[Bark]

I have two due this week, and I haven't started writing. For one, I haven't even read the articles, and I'm not even sure what I'm doing for that one is right. I spend my time just collecting articles and putting off the inevitable writing.

These are research papers on which a significant portion of my grade is based. I feel screwed. Again. I doubt I can get extensions on extensions (especially after that whole situation with that one professor).

It's ridiculous, honestly, and I really have no idea what to do, except stare at the screen and try to wade through the articles. Tomorrow's the actual deadline for one of them, and it would be ridiculous to ask if what I'm doing is right at this point (I have until Friday).

Maybe I should sleep now, continue tomorrow. The anxiety isn't helping. I'm not smart, I don't actually know anything, it's a miracle I got accepted here, I'm fooling everyone into thinking I actually know something.... I know, since I'm not depressed right now, that that isn't the case, considering that without those papers, I'd be getting 80s minimum in those courses (even though I feel like I'm not retaining anything from the lectures).

Ack!

[Travelinglady]

Hey, Bark! The word "essay" means "an attempt" and I can relate to that.

The key is to come up with a topic statement and then write info to support it. Sigh, I know. For example, "Essays suck for three reasons: 1) I never know what to write about; 2) They count too much toward my grade; and 3) I panic when I even hear the word 'essay.'"

Then write about each number--such as: "Yes, I never know what to write about. The possibilities for topics are almost endless. Making a decision is very difficult. Should I write about something I already know something about? Should I pick a totally new topic, so I can learn more?
What is the professor looking for? Such decisions make essay writing very tough and frustrating. (etc.)

Second, essays often count a great deal toward my final grade, and I feel overwhelmed, knowing that if I mess up, then I'm sunk. (etc.)

Finally, because of my past bad experiences with essays, I do start feeling a sense of panic when I even hear the word "essay." I'm ready to get right up on the first day of class when I find out I have to write (cringe) essays for the course. (etc.)

In conclusion, essays suck because picking a topic to begin with is hard, and I never even know where to begin. Also, essays suck because they often count so much toward my final grade, and finally, essays suck because former experiences with them make me even cringe when I hear the word "essay."

Hope that got a bit of a smile out of you......

I was an English major, and I even hated essays!

If the school didn't think you had a high chance of being successful, then it would not have accepted you! Okay?

i can kind of relate to this as well.

when i had to write my first essay, it was okay.. because they gave me a topic to write about- and just said. go on, argue your case- for and against such and such

but then i had to do 1 on my own... of a topic of my choosing- and i chose alton towers theme park (perhaps not the best choice, but anyway)

i spent weeks and weeks collecting stuff about the park.... figures, stuff about the rides, stuff about the history.. but my problem is i know what i want to say, but not how to say it.

so i knew i wanted to say like... this is alton towers theme park, it opened in such and such a year, and on it's first day it atracted so many visitors and have the following atractions.. but well my anxiety got in the way of it all and i ended up just copying and pasting all the artickles i found for it.

[Tiger_Lily]

i create an outline, without quotes, though i keep them somewhere. then i type out the outline with all the connector words like and, it, first, etc. Then I edit and add quotes and have someone proof read it. It's not a perfect method, but it's the only way to get past my censor.

[Bark]

I have until the 4th for one of my papers, thankfully, and I'm meeting with my counsellor tomorrow to see what I've done so far and to see if I should go for an extension on Friday's paper. Basically, I didn't even touch the paper today, which isn't good. And I'm starting to feel depressed and unmotivated and all that good stuff.

Yesterday (was it?), I sat down and wrote a very general outline without paragraph topics. However, I wrote what to do for each paragraph of the essay, to help organize my thoughts. I also wrote down an outline of the textbook chapter the essay is based on (which I've never read), to help me get an idea of how to attack the topic and how to link in sources.

But like shattered sanity, I have that problem of knowing what I want to say, being able to describe it out loud, but being unable to write it all down (at least for some of my papers). Maybe I should try saying my essay out loud and see how much I actually know about the topic.

The worst part for me, the one that keeps screwing me over, is when my mind completely blanks out. Like, completely. I have no idea what I want to say or to write or how to write, and my fingers seem incapable of hitting the keys on the keyboard. I wonder if scribbling things on paper, without the benefit of a delete button, will help.

Oh, and I did ask about what to write for that essay the day of the original deadline. I'm surprised how well he took it and just explained it to me (he doesn't always seem like the most approachable person). So it's much clearer to me, but still troublesome.

Thanks, folks. I appreciate the replies.

Originally Posted by Tiger_Lily

i create an outline, without quotes, though i keep them somewhere. then i type out the outline with all the connector words like and, it, first, etc. Then I edit and add quotes and have someone proof read it. It's not a perfect method, but it's the only way to get past my censor.

i think an outline's a great idea.

wish i thought of that myself when i was at school.... oh well

[yellowted]

i always have put off the writing till the very last minute, tie myself up in knots with worry over my ability and understanding needed for the task, but once i resign myself to the fact it has to be done NOW whether it is right or wrong, i find the words start flowing and it is usually pretty ok. though i still doubt it till i get the mark back.

even though i am a lot older now i still have 'essay style' papers to write for a training thing i am doing and yep the whole thing is just the same, my rational side knows i can easily do the assignment, but the other side still is paniking !

