*by Don Marquis
They say procrastinating is the way of life for a graduate student (or something like that). There is some truth to that - largely because a graduate student's job never ends, well, not until tenure at least or for some lucky ones, with the walk down the aisle wearing that ill-fitting ugly-but-expensive gown and crazy looking hat. It is an occupational hazard - one can close a file or a PC and forget about work for the much needed 8-12 hours, but how does one shut down the brain? The brain is unfortunately attached to us, cannot leave it in the office or at home when we go on a vacation. We dream (read as nightmares) about out work, we sing about our work (http://www.scq.ubc.ca/05%20HEFE.mp3), we walk and talk our work. The best ideas are borne in the most unseeming places - bars for some, romancing their better halves for others. For me it is the shower. The point is that procrastination is only yet another manifestation of our work - we just don't have anything constructive to show for it.
The real point however is that I have for long used blogs as a procrastinating tool - mostly as a reader of blogs, never as a blogger. I believe, nay, I am sure of it, that I ought to change that. Add yet another activity to my already long repertoire of procrastinating devices. I have never been a great writer (strange for someone who majored in journalism, and now hopes to make money (yes, I see those lips curling up - laugh as much as you want to, you non-believer!) from writing), and therefore have been wary of posting my musings (random mostly) for all and sundry to read (more on my various phobias later). BUT! this all changes today! Yes, as I get closer to the exams to end all exams - THE comps and my dissertation prospectus, the more I think I need a place to vent (my friends have all but deserted me - more on that later too).
So I have semi-promised myself to write/ blog religiously every day. Hopefully add film reviews or my frustration on why Indian films are so predictable, cliched, annoyingly long, unoriginal and replete with awful acting and ghastly music.
And I promise, "one day I'm going to get help for my procrastination problem. (Anonymous)"
They say procrastinating is the way of life for a graduate student (or something like that). There is some truth to that - largely because a graduate student's job never ends, well, not until tenure at least or for some lucky ones, with the walk down the aisle wearing that ill-fitting ugly-but-expensive gown and crazy looking hat. It is an occupational hazard - one can close a file or a PC and forget about work for the much needed 8-12 hours, but how does one shut down the brain? The brain is unfortunately attached to us, cannot leave it in the office or at home when we go on a vacation. We dream (read as nightmares) about out work, we sing about our work (http://www.scq.ubc.ca/05%20HEFE.mp3), we walk and talk our work. The best ideas are borne in the most unseeming places - bars for some, romancing their better halves for others. For me it is the shower. The point is that procrastination is only yet another manifestation of our work - we just don't have anything constructive to show for it.
The real point however is that I have for long used blogs as a procrastinating tool - mostly as a reader of blogs, never as a blogger. I believe, nay, I am sure of it, that I ought to change that. Add yet another activity to my already long repertoire of procrastinating devices. I have never been a great writer (strange for someone who majored in journalism, and now hopes to make money (yes, I see those lips curling up - laugh as much as you want to, you non-believer!) from writing), and therefore have been wary of posting my musings (random mostly) for all and sundry to read (more on my various phobias later). BUT! this all changes today! Yes, as I get closer to the exams to end all exams - THE comps and my dissertation prospectus, the more I think I need a place to vent (my friends have all but deserted me - more on that later too).
So I have semi-promised myself to write/ blog religiously every day. Hopefully add film reviews or my frustration on why Indian films are so predictable, cliched, annoyingly long, unoriginal and replete with awful acting and ghastly music.
And I promise, "one day I'm going to get help for my procrastination problem. (Anonymous)"
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