Two Days, Two Nights, Four Lessons
Posting Location: Office for Disabilities Services computer lab.
So I had an odd experience yesterday. And the day before. Through a series of events and circumstances, I essentially ended up staying awake for roughly 33 hours. That's already taking into account the half-hour catnaps I took here and there throughout that period, but I don't really count those as sleep, per se; I don't really fall asleep fast enough for half an hour to make a difference. In a nutshell, I woke up at noon on Sunday and didn't really get to bed until around 1:00 AM last night.
Why would I do something that crazy, you ask? Well, part of it has to do with the fact that I'm lazy, and tend to put classwork off until the last minute. You may note how close together the posts of my two blog essays were chronologically; that's what happens when I wait until right before the deadline to gather all my thoughts and start writing already. Well, it happened again this weekend, with a response paper on, of all things, Zardoz. Maybe I'll talk on what an...interesting experience that turned out to be later on; suffice it to say I really dragged my feet on this one. Technically it had been due by noon Friday, but luck was on my side on that one. See, we have until the end of the following week after any discussion on the subject to turn the paper in to the instructor's office mailbox. Not having even started the thing by Thursday, I realize that Friday is Veteran's Day, which is a university-observed holiday and thus --- drumroll please --- all university offices are closed. I point this out to the proffessor when asking if I'd missed a change to a Thursday due date, at which point he pauses and goes "...shit, tomorrow is Veteran's Day, isn't it?" So the due date was pushed back to Monday. Which is of course fine by me, as it now gave me three extra days to work on my paper.
So of course, guess what I don't do during those three day? -_-
I end up Sunday night hammering away at my computer, the paper sloooowly edging it's way to five pages. Intelligently, I decide to employ the use of a stick of Black Black to keep me up long enough to finish the thing. Unintelligently, I decide to employ the use of two. I'm rapidly learning very important lesson when it comes to caffienated candy: One is just fine, two is bad news. In this particular case I gain a second wind around 2:00 AM and manage to stretch the paper out to a finish over the next few hours. I'm not entirely certain, but I think I may have gotten a fever during that time as well (though I'm almost positive the gum was not responsible; I've been feeling under the weather in general as of late). In any case, I send the thing to my printer and glance at the time. That's when I really notice the time...and the fact that it's been some time since 2:00 at this point. It is now 5:00 AM, and my alarm is set to go off in two and a half hours.
So what do I do at this point? If you said go to sleep for two and a half hours, maybe three hours and just rush it getting ready for my 9:30 AM class, then you, for God only knows what reason, would be wrong. I can only blame the lack of sleep at this point for the decision to ride out the next seven or so hours until I'm done with all my classes and fall asleep upon coming through the door. To my credit, I did begin to rethink this strategy around 8:15, and tried to get in a little power nap before class. This is the part where my roommate raps on my door at 8:20 because I'm usually up and getting ready for class by now. -_- Another canned coffee (Pokka brand this time) brought me back up to speed for the morning's academics.
What brings up an even bigger question is why I didn't follow through with that plan and instead ended up staying awake until quite a ways past midnight. Again. I did get some sleep in there, but again, cat naps that barely count. I think I just lost track of time again, and didn't want to miss Common Ground (I think I've missed, what, one meeting in the four years I've been here?); who knows.
The important thing is, I got a full night's rest last night, and I don't seem any worse for wear today. So, the lessons here I guess are (A) Don't put off papers until the last minute, (B) Don't shrug off extensions, (C) Don't have more than two sticks of Black Black at the same time, and (D) Don't schedule yourself for 9:30 AM classes when you live off-campus. I mean, seriously. That's way too early. :P
So I had an odd experience yesterday. And the day before. Through a series of events and circumstances, I essentially ended up staying awake for roughly 33 hours. That's already taking into account the half-hour catnaps I took here and there throughout that period, but I don't really count those as sleep, per se; I don't really fall asleep fast enough for half an hour to make a difference. In a nutshell, I woke up at noon on Sunday and didn't really get to bed until around 1:00 AM last night.
Why would I do something that crazy, you ask? Well, part of it has to do with the fact that I'm lazy, and tend to put classwork off until the last minute. You may note how close together the posts of my two blog essays were chronologically; that's what happens when I wait until right before the deadline to gather all my thoughts and start writing already. Well, it happened again this weekend, with a response paper on, of all things, Zardoz. Maybe I'll talk on what an...interesting experience that turned out to be later on; suffice it to say I really dragged my feet on this one. Technically it had been due by noon Friday, but luck was on my side on that one. See, we have until the end of the following week after any discussion on the subject to turn the paper in to the instructor's office mailbox. Not having even started the thing by Thursday, I realize that Friday is Veteran's Day, which is a university-observed holiday and thus --- drumroll please --- all university offices are closed. I point this out to the proffessor when asking if I'd missed a change to a Thursday due date, at which point he pauses and goes "...shit, tomorrow is Veteran's Day, isn't it?" So the due date was pushed back to Monday. Which is of course fine by me, as it now gave me three extra days to work on my paper.
So of course, guess what I don't do during those three day? -_-
I end up Sunday night hammering away at my computer, the paper sloooowly edging it's way to five pages. Intelligently, I decide to employ the use of a stick of Black Black to keep me up long enough to finish the thing. Unintelligently, I decide to employ the use of two. I'm rapidly learning very important lesson when it comes to caffienated candy: One is just fine, two is bad news. In this particular case I gain a second wind around 2:00 AM and manage to stretch the paper out to a finish over the next few hours. I'm not entirely certain, but I think I may have gotten a fever during that time as well (though I'm almost positive the gum was not responsible; I've been feeling under the weather in general as of late). In any case, I send the thing to my printer and glance at the time. That's when I really notice the time...and the fact that it's been some time since 2:00 at this point. It is now 5:00 AM, and my alarm is set to go off in two and a half hours.
So what do I do at this point? If you said go to sleep for two and a half hours, maybe three hours and just rush it getting ready for my 9:30 AM class, then you, for God only knows what reason, would be wrong. I can only blame the lack of sleep at this point for the decision to ride out the next seven or so hours until I'm done with all my classes and fall asleep upon coming through the door. To my credit, I did begin to rethink this strategy around 8:15, and tried to get in a little power nap before class. This is the part where my roommate raps on my door at 8:20 because I'm usually up and getting ready for class by now. -_- Another canned coffee (Pokka brand this time) brought me back up to speed for the morning's academics.
What brings up an even bigger question is why I didn't follow through with that plan and instead ended up staying awake until quite a ways past midnight. Again. I did get some sleep in there, but again, cat naps that barely count. I think I just lost track of time again, and didn't want to miss Common Ground (I think I've missed, what, one meeting in the four years I've been here?); who knows.
The important thing is, I got a full night's rest last night, and I don't seem any worse for wear today. So, the lessons here I guess are (A) Don't put off papers until the last minute, (B) Don't shrug off extensions, (C) Don't have more than two sticks of Black Black at the same time, and (D) Don't schedule yourself for 9:30 AM classes when you live off-campus. I mean, seriously. That's way too early. :P
posted by Mithrandalf at 1:30 PM
1 Comments:
E) Deadlines focus the mind. Embrace them!
Post a Comment
<< Home