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Lara's Writing Up Diary - inspired by Jojo

S

ugh. i have to write 20 pages by sunday. am totally frazzled...

L

hi swantje. 20 pages by sunday?

is this a self imposed deadline? or one set by the sups?

so these 20 pages, what is it on? and why 20 pages?

L

desktop computer is still not working

because today has been a total washout. i have to cancel my friday evening off and i am no longer going to the lecture i wanted to go to :(

oh well. maybe there's some blessing in disguise i am not aware of.

i now have 3 and half days left to write 4 chapters.

hmm anyone have the power to stop time? i could do with that right about now! lol

S

hi lara,

my philosophy paper supervisor/oral examiner is moving to canada beginning of august, so i've got to get all the final philosophy stuff (one of my minor subjects) over with by the end of july.

so i need to write a term paper in philosophy till sunday and then send it in. i've been reading for it the past 4 weeks. it's on altruism.
then 3 weeks later an oral exam in philosophy (different topic - grrr!)...*sigh*
i'm really wishing i had done all of this earlier, like last year could totally kick myself for procrastinating for so long! i hope i've learned my lesson.

i am also irritated that my minor subject is consuming so much time that i might not be able to prepare properly for my major subject (linguistics) which is coming up after that.

tomorrow i've got my usual weekly deadline for my thesis supervisors and haven't done anything for that because i've been reading for philosophy - so tomorrow it's going to be rushrushrush and panic!!!

S

my parents were here over the weekend and picked up a carload of my stuff to take to my sister in england (digital piano and immense amounts of unused kitchen utensils and machines - oh and loads of tupperware) which i'm donating to her as i won't be able to fit much of my stuff into my student hall room (assuming i manage to meet UCL's conditional offer). so of course i didn't manage to get too much done on the weekend.

i am really looking forward to a week or two off at christmas!

S

20-25 pages is the normal amount for an MA term paper in germany. i'm hoping the guy will be lenient and accept 20

S

i have cancelled all lectures, journal clubs, group meetings and whatever. all i have done for the last month is sit in my office or library.

B

Lara I'd go to that lecture if I were you. You can only write so much between now and Monday and one evening isn't going to make a vast amount of difference. No point in punishing yourself any more than necessary.

L

swantje, wow good luck!

---

Thanks Biloboagins, i appreciate that

---

my pc computer is not working i don't know what to do. i keep trying system restore, but that's not working.

it boots up. and i only have the safe mode option. and then when i do system restore, it loads up to the windows logo and then the screen goes blank.

L

okay i officially give up, after hours of frustration, trying to fix my pc computer, i decided to get some help. a family friend is coming on thursday to fix my computer. in the meantime i have to back up everything on the computer. incase he has to reformat the whole pc.

in the meantime next couple of days i will work on the laptop.

didn't get much done today. will try to do a couple of hours before i go to bed. so that today wasnt a complete waste.

also, i am going to backup my favourites website bookmarks.

here's a nifty website that explains how to do that. http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000524.htm

just backing up EVERYTHING now onto dvd. thank God that "safe mode" is working. but I have been backing up my thesis chapters on a daily basis.

let this be a lesson to you all.

i've said it before:

a computer is in two states all the time: either

CRASHED
or about to be CRASHED

*backup backup backup*

L

hmmm i am feeling *stuck*.

i have to submit a full draft of my thesis by next monday. but i am not even close.

chapter 1 introduction. not done
chapter 2 methods: not done

chapter 3 : done
chapter 4: done

chapter 5: done except introduction bit.

chapter 6: not done

L

hmmm i am feeling *stuck*.

i have to submit a full draft of my thesis by next monday. but i am not even close.

chapter 1 introduction. not done
chapter 2 methods: not done

chapter 3 : done
chapter 4: done

chapter 5: done except introduction bit.

chapter 6: not done

L

oh and chapter 7 discussion : not done.

so what do i do?

right now, i am just sitting here, trying to work on chapter 6. but i can't cause i am stressing about my monday deadline.

i'm writing it from scratch and its going to take ages to get a zero draft together. let alone a 1st draft and final draft completed.
and then i have all the other chapters to do aswell.

what shall i do?

L

okay so i have

thursday
friday
saturday

i want to leave sunday for final proof reading and checks.

so 3 days: 4 chapters.
mathematically its impossible to meet the deadline.

hmmmm do i swap every hour ? and work on each chapter for one hour and then work on the next chapter and keep swapping?

any suggestions?

i am feeling tired, I think i will go to bed now.and wake up in the morning and try writing all the chapters simultaneously lol

M

Don't swap chapters. Finish one completely, then move on to the next. Otherwise you'll completely fry your brain.

Is this for submission to your supervisors? Are they wanting an entire draft?

I feel very guilty reading this thread and seeing how much work you have got through (the past 3 wks I've hardly done anything). Although you have much work to do over the next few days, you should feel very good about your work to date.

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