Procrastinators anonymous for those with FEBRUARY deadlines

[Coleysworth]

Ahoy procrastinators!

My next one is 19th February, how 'bout you?

A207 seems pretty tough it's my first OU course, so I haven't got much to compare it to.

You might like it as the religion part really puts me off, how are you on art? There's an awful lot to read too.

Basically we have to study a series of primary sources and I mean study; for the first TMA you have to write 1500 words about a passage of philosophy 500 words long. No waffling on about the fellow's bio or what else other philosophers thought, just what he meant by those 500 words. It really concentrates the mind.

Anyway I have just sent my TMA off about 40 words shorter than it should be and probably full of crap, but you know? it's time to move on.

Wow; we did a lot of textual analysis on a200 but writing 1500 on what the guy meant sounds tough. I actually find discussing what the author may or maynot have meant really difficult and it was one of the reasons i opted for the humanities degree and not the eng lit/lang degree.

I'm uncomfortable with it; I just don't want to be writing about what someone meant. It makes me cringe to do it. I don't know what they meant, thought or felt no one does. But it goes with the territory and I have to force myself to do it.

To leap to A207's defence - I love it actually.
I love how all the different threads fit together, and it's first time I've done a course that opened up new avenues of thought for me. I think the material is really well selected, the study materials are brilliant, and my tutor has been fab. I'm finding it inspiring.

Having said that, there is a huge amount of material to read, and some bits I have simply not bothered with (esp now that the exam topics have beeen published) for eg Don Giovanni I just skipped because it was too in depth, too technical and it just didn't stimulate me.

The religious stuff wouldn't have been my cup of tea, but I'm enjoying seeing how it ties together and forms part of the bigger picture of how society went through such rapid changes at every level.

Top tip for good marks in A207 - remember the course title - in every TMA you need to show in your analysis how the material is moving from rational, empirical enlightment thinking toward more emotional, personal, subjective Romantic sensibilities. It's a bit hackish I guess but it's worked for me so far!

What I mean is, you don't have to guess what the writer meant, you can take it as read the course selectors chose the piece because it illustrates the move from enlightment thinking to romantic thinking, so it's more a case of having your template ready of stuff they want you to find, and sort of cracking the nut and getting out the kernel?

I'm probably wibbling - I'm still ill and running a temp so I maybe delirious.

Actually reading that back I sound mad as a snake

Thank god I am studying science as none of the above posts means anything to me.

I hoped to get another chapter finished today but have injured my fingers on my writing hand. Just waiting for the painkillers to kick in :-(

Oh I'm not slagging off A207 I just would not have chosen it if I had properly understood what it was about.

It doesn't sit well with me to study philosophy, poetry and art. Mostly I'm just not interested; that's why I chose a history module.

It is very interesting and is a clever way of gaining insight into the period. It has also taught me a lot of discipline in keeping up with my studies and keeping to the point in an essay.

It's amazing how much difference a good tutor makes, I have found, esp in terms of TMA feedback and pointers for what to change for the future.

I know what you mean about simply not being interested - hence my dropping Don Giovanni

Ooh, I am liking the sound of this A207, is it the one with the subtitle of 'from enlightenment to romanticism', in which case it must have been running for quite some time now because I remember that title from when I was first with OU about 8 years ago, I think it is one my sister did too and found it good, but hard work.

The very same. It's really good.

How's it coming people?

I had to ask for an extension in the end, tutor said yes but I feel terrible about it.

On the other hand, despite being up and at my desk by 8.45, I haven't been able to do a word today, my head was spinning and reeling so I went to lie down for a bit and woke up three hours later with a banging headache and feeling parched. I guess this bug isn't finished with me yet.

I think I'll just rest up the rest of the day and see how it goes tomorrow.

Yo beeyatches. Sorry. Don't knwo where that came from. Am giddy with the fact that I went into the library, picked up some books, some of which are actually on my reading list [thunk] and managed to write 350 words.

Only 800 to go on that one by friday....and yet...my new senior mentor decided on friday that I shoudl bring the questions for my research interviews to our meeting next thursday. Which means I have to do all the readings etc and planning and decide on actual focus of research project IN LESS THAN A WEEK

It's not even fecking DUE until fecking May.

wsp, don't feel bad, surely it's better to admit that you need the extension and submit something good rather than to write something halfheartedly that is no good. Rest well and feel better

Hello everyone.

My deadline is on 22nd. Still have one novel and loads of critical essays to read. So not much has changed

Proles- get on with it, fgs.

Have started reading my second reading. Ish. Am nearly halfway through first draft with 4 readings left to refer to. Fuck.
Oh, and just logged onto Facebook to find loads have finished. Bastards.

I will expect a report later on today Prolesworth or I will be very cross.

Morning folks.

I'm over the worst of it now so it looks like I might make my extended deadline :)

I'll be working all today until I pick DS up at 5pm.

I'm going to be trying the 15 minute bursts thing. Work 15 mins, timer goes off, then you go do something else lightly physical so you are away from the desk with your mind lightly engaged with something else not very taxing (load washing machine, or run a wet cloth down the bannisters, or clean the inside of a cupboard). Then back to work for another 15 mins.

The thing is, since I have started doing this it makes me realise that working, in any case, is usually made up of small useful bits of attention or thought all jumbled in with boredom, feelings of being trapped in the chair, temptation to check email, daydream etc. I think that actually, far from being less productive, it actually focuses the mind, gets you into "flow state" more often, plus you seem to get loads of jobs done around the house too, and while you're doing them you're still in that sort of thoughtful, woolgathering frame of mind.

I'm so thankful that someone mentioned about that bloke that does the 15 mins things, the one who has published masses. Was that you proles?

'Woolgathering'? What's that mean then? Other than gathering wool obv?

Have moved on to the Davy and Soane bit, hooray! (although I notice they're still trying to sneak some art in-hmmph)

New deadline 11th march (mm nice tea)

I always think of woolgathering as wandering about picking up bits of useful wool that have caught from the sheep's coats on thorns and twigs and dropped in wisps on the floor, and saving them up to weave into something useful later on. Gleaning. So to me woolgathering as a thought process is storing up the little thoughts that you get come to you while you're away from your desk and using them to amend your work later on.

Ah 'gleaning' I get I'm not familiar with sheep related terminology I'm afraid.