like I'm shoving in fuel hoping it helps me function better.

OP posts:
Stiffasaboard · 26/04/2019 06:40

How’s it going OP?

SagelyNodding · 26/04/2019 07:06

Oh I really feel for you Final... How is it going?

UCOinanOCG · 26/04/2019 07:50

I hope all you essay writers out there managed to pull it off!

onanothertrain · 26/04/2019 07:58

Good luck op!
My masters dissertation is due in on Tuesday and I work full time. Got 16000 words, pretty sure it's shite though...

donajimena · 26/04/2019 08:00

I've got 3 due in on Monday. Total 6000 words. Thats on top of the 6000 I had to submit two weeks ago. My critical appraisal is shit but finished. I'll finish my 3000 worder by 5pm then pimp up my 1500 critical appraisal. That leaves me the weekend to write a reflective piece. Sunday will be spent proof reading. Ugh.
OP I hope you pulled it out of the bag.

BayandBlonde · 26/04/2019 09:40

Hi OP, are you taking a breath now? I hope it all submitted ok

RozHuntleysStump · 26/04/2019 11:24

How's it going? What degree is it? I am doing a psychology dissertation at the moment and I am sick to bloody death of the whole thing. I want to be done so bad. I am sick of staring at my screen wondering what happened to my brain. I can't think anymore.

Londonmummy66 · 26/04/2019 17:50

Hope its going OK - I've got to submit a section of my dissertation next week - I've done about half of it but have another 7000 words to go.

I planned it in chunks so that I can just write a straightforward chunk at a time and then revert to my essay plan at the end to link them all together. May be worth a try?

My problem is that I'll have a day when I'm flying (did nearly 3000 words yesterday) which is always followed by a day of not getting mh done at all - I've given up trying to write today and am plodding through Zotero to make sure all the literature is on there correctly ready to do the footnotes next week.

NothingElse · 27/04/2019 02:08

Hope you got there @FinalFurlongs and you've got some well-deserved sleep now