Figued I'd Repost This Here Why Not
This was written in response to a student asking for advice: Some tips on how to handle the workload/graduate school:
1) Calculate how much reading you can do in a given period of time, on average--say pages read in one hour. That'll let you know what you can do, so that when you see on the syllabus how much reading you have for a class session, and how many hours you have to get it done, break it up accordingly. Say, for example, if you have 100 pages to read and five days to read it, you can finish it reasonably by reading 20 pages a day.
2) Don't let long-term assignments wait. For example, you know you have two essays to write for our class, the first of which has specific instructions which are already available to you, and the draft of which you know is due on 1/28. Don't wait until 1/27 to start writing. You should already be working on that essay.
Additionally, here are some thoughts, in general, about graduate school and choosing to become a writer:
Most people don't go to graduate school, and part of the reason for that is that graduate school is hard work. You're preparing to earn an MFA in writing and, presumably, this will prepare you to have a professional life that involves some aspect of the writing world. That means that you're going to be busy--for the rest of your life. I think a lot of people don't realize or understand this. A commitment to the writing life involves a number of sacrifices, for lack of a better word. For one, you'll never read things the same way you did before. For example, you will likely begin to see that the joy and wonder with which you once dove into a novel will dissipate because, as a writer, you'll begin reading like a writer: looking carefully at aspects of another writer's craft, seeing the mechanics of a story. It's impossible, once you've learned to read this way, to go back to just "liking a novel." That's right: no more summertime beach reads. This is great, because as a writer you'll always be working whenever you read; unfortunately, you do lose the wonder you once experienced that made you an avid reader in the first place. As your critical acumen develops you'll likely find that you have little patience for elements of contemporary popular culture. Television, for example, is cheap, poorly written and produced and, for the most part, poorly acted. The same goes for most movies. Because you'll likely soon be able to see this you'll stop watching a lot of television and film. The good side of this is that you'll be surprised how much time this frees up. Most Americans watch a minimum of one hour of television per day, and many watch much more than that. Depending on what I'm reading, I can get through about 50 pages of reading in one hour. So, that much work is lost if I spend that time watching television. Lastly, as you develop a thirst for all things writing, it will be so pervasive in your mind that you'll be thinking about it constantly. To this end, this is how you develop your ideas, and, if you're like me, it's how a lot of your writing will get done. I do a ton of writing in my head (seriously, thinking out actual sentences) when I'm walking or jogging, when I'm lying in bed trying to get to sleep at night, or when I wake up in the morning, when I'm taking a shower, while I'm driving, and when I'm sitting at traffic lights or stop signs. In other words, I'm hardly ever not working. Some probably think I'm crazy, and maybe I am, but it's how I'm able to be so productive.
So, to sum up and itemize some suggestions for getting work done:
* No idle time. Be thinking about what you're reading and writing even when not sitting at your desk or with a book in your hands.
* Take advantage of modern technology for your thoughts. I take a lot of notes and do a good portion of writing by using the voice recorder and Notes app on my phone. I do this when I'm driving, or walking somewhere, sometimes even when I'm hanging out with my family and friends and an idea strikes me.
* Get rid of your television, or at least get rid of cable. This might be a tough one, but trust me; you'll get so much more work done if you cut out TV.
* I assume that you have a dayjob. Depending on what it is you do, make use of downtime at work to get schoolwork/writing/reading done. When I was an undergrad I worked at The Men's Wearhouse selling suits. There was a lot of downtime, just sitting around waiting for customers. Often, instead of talking with my coworkers, I read and wrote. Didn't make me all that popular, but I got a lot of work done that way.
* Steal time. This is an unfortunate fact of the writing life: some of the time that you would normally devote to being a better parent/significant other/friend/relative/employee you'll steal away to devote to your reading and writing. Sometimes that's the only way you can get the work done. It kind of sucks, but it's true. Often on weekends when I want to be spending time with my daughter I'm working instead, and that's a sacrifice I choose.
Also, remember: no one's a superhuman. Maybe I'm a bit of a workaholic. But everyone needs to take breaks. My comments about TV and film above don't mean that I don't watch any of it. There are exceptions to the rule that it's all no good. There are some great shows and movies out there. Critically, you'll see which ones will benefit your own work, or those that you find interesting, and you'll naturally gravitate towards them. But even when you have this downtime, in a certain sense you're still working, still taking things in to see how they might benefit your own work.
I hope this diatribe helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
And I love her response, which was:
Thanks for sharing the tips. I never thought about calculating reading time. That will surely help. I just started looking at assignment deadlines to better plan. (I have already been making notes in anticipation for the essay!)
I am really excited and am learning that there will be countless sacrifices to make. I keep a pen and pad handy for all the "head notes" I think of, but the recorder will be great since I'm in the car a lot. I truly don't want my time at *UNIVERSITY NAME INSERTED HERE* to be in vain. I appreciate your willingness to challenge me to think critically and to learn to write well!
P.S. At least I've gotten the TV-watching ban down pat; I haven't even had mine plugged up for over a year and got rid of cable years ago!
