Sunday, March 19, 2006

Is it wrong to procrastinate by doing this?

Last year in June Stu-vac, when Emma and I were both freaking out about potential to fail subjects and the amount of study we hadn't done we agreed to write ourselves letters and exchange them through the next semester to remind us of why we should study before stuvac. I was cleaning up (and I use the term loosely...) and found a list of things that I came up with to put in said letter, but in point format (coz I study in points not essays...) So here's my list - to remind me in wee 3 what to do to make stu-vac easier, for you all to enjoy and be inspired by, or to ignore and continue procrastinating (like I might)

  • Don't forget to pray for studies - now, not just at exam time
  • Write a few summary points of papers you've read recently - it will make that essay easier later and give you a better idea of the bigger picture
  • Got half an hour off? Go over the text-book reading or write out things from the lecture in your own words - you know it helped before
  • Just because your notes are organised - doesn't mean you know them. Summarise them.
  • Read something now for that thing thats due later - you will be less stressed and may lose 30 mins sleep now, but you will not have to pull a teary all nighter later
  • Its much less stressful when you know whats going on. Go over your tutes and make sure you know how to relate it to the lectures
  • Knowing the basics is good - but its better to know them and be able to apply it to other things - make it all fit together later
  • Self-control is a fruit of the spirit - pray now for fruiti-ness
  • Don't deceive yourself - you may think there is time later - but you won't do it properly. Social contact and fun will still be around later.
  • Don't wish you could go back in time later, do what you'll regret not doing later, now! = no regrets. This is the best you're gunna get to a time machine
  • Pretend there is an exam question for the lecture/topic you just had. Remember how well that worked for developmental psych! You know you're capable of it!
  • MSN can wait - drop everything and do a good half hour of work. Pretend the exam is tomorrow - what will you cram for?
  • Use your free time now - so later you won't be to stressed or busy to serve God and his people
  • Just because you've got a week of stuvac - don't think you can leave stuff till later. It may be boring - but it will still be boring the night before the exam, but you won't be able to concentrate because you're so tired! Start now, procrastinate later.
  • Write notes in stuvac - you know it makes study easier
  • You have the brains - have the smarts to do the work now so you show your brains
  • Doing nothing will get you no where

Pretty long list... possibly not all relevant for all subjects, but I'm sure you get the vibe. Also I had brains on the brain as I was procrastinating from studying for neuro while writing this list... oh the irony...

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