Motivation

[srichard]

It's that time of year, and I have three seminar papers due in fifteen days (curse you, coursework, when will you be done?). I'm maybe a third of the way done, and am putting off doing any more substantive writing until the end of this week, when classes will be finished

Comments

[kelaina]

Hi! I do actually plan rewards for myself. (I'm an undergrad...I've read the rules and all...I hope it's okay that I'm here.)

What works for me is either a) food, b) a long soak, or c) a particular book or movie I want to read/see.

The last presents a bit of a problem, because I'm tempted to toss aside that fifteen page exegetical and go straight for my lovely new first edition Phantom of the Opera, or whatever it is that just came in.

What you might want to do is test yourself. See how long you can concentrate on editing and writing your papers before your brain starts wandering. Set that as your guideline. If you can edit and proof for fifty minutes before you suddenly get an insane urge to watch House, then make it your goal to work for fifty minutes. Then reward yourself.

I hope this helped...but I've been awake for about thirty hours now (exam time) and I may not make much sense.

[rabswom]

It's perfectly okay that you're here. Just no grade grubbing, ok? ;p

[kelaina]

*grins* I hate grade grubbing. I'm actually interested in sort of..watching you guys, as most of you are either TAs, have Masters, or are professors with PhDs. I'll just have to be careful not to ask stupid questions.

[poldy]

Goodness, I am always asking stupid questions. I always say, there is no such thing as a good question.

[jr0124]

I always feel a little intimidated in this community, too. I'm a grad student, but I'm in a professional program (Social Work) so I don't have exposure to the wonders TAing or dissertaion work or any of that. I plan to go on to the PhD level at some point, even after reading all the posts in here over the last couple years.

But the intimidation happens because I have a pretty bad case of Imposter Syndrome - I know I'm a grad student but I tell myself it's not the same as everyone else because I don't have the same type of requirements.

[kelaina]

How interesting! I feel like a moron, because I didn't know that Social Work had MA/PhD programs.

I'm a Religious Studies student (I'd eventually like to focus on Ancient Christianity/Pre-Nicean Church), so I'm generally all over the AAR, frantically looking up grad schools. I'm still very undecided.

So...if you don't have to write a dissertation...do you go before a board, or the department? I'm curious.

[jr0124]

Social Work does not have MA programs. The master's level degree in Social Work is an MSW. Most people with MSWs take the licensure exams and become LSWs (The TLA varies by state - NY has the LMSW, NJ has the LSW). A couple years later master's level Social Workers can be eligible to sit for another exam to obtain their LCSW. Most insurance companies require an LCSW credential in order to reimburse an individual practitioner for psychotherapy services

[srichard]

A book or movie sounds good. Hmm...maybe I should plan a trip to Half-Price Books as a reward for each paper I finish. But then, bookstores make me feel guilty, and I always buy things and then don't want to read them because I'm a lit major, and...well, that's a complex explanation for another day.

Maybe I should cut myself off from watching cooking shows until I get a decent bit done.

[yuxonomei]

I have never read a book purely for pleasure in eight years, unless getting excited over a new Terry Eagleton book, or a book a colleague has had published counts. I'd rather watch Doctor Who to wind down after a day of beating Literary Theory into students heads.

[egydystonic]

Oooh. Cooking shows. Ina Garten has been the downfall of my work this semester. Damn that Hamptons hussy!

[srichard]

It's Bob Blumer and his sexy toaster mobile that's my downfall.