2.12: Hurdles

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Procrastination\(^{52}\)

Is procrastination always bad? Or is it a necessary part of your writing process?

What is it? What does it look like for you? For some people, having a writing assignment suddenly stirs a desire to clean, go for a walk, catch up on chores—do anything other than write. That’s procrastination. Vacuuming CAN be the same as taking time to think about your topic or assignment unless you never get to the actual writing.

HOW TO USE PROCRASTINATION

If you know that you have a tendency to procrastinate, you can analyze your habits to find a way to get back to productive work. If you just have difficulty getting the words onto the page, you might try some techniques that don’t feel like writing but produce results. Try some of these:

Bribe friends to listen and/or scribe. If you have more trouble with getting the words on the page, but like to talk over your ideas, invite a friend out for coffee or lunch in exchange for helping you out by writing down what you say about your assignment.
Use dictation software. Dictation software allows you to speak your ideas while the software captures your words onto the page. You may have dictation software already available on your own computer (Google Docs and Microsoft Word call it Voice to Text); it may be provided by your school; or you may find a free mobile application.
Use downtime to freewrite. If your problem is that you don’t have enough big chunks of time, use the time you do have for some freewriting. That means keeping a notebook or electronic device (or a Notes app) handy so that you can fit in a quick bit of writing while you are riding the bus, stuck waiting at an appointment, or in between classes.
Set a limit to procrastination. Limiting procrastination may be necessary if you find that you just waste time, or you may need to ask someone else for help. If you find yourself procrastinating with social media or some other distraction, set a time limit on that activity and use an alarm.
Set aside writing time. If you find time to do everything but work on your assignment, then you may need to set appointments with yourself to ensure that you have enough time set aside to write your paper.
Get an accountability partner. Some people find that they accomplish more by working with another person or a group that they feel accountable to. Having a regular meeting or a scheduled check-in where you have to show your work can ensure that you get it done.

Asking for and Getting Help\(^{53}\)

If you are having trouble getting started on a project, try reading the samples offered by your instructor – or in this book. They might jump start ideas for your own paper/project.
When researching, head to your local library (if your college doesn’t have one). Ask the librarian to help you, if you feel comfortable enough; they might appreciate a break from their duties to help out, and they are knowledgeable of their space.
If you aren’t a native English speaker, and you want your paper to “sound like it came from a white person,” you might want to consider buying a grammar handbook.
- Honestly, adding in your first language (or dialects) should be cool with most teachers; it adds to your voice and authenticity.
- And, by the way, we’re aware that the English language is a goofy language… just the slang alone is hard to keep up with!

Questions:

How comfortable do you feel asking for help, from teachers or tutors or librarians?
<insert more questions created by students>

\(^{52}\)The Word on College Reading and Writing by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

\(^{53}\) “Writing Better University Essays/Common essay problems.” Wikibooks, The Free Textbook Project. 9 Apr 2015, 08:11 UTC. 11 May 2016, 16:20 <https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php...&oldid=2840084>. Licensed CC-BY-SA.