I know quite a few of our guild members have been through college. You guys have any insight or unique tips on how to deal with stress and stuff? Particularly during the weekend before your thesis is due? Ha. I'm going crazy because I've got another 5000 words at least to crank out before Monday, and I've got plenty of other work for my other classes to deal with on the side as well. I've spent this entire week rewriting my first 6000 words (yes, rewriting almost everything I have) and have come to the realization that my head is going to explode.
Help!
Vasya
Fri, 04/04/2008 - 5:59pmPrioritize, focus on one thing at a time, and sit down and crank that shit out. Get stimulants, e.g. caffeine and just get them done, one at a time, top to bottom. Good luck Toast, rooting for ya!
Ariwyn
Fri, 04/04/2008 - 8:38pmstop drinking beer for the next 72 hours..... =) Good luck Toast..also stop posting this shit and go write.
Tigue (not verified)
Fri, 04/04/2008 - 8:58pmTAKE BREAKS. See sunlight now and again and when you are taking the break DO NOT THINK ABOUT WORK. Set a time limit for the break, enjoy it and go back to work.
Eat crunchy foods if you are working into the night- seriously the weirdest but most helpful tip I learned.
Get plenty to drink (non-caffeinated/alcohol), it'll help keep you alert and healthy.
Invest in silly putty. It's great for easing tension in your hands from typing a lot and the crackling/snapping effect is great for stress relief.
Remember that it is almost over!
Killface
Fri, 04/04/2008 - 9:40pmSavor it and realize that your life is probably at its peak, and it's all downhill from here.
/bitter
//wants his chance at college and grad school back
///Bendaryl
Beth
Sat, 04/05/2008 - 10:51amHaving a hardass friend who forces you to go to the library and work on it and yells at you whenever you are not working. At least that's what my friend Renee did for me.
Really though, having someone to work with really helped me. We'd go to the library computer lab or the science computer lab where it was quiet and there weren't as many distractions. As final semester students we had privileges that allowed us to stay in the computer lab as late as we wanted. Friends all knew that's where we were, and would stop in and say hello, bring us stuff. There were a bunch of us who wrote in the library even though we all had our own computers. There was this comforting sense of mutual suffering. Also being around a bunch of other people working hard (rather than say back in my room at the dorm) made me more into working hard.
We took breaks to get junk food form the school store, bake cookies, or play frisbee in the library stacks. A little bit of silliness every now and again to lighten the mood. Meeting friends to order some tasty dinner.
Qyn
Sat, 04/05/2008 - 3:23pmWhat Vas said, and what Dragan said, and probably what Amy said. XD
Prioritize, take breaks, chill out, you'll get shit done.
Fazil
Sat, 04/05/2008 - 3:31pmWhat Qyn said. Caffeine helps, but so does water. Little food, crunchy snacks.
Brian
Sat, 04/05/2008 - 3:44pmOne word "flowcharts"
A lot of time my thoughts are so fragmented that I may forget to fully write them down. So instead of trying to pump them all down in complete sentences I will create "bubbles" that will indicate my main thoughts of the thesis. From there break it off and write supporting thoughts for each main point. From the supporting thoughts break that off and write ideas of that thought. By the time your down you have your paper in bubbled form.
Use some music that will hype you up to , nothing too relaxing. You want to feel motivated not have the paper move at a snails pace.
Narrative
Sat, 04/05/2008 - 10:52pmDisable internet connectivity from your laptop. Find stop to camp. Set up shop there. Work on thesis and other stuff in camping location until finished. Bring with you caffeine and a cuddly toy. Make sure all your naps are cat naps. That's how I got through my crunch time. Tea sipped slowly as a destressor, and complaining to friends who have heard it all before, adn know that they will be there themselves next year. Time any breaks you take-- as in, set an alarm. That way, you don't have to clock-watch, and you keep to the time you set for yourself.
15
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 8:57amThanks for the advice guys :)
I'm sitting at 8000 words after rewriting a good majority of my thesis. I should be turning in 10500 words at 4pm today but I think adding anything else today is going to feel very forced and awkward.
Tigue (not verified)
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 8:59amHow many pages is 8000 words? I have no concept of these things...
Fazil
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 9:12amDepends on the font size! :D
Brian
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 9:35amthat's what she said.
Qyn
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 12:38pmMan, Brian is on a rollofl today!
Narrative
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 8:59pmSo when are we throwing you a "you win at thesis" party?
15
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 11:21pmit's only 30ish pages right now. The polished "I'm-presenting-this-for-honors" draft will be about 45 pages (ha!).
This draft was weighted as 40% of our entire 2 credit thesis course grade to prevent assholes like me from writing everything last minute, but I still have quite a bit of work to do before I'm ready to consider it finished.
Crazy Rambles
Tue, 04/08/2008 - 12:36pmHmmm the English honors thesis here has to be 30~50 pages too,
but they make us do research the first semester and write it the second one
but then again this is for undergrad
hope you get a good grade on your thesis...
and that it gives you enough exp to lvl up :p