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"If you have so much free time you should do more work". Discuss.

This is what my dad said to me (my dad has also been to university and got a first).

My dad said I spend too much time socialising in the SU/playing pool, etc.

Now I don't have a job as I don't think it is appropriate to go to uni and have a job (of course it is possible, but I prefer to concentrate on one thing, if I lived out then I would be forced into a job).

When I get an assignment, I do it straight away. I don't like to go out and socialise and have the work hanging over my head like a burden.

I see a lot of my mates do all their work at the last minute and then slave away in the library until five minutes before the deadline, and I laugh at them, even more so when they complain they have too much work or no free time.

I feel that those students who do all their work as soon as possible deserve to relax and enjoy uni life/socialise, and those who work till the last minute deserve all the stress they get. Why should I do even more work when all my deadlines are met (often months before the deadline - and I don't need no extensions unlike other students)? Then where is the incentive to do work straight away and where is the time to socialise (something which I can now balance fairly)? If I do the work, I deserve to reward myself or I can never have any fun in uni. I do 90% of my work at home so if I do more work in uni then I am doing work all day really.

Furthermore, I am told to revise the concepts I have learnt on certain programming languages for my one test in summer (the date is not confirmed), when I don't even know exactly what the test will contain - so it is pointless to revise now.

What is your view on this?

Reply 1

BouncyB

1

as long as you are confident that you know everything and are on top of everything... and sum more, then its perfectly ok for you to socialise. Just dont give ur dad any reason to say 'i told you so'.

Reply 2

Dr. Blazed

16

-Blade-

I feel that those students who do all their work as soon as possible deserve to relax and enjoy uni life/socialise, and those who work till the last minute deserve all the stress they get.

Really ? Deadlines are there for a reason, so why does it make you feel superior to do work six weeks before the deadline, rather than the night before ? As long as it's done on time, when it's done is irrelevant.

Reply 3

mipmapped

13

Really ? Deadlines are there for a reason, so why does it make you feel superior to do work six weeks before the deadline, rather than the night before ? As long as it's done on time, when it's done is irrelevant.

I don't think people produce their best work when they have to think more about how little time they have than the work itself.

Reply 4

BouncyB

1

everyone works differently though. I see to Blades point tho, because i have a few friends who leave their work to the last minute and struggle, but, others do fine.

Reply 5

Kew

16

mipmapped

I don't think people produce their best work when they have to think more about how little time they have than the work itself.

Often, knowing that you have very little time can do wonders for making you focus in on what exactly you need to do. I always do essays right up to the deadline, as I find it practically impossible to get myself up to a high enough level of motivation without the impetus of knowing that time is running out, even though I love both my subjects; I still manage to get 1sts. Clearly, different people work/get motivated in different ways - it just depends.

Reply 6

Wise One

11

Kew

Often, knowing that you have very little time can do wonders for making you focus in on what exactly you need to do. I always do essays right up to the deadline, as I find it practically impossible to get myself up to a high enough level of motivation without the impetus of knowing that time is running out, even though I love both my subjects; I still manage to get 1sts. Clearly, different people work/get motivated in different ways - it just depends.

Yeah, I'm like that as well. It helps you to totally immerse yourself in the task at hand when you know that you actually have to.

As for the thread title - "If you have so much free time you should do more work". Discuss. - I think that it's a case of if you have so much free time you could do more work. I probably would, just because my degree interests me...

Reply 7

Poica

14

mipmapped

I don't think people produce their best work when they have to think more about how little time they have than the work itself.

I have a friend who thinks this - he does his work as soon as he gets it. He consistently gets lower marks than me, who does essays a few days before their due date. Hence I don't place much stock by your theory - I think pressure can sometimes sharpen the mind wonderfully.

Reply 8

gianthead

12

Poica

I have a friend who thinks this - he does his work as soon as he gets it. He consistently gets lower marks than me, who does essays a few days before their due date. Hence I don't place much stock by your theory - I think pressure can sometimes sharpen the mind wonderfully.

