CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Do You Have a Working Disorder?

Study Hacks: "I had a college friend who made social plans based on whether or not he felt like he should be working. The keyword here is “felt.” You might think that a decision to work depends on whether or not there is a specific task with an impending deadline. But for this friend, as with many students — both undergrad and graduate — such logic is hijacked by emotion.

And this is dangerous territory…"

3 comments:

arosenbu said...

This is my friend, to a T. She always works, and studies for HOURS when she knows the material 110%. SOmetimes, it does make me feel like I should be working more, because she always is. But other times it has the traverse effect, of not wanting to be like her, so not working as much as i should ahead of due dates. WE all need to remember that there is a happy medium.

aquacompass said...

I really enjoyed this article. I can directly relate it to all of us in 33 every night working on our projects. It seems as though in the beginning first couple weeks here, we were all SOO gung-ho and ready to put in all the hours, not socializing at all with others outside of the department, trying to match each other for ours in the studio or how many all nighters we could pull. Slowly, some of us are realizing its not worth it. Sleep, relaxation, forming bonds with other in this school is just as vital to success as putting in the hours on a project. As part of developing a good system of time management, one has to decide what their goal is academically and stick to it, but also define a goal of academic rigor that is responsible and healthy. All too often we get caught up in trying to out do ourselves, or one another, we get addicted to work that we don't remember how to relax, how to enjoy ourselves when what we used to enjoy has now become work...

Sam Thompson said...

I don't personally have this problem, but I had quite a few friends in undergrad who seem to match this profile. They were obsessive about studying, and I think it affected their chances to truly enjoy their college experience. All you undergrads, don't forget that there is more to life than studying. You're here not only to learn, but to grow as people and to experience life. It's important to expose yourself to many different experiences, and when you have a "working disorder," it's very difficult to take advantage of the experiences college present to you. But do your work too.