What's your work ethic?

[fenderpete]

After reading a few of the procrastination posts it made me wonder if prospective grad students share any similarities in the way they approach work.

I have always tended to be of the work hard/play hard approach in that when I'm working I work really hard and get my head down, but I'm not afraid to take a break for a lengthy period if I'm feeling burned out. I've never been one of the 9hrs straight in the library before exams - I'd much rather get up at 6am and work solidly through the day with adequate breaks.

Most tellingly of all, I really can't work properly until I've got a high level of the good 'fear' of a deadline approaching. So basically I leave it a bit late, but when I get going it's all hands to the pump.

What about everyone else?

[socialpsych]

I like deadlines. Grad school is going to be all about creating deadlines.

[ec86]

I work best under pressure.

[Yellow#5]

I work consistently, but my focus changes. I tend to read much more broadly and on random things at the begining of the semester. I might spend a whole day on a very short essay or paragraph giving it a very close read. Even if I write up my research, I don't think in terms of the final paper until the deadline is close. Once I focus on getting a paper done, I don't broaden my research or split hairs and close read anymore. Either way, I like to put in a solid 8 hour work day at least, fooling with something, even if I don't ultimately use in a paper what I worked on that day.

[ohheygradschool]

Good to know I'm in the slacker majority here.

[ridgey]

As the lone 'work, what's work?" respondant, I feel the need to clarify. Especially since that answer isn't what one would typically expect of an aspiring PhD student!

In most ways, I'm a chronic procrastinator and wait until the very last minute. I'll be writing my essays overnight before they're due. Similar to my applicaitons now that I think of it. But, that only happens when I have to have a tangible result, like an essay. In terms of studying for exams, or doing readings, I just don't. BUT, a lot of my procrastination/recreational time wasting (not grad cafe, though!) is relevant - I'll have great intentions of reading a particular journal article, but get distracted by a couple of the articles cited there, or other works by the same author, or..., and never actually finish the original article

[hadunc]

Good to know that I seem to be in the majority here! I too am a chronic procrastinator, although if there is an assignment that I absolutely know can't be put off to the last minute I have no trouble managing my time. For me, the procrastination gives my brain enough time to sort through what I really want to say. I think this is why I haven't been able to hold down a job for very long as an undergrad. I see anything that distracts me from brainstorming to be very tedious and frankly unimportant. I guess this is why I feel the only suitable place for me to work is in the academic field.

[miratrix]

I have a great work ethic and an attention span that can't match it, unfortunately - I try to start projects early and rewrite papers heavily before turning them in, but I waste much more time procrastinating than when I'm on a deadline. I realized senior year that I'd probably have a better life in general if I didn't try so hard to start papers early and scheduled in all-nighters close to deadlines instead (regular Wednesdays fall semester, Sundays and Thursdays in the spring). It only sort of worked, because I do really need to rewrite a lot, which you can't do if you start the night before. And I'm really good about doing class readings and researching for papers well in advance, but I also need to work on completing the class readings more...selectively...in order to have more time for research and writing. The goal in grad school is to actually work when I plan to work and spend the rest of my time having a life (instead of spending planned work-time watching TV on the internet).

[dragynally]

I think I'm a true procrastinator but this whole application process may have proved me wrong. Everything I did was early...I'm responsible!!

[Phoenix Rising]

I'm a procrastinator....but I do my best work under pressure. So, it all works out.

[GirlattheHelm]

It depends. I was an absolute idiot after I came back from a semester off -- had to have my ACL reconstructed -- and my boss/advisor was ready to shove dynamite up my bum - and so not in the fun spanky way (assuming there is such a fetish). He spent nearly every day in the office with me threatening me, in a failed attempt to get me to do something other than hang out and sleep on the laboratory sofa. Then I went into panic mode the last three weeks and learned my lesson. It was way better once I had that semester over and I returned my nose to my mostly active grindstone the next semester...

This semester I'm doing as much early as possible, which is amazing. This is namely occurring because graduate school applications make me cringe and I'm hoping if I work hard time will pass quicker. It hasn't been working but my work is getting done quickly. I'll call it a win-win 'cause I also learned I have to attend graduation (though I told my advisor he has to take me because I'm going to be obliterated and don't feel like getting a DWI at 7 am... or ever). I do not want to attend that rite of passage - lameness - because, well, I have no relatives worthy of attending such a festivity and my 'family' I will be leaving after this semester so it's going to be sappy and depressing.

I only hope I can get into freakin' graduate school so I can go somewhere else and do something else. Sigh.

[psycholinguist]

When I get really overworked, I'm more in danger of falling into a pattern of working compulsively and being completely unable to relax than one of being unable to do anything. It's extremely productive and absolutely no fun whatsoever.

[yivorechecho]

Most of the time I like to get things done early. I don't think I've ever written a paper at the last minute; I don't enjoy the pressure or feeling like things are raining down on me and I have more than I can handle. I had my grad school apps done mid-October and was just sitting around waiting for my recommenders to send their letters in.

On the other hand, I'm not a steady worker, either. I usually write papers all at once (often in the middle of the night) and then don't look at them again until I'm printing them out to hand them in. Usually what happens is that I will suddenly start thinking about an assignment and then feel more and more unsettled until I just sit down and do it, no matter when the due date is. This will happen with random stuff as well: I'll be falling asleep at 2am and suddenly think, "I need to wash out my Nalgene." And I'll be unable to fall asleep until I get out of the damned bed and go wash out the bottle. I mean, it could wait for tomorrow. So could the assignment that's not due until next week. But I get agitated and can't settle down until I just get it done.

On the one hand, I have to have multiple tabs open in Firefox at the same time because I can't focus on one thing long enough to read the whole page and I have to skip around. On the other hand, most of my 10+-page papers have been written via sitting down at the computer for 12 hours straight and hammering it out (this tends to cause a splitting headache). I'm a study in contradictions.

[feisty]

erratic

[Emma2003]

I never used to be consistent about my work ethic. But, I have found that the time I have available for me to do the work is limited. So I use whatever available time I have. I do my reading during the commute to and from school and during my lunch hour, my writing in the hours before I got to bed, after the kids have gone to sleep. My painting I do during my class time, which helps. This has forced me into a place where I do small amounts of consistent work over the course of the semester. Without the external structure, I would do everything at the last minute. I just want it so badly, I work against my nature.

[Dinali]

I once bought a book to help beat procrastination but I never got around to reading it!

(the sad part is it's true: http://www.amazon.com/Beat-Procrastination-Make-Grade-Life-Saving/dp/sitb-next/014027801X)

[Emma2003]

[sugaku]

Usually what happens is that I will suddenly start thinking about an assignment and then feel more and more unsettled until I just sit down and do it, no matter when the due date is. This will happen with random stuff as well: I'll be falling asleep at 2am and suddenly think, "I need to wash out my Nalgene." And I'll be unable to fall asleep until I get out of the damned bed and go wash out the bottle. I mean, it could wait for tomorrow. So could the assignment that's not due until next week. But I get agitated and can't settle down until I just get it done.

I do that too. Have you tried keeping a to-do list? Once you get into the habit it's actually very good for piece-of-mind, since you can just get up, write it down, and put it out of your head until the next day.