Deadlines and demands

Arisbeth L. Rodriguez | THE RIDER

While I love the extra time that working and studying from home has provided me, I am very tired. 

I do not like to vent or do anything that would be considered a complaint, but in unusual times like these, I feel it is OK to do so.

I have always worked well under pressure. Essay writing or presentations for classes are very stressful for me but often result in some of my best work.

Since the start of quarantine and COVID-19, I have lacked the motivation to try and work or do much of anything. I persist only because, regardless, these are my commitments and I will enforce the idea into myself that I must do them, and I have always really enjoyed working and learning.

 But I often forget what day or time it is and only remember when it is time to do something when it is due or begins. 

Even for this column, I had not realized what day or time it was and rushed a bit to finish it while still trying to make sure it was legible, neat and understandable.

Time passes me by and I am barely able to catch up sometimes, meaning I will be late for a meeting, for a class or for work, or I will skip an assignment unintentionally and try to complete it as close to deadline as I can, even if it means submitting it a day late or so. 

I multitask and sometimes that is not enough, but I understand and accept my limits as a person and the fact that I must prioritize some work over others, sometimes. Regardless of how much work I have, I try to do it all, but if I know for a fact that one assignment will take up too much time, then I will try to submit it late as a last result.

When I can keep track of dates and times where I need to do specific things, I usually end up having more to do than I realize. New essays and assignments pile up every week, and I do them as quickly and as accurately as I can while still trying to work as much as possible at the same time. 

And I am not lazy or undisciplined. I work as hard as I can regardless of any situation I am in. I try to finish all my assignments and work whenever I am scheduled. I just have a hard time keeping up with time and remembering my assignments. 

Many students face the same situation these days. Classes are providing infinite assignments because now students supposedly have more free time but that is not really the case for many of us. Students try to complete everything in a hurry, sometimes rushing their work and making everything worse.

Students, like myself, are instead bombarded and stressed by excessive classwork that would otherwise be lessened by face-to-face classes. 

So if you are like myself, rushing to do work and complete, basically, all of your assignments on time, it is OK if you cannot do it every time.