I hardly think doing the work late would help your friend. He probably knows he's not that good so gets the work out the way as soon as possible.

Reply 9

White_redrose

1

Poica

I have a friend who thinks this - he does his work as soon as he gets it. He consistently gets lower marks than me, who does essays a few days before their due date. Hence I don't place much stock by your theory - I think pressure can sometimes sharpen the mind wonderfully.

Totally agree. I find it hard to motivate myself/say no to plans to go out sometimes - which is why I often end up writing the weekly essay about 6hrs before it's due to be handed in - not something I'd recommend doing really, as the stress etc isn't very nice, but I've fallen into a pattern of doing that now and, as you say, the pressure actually helps to focus my mind and forces me to work.

Reply 10

Apricot Fairy

16

How come your dad knows the ins and outs of your life anyway?

Reply 11

Apricot Fairy

16

Poica

I have a friend who thinks this - he does his work as soon as he gets it. He consistently gets lower marks than me, who does essays a few days before their due date. Hence I don't place much stock by your theory - I think pressure can sometimes sharpen the mind wonderfully.

Hmmm...

Last time I had a 4,000 word essay due in (with a 3,000 word one due in on the same day) I went to the pub the night before the deadline when I still had 2,500 words left to go. I was home by 11 and worked until about 5, producing my best essay yet.

Reply 12

Steve Stifler

Apricot Fairy

Hmmm...

Last time I had a 4,000 word essay due in (with a 3,000 word one due in on the same day) I went to the pub the night before the deadline when I still had 2,500 words left to go. I was home by 11 and worked until about 5, producing my best essay yet.

that's exactly the same situation as I have tonight!

Anyways, I'm off to put my face on :biggrin:

Reply 13

Apricot Fairy

16

HungryLikeTheWolf

that's exactly the same situation as I have tonight!

Anyways, I'm off to put my face on :biggrin:

Have you recently changed your username? Because you're on my buddy list and I don't know who you are! :redface:

Reply 14

Alan Smithee

Ask your lecturers what's better.

Finish your drafts early and then sharpen them up til the very end.

Simple.

Reply 15

Redefined

13

I'm a last minute kinda guy. For example -

First History essay was done about a week before deadline, got a B

Second History essay was done the night/morning before deadline, got an A

That may have been a fluke so i'll go into more detail. I started the second essay bout a week before, done intro and first arguement, then gave up. When I went to do it the night/morning before I looked at the work I done already and it was awful.

I work much MUCH better when under pressure. I wish it wasn't that way because it is hard going i.e. tiresome, but I don't get stressed about it.

Each to their own I guess :smile:

Reply 16

ChemistBoy

16

The length of time you are given to do a piece of work is set for a reason - that is how much time you should spend on it. Tutors will know you have had x number of days/weeks to write an essay so they will mark accordingly.

Reply 17

dancingqueen

11

ChemistBoy

The length of time you are given to do a piece of work is set for a reason - that is how much time you should spend on it. Tutors will know you have had x number of days/weeks to write an essay so they will mark accordingly.

The problem I'm having with that at the moment is that 3 different tutors are giving us work, and when we don't finish the gigantic problem sets, they say stuff like, well, you did have 5 days. I'm thinking, yes, I did have 5 days; I had 5 days to do 3 times the amount of work you set, grrrrr...

Reply 18

ChemistBoy

16

dancingqueen

The problem I'm having with that at the moment is that 3 different tutors are giving us work, and when we don't finish the gigantic problem sets, they say stuff like, well, you did have 5 days. I'm thinking, yes, I did have 5 days; I had 5 days to do 3 times the amount of work you set, grrrrr...

Proplus, the answer to your problems.

Reply 19

Zymoen

This is how you achieve the best possible mark. Work on your essay as soon as you get it, doing all of the research etc and write it up. Reread it the following day and then delete it. Leave it until the last possible moment and then write up your final draft. Best of both worlds.

People work in different ways, it's horses for courses, however leaving it all to the last minute is a bit risky in my opinion.

"If you have so much free time you should do more work". Discuss.

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