pressure cooker.

The day after I moved into the dorms my freshman year, I was required to attend a seminar about "everything you need to know to prepare for college."

Well, if you are or ever were a college student, you know that "everything you need to know about college" will never simply fit into a two hour presentation. Or any presentation for that matter.

This is me merely hours after moving into my dorm. (Long sigh)

However I did learn one very important thing about myself that holds true at this very minute.

I am not a procrastinator. I am a "pressure cooker."

In one section of this seminar, the presenter spoke about study habits, and how all people work differently.

He talked about how some people prefer to start large assignments early, or complete things far before a deadline arrives. These people are known as "planners."

On the other side of things, he talked about those that wait until the absolute last minute to complete things. He divided this group into two subsets: the "procrastinators" and the "pressure cookers."

He defined procrastinators as people that wait until the last minute to prepare any assignment, large or small, but turn in poorly executed homework, papers, or the like. Procrastinators are sloppy, apathetic, and a little flighty.

Contre-là, he defined pressure cookers as students that wait until the eleventh hour to complete something. But unlike procrastinators, the people turn in quality work that receives good grades. Pressure cookers work well, if not better when a deadline looms near. He even went as far as to say that pressure cookers "thrive on the drama."

Just when I thought I was going to die of boredom, I heard these word come out of that man's mouth, and my entire perspective of studying changed. I always thought of myself as a procrastinator, and felt like my habits of waiting needed to be changed. However, this "pressure cooker" concept shed positive light on waiting til the last minute.

*(Note, the pressure cooker study system is not for everyone. It requires long nights and little sleep. