arrggh!!

[FatBellyHoHoHo]

I've spent most of the day reading journals and articles for my assignment and none of it is sticking in my head, it might as well be written in Japanese for all the sense it's making to me

Any hints, tips etc to make my brain work? am normally fine but i just can't get my head round this topic at all

It's the time of year, I'm sure. I'm really struggling to focus (and get of the internet....) myself this week.

Have you tried just going through and highlighting useful bits in your articles? It can give you a nice feeling of achievement when ou see all those coloured patches.

10 mins reading, 5 mins break, 10 mins reading, 5 mins break (as in actually get up - drink something/walk around - not reading a different thing)

I found in desperate times this helped because it was only 10 mins concentration.

What about flashcards - write the 5/10 most relevant bits from that page of the journal in bullet points - elaborate in your mind (see if you know it)

When is it due? How long is it?

I'm embarassed to say it's due on monday, 1500 words about the decline in fertility from an economic and societal POV.

and I still haven't got it started I do all the pretty colours etc and it still just isn't making sense

I remember that feeling well; I think every student at some point or other has one (or five in my case!) essays they just can't "get" ...

I have been known to do 2000 word essays in one evening (from research to print) so it is possible over a weekend.

What points do you want to raise? (I have to admit this is not my subject but it may help to "talk" it out?)

I'd break it down into something like; 250 introduction, 250 conclusion - so that's only 1000 words for actual points. Could you get say, 5 or so points then that would only be 200 words per point?

Then, concentrate on the points first - the intro and conclusion can be done last.

Hope you didn't find that totally patronising apologise if you did

You can do it... think of it as 200 words per point and it doesn't seem so scary

er, I meant apologies!

That's the 'demographic transition'? Studied this a bit some time back - have you looked at this:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_transition

Might just help to have an overview to get started.

thanks lewis.. I know I can do it if I can just get a grasp on it, thing is this teacher wants to chuck me out cos I missed part of last term because of the kids being in hospital and they're very keen on high marks at my Uni :/

Thanks Acinonyx.. I'll have a look now

I always tell my students to write an essay plan which can help - whereby you lay out what you want to discuss and then link that with the research/theoretical themes.

jazzicatz that was the problem.. I couldn't figure out what to discuss as I just couldn't grasp the topic as I had missed the lecture and seminar for it.. that wiki link from Acinonyx has given me a start and I'm now surrounded with bits of paper with lots of pretty colours

I'm also taking Lewis's tip and doing 10 mins and stopping for 5 and I'm actually making a tiny bit of progress now

I'm going to continue with that for another hour and then mind map a bit and I'll do the planning and outline tomorrow and hopefully start on the content properly and be finished by Sunday evening

I've got another one to do by Thursday which is about fear of crime and the media which will be much easier as I know a fair bit on that one.

I'm normally on top of things its just that I've had a really shite couple of months and got really behind with it all and now having to produce these essays basically to save my place on the course and scholarship award [eek] and it was sprung on me a bit suddenly./

Thanks for all the help all of you