I believe it is a good thing to be cautious/ a little scared that way you will do your best, great you can talk about what you have done already before continuing down a path that could be wrong, you are doing everything you can to do this right and that is the main thing.

IMHO school grades are only important to get a college place, college grades are only important to get a university place, ok uni grades are good to get the better paid jobs, but other than that your experience, enthusiasm and morals will get you a lot further than grades as most jobs come with training for new employees. I was a mid to low level student through school, not brilliant at college, but gained a diploma, but after that i worked hard, did not flit between jobs, was a nanny for years before making links with a nursery school, helped out there, saved my money and eventually bought the nursery,became the head teacher and was respected by the heads of feeder schools for my punctuality of transfer papers, and the standard of teaching i gave the children . Even OFSTED the UK governing body for schools were impressed with my nursery giving me their highest accreditation for my second inspection, something most settings do not achieve for many years if ever!

[Bark]

Grades are pretty important for me, though, since I'm planning to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology. And these are psychology courses, not electives. In the spring I didn't write a paper for a class, and handed in something sloppy for another. In the summer, I handed in something unfinished as well. And these are all psychology courses.

I have a feeling I won't get my paper done by tomorrow.

[RomanSunburn]

Perhaps you can take an incomplete and then next semester take a lighter load of classes? For me, personally, I find I have to try my absolute hardest at everything I do, 110% or nothing. And, if I have too many things on my plate, I go the route of doing nothing... Because, you know, I can always say I could have done better if I tried... Better than trying and not doing good enough, yeah? Well, that's how my head works. Anyways, last semester, I ended up just leaving in the middle. I had hit my limit. But then, I slowly got back on track. Two of my professors gave me incompletes, one I passes, and one I'm getting a late withdrawal for. Next semester, I'm only going to be taking one, possibly two classes. That way, I can focus all my energy on doing well in just one. Maybe you can do something similar? If you're worried about financial aid, you can check with you mental health services on campus.. they might be able to get you an accommodation where taking half load still counts financially as a full load of course work.

Try not to be discouraged, even though it's hard.

In the future, you could also check to see if your school has a writing center. They'll be able to help you get started on your paper, plus if your professors know your going to the writing center, they'll know you're doing everything in your power to get your work done. Generally, professors are much more kind when they know you're actually trying and not just slacking off. Which, from the sounds of it, is not what you're doing.

Good luck!

[Bark]

I'm planning to take four courses next semester, of which two or three have papers (you can't avoid them in psychology, sadly). I don't want to take less, but then again, I'll have to see how I'm doing. This semester, I withdrew from one course because I was getting low grades because I hadn't read the readings we were tested on (but I wasn't failing, somehow). One of my professors mentioned incompletes, but I'm hoping I don't have to go down that road.

Regarding this paper, I didn't do it, and my counsellor said he would e-mail the professor about it. We'll see what comes of that. I tried to see him myself, but he wasn't in his office. Part of me would be happy with the finality of getting a zero on that paper, but the more rational half of me really wants to just get it done and show I have a brain inside my skull.

I remember going to the Writing Centre a year ago. She saw my half-finished paper and pointed out it was half-finished (no duh), said my persuasive paper was informative (she kept repeating that), and at the end said, "You're not a good writer." Gee, thanks, reinforce how I feel. And to think she would have been my professor if I didn't change at the last minute (she didn't recognize me). Anyway, on that paper, I got 38/40, two marks off for being uploaded maybe two minutes late. So clearly it was decent.

But I've heard they've improved, so I might check it out. I get terribly anxious when people look over my work, though.

My professors have received notes from my counsellor, so they know that I do have problems. Then again, I do wonder how much they think I'm trying.

Thanks.

[Oxidopamine]

One of my majors was in psychology, specifically toward the biological and neuroscientific side. I had to write many papers and there wasn't even one where I sat down and wrote it all out. I progress in bits and pieces, writing a nice opening statement in the introduction, a bit of content but not complete. Then I move onto the body and do the same. I review it, add, remove and re-write countless times.

My strategy for the introduction is to find the history and briefly discuss how the topic got from where it was to where it is. Professors love this as it allows you to include content from your course and gradually ease into the rest of the paper.

For the body, the main strategy is to make sure each paragraph is in tune with your arguments and introduction. I often ramble or get caught up in minute details, so I have to keep checking each time. When professors assess your writing skills, a large portion comes down to whether you use appropriate lexicon and whether each paragraph can transition from one to another.

When my paper is "finished", I give it to my parents or friends (as long as they study something else) to gauge whether a layperson can understand it. I then exchange papers with friends who do study the topic and see if it is not too simplified.

For your results section or whenever you include data, be sure to explain how the study got the values. The statistics can sometimes be convoluted (even as a person who took a minor in statistics) but you want to look for whether the actual data matches up with what the authors write. This is where you get lots of marks as it shows you understand the content and dug into it. It can also be the hardest part.

[Bark]

The papers this semester are actually pretty easy: one is an argument supported by the literature, the other a literature review. I know they're easy, but that doesn't seem to help. I'm going through articles for the paper due on the 4th; I don't know if my other professor will even let me submit the paper.

I'll be taking statistics next semester. I'm looking forward to it, not because of the numbers (I don't like numbers), but because I'll actually be able to understand the results section of studies better.

I think the biggest hurdle for me is writing anything. If I can at least write gibberish, then build on that, and submit something, I think I'll be okay.

I can't wait to be done with this semester.