Love me some students like this one.
1) Calculate how much reading you can do in a given period of time, on average--say pages read in one hour. That'll let you know what you can do, so that when you see on the syllabus how much reading you have for a class session, and how many hours you have to get it done, break it up accordingly. Say, for example, if you have 100 pages to read and five days to read it, you can finish it reasonably by reading 20 pages a day.
2) Don't let long-term assignments wait. For example, you know you have two essays to write for our class, the first of which has specific instructions which are already available to you, and the draft of which you know is due on 1/28. Don't wait until 1/27 to start writing. You should already be working on that essay.
Additionally, here are some thoughts, in general, about graduate school and choosing to become a writer:
Most people don't go to graduate school, and part of the reason for that is that graduate school is hard work. You're preparing to earn an MFA in writing and, presumably, this will prepare you to have a professional life that involves some aspect of the writing world. That means that you're going to be busy--for the rest of your life. I think a lot of people don't realize or understand this. A commitment to the writing life involves a number of sacrifices, for lack of a better word. For one, you'll never read things the same way you did before. For example, you will likely begin to see that the joy and wonder with which you once dove into a novel will dissipate because, as a writer, you'll begin reading like a writer: looking carefully at aspects of another writer's craft, seeing the mechanics of a story. It's impossible, once you've learned to read this way, to go back to just "liking a novel." That's right: no more summertime beach reads. This is great, because as a writer you'll always be working whenever you read; unfortunately, you do lose the wonder you once experienced that made you an avid reader in the first place. As your critical acumen develops you'll likely find that you have little patience for elements of contemporary popular culture. Television, for example, is cheap, poorly written and produced and, for the most part, poorly acted. The same goes for most movies. Because you'll likely soon be able to see this you'll stop watching a lot of television and film. The good side of this is that you'll be surprised how much time this frees up. Most Americans watch a minimum of one hour of television per day, and many watch much more than that. Depending on what I'm reading, I can get through about 50 pages of reading in one hour. So, that much work is lost if I spend that time watching television. Lastly, as you develop a thirst for all things writing, it will be so pervasive in your mind that you'll be thinking about it constantly. To this end, this is how you develop your ideas, and, if you're like me, it's how a lot of your writing will get done. I do a ton of writing in my head (seriously, thinking out actual sentences) when I'm walking or jogging, when I'm lying in bed trying to get to sleep at night, or when I wake up in the morning, when I'm taking a shower, while I'm driving, and when I'm sitting at traffic lights or stop signs. In other words, I'm hardly ever not working. Some probably think I'm crazy, and maybe I am, but it's how I'm able to be so productive.
So, to sum up and itemize some suggestions for getting work done:
* No idle time. Be thinking about what you're reading and writing even when not sitting at your desk or with a book in your hands.
* Take advantage of modern technology for your thoughts. I take a lot of notes and do a good portion of writing by using the voice recorder and Notes app on my phone. I do this when I'm driving, or walking somewhere, sometimes even when I'm hanging out with my family and friends and an idea strikes me.
* Get rid of your television, or at least get rid of cable. This might be a tough one, but trust me; you'll get so much more work done if you cut out TV.
* I assume that you have a dayjob. Depending on what it is you do, make use of downtime at work to get schoolwork/writing/reading done. When I was an undergrad I worked at The Men's Wearhouse selling suits. There was a lot of downtime, just sitting around waiting for customers. Often, instead of talking with my coworkers, I read and wrote. Didn't make me all that popular, but I got a lot of work done that way.
* Steal time. This is an unfortunate fact of the writing life: some of the time that you would normally devote to being a better parent/significant other/friend/relative/employee you'll steal away to devote to your reading and writing. Sometimes that's the only way you can get the work done. It kind of sucks, but it's true. Often on weekends when I want to be spending time with my daughter I'm working instead, and that's a sacrifice I choose.
Also, remember: no one's a superhuman. Maybe I'm a bit of a workaholic. But everyone needs to take breaks. My comments about TV and film above don't mean that I don't watch any of it. There are exceptions to the rule that it's all no good. There are some great shows and movies out there. Critically, you'll see which ones will benefit your own work, or those that you find interesting, and you'll naturally gravitate towards them. But even when you have this downtime, in a certain sense you're still working, still taking things in to see how they might benefit your own work.
I hope this diatribe helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
And I love her response, which was:
Thanks for sharing the tips. I never thought about calculating reading time. That will surely help. I just started looking at assignment deadlines to better plan. (I have already been making notes in anticipation for the essay!)
I am really excited and am learning that there will be countless sacrifices to make. I keep a pen and pad handy for all the "head notes" I think of, but the recorder will be great since I'm in the car a lot. I truly don't want my time at *UNIVERSITY NAME INSERTED HERE* to be in vain. I appreciate your willingness to challenge me to think critically and to learn to write well!
P.S. At least I've gotten the TV-watching ban down pat; I haven't even had mine plugged up for over a year and got rid of cable years ago!
Love me some students like this one.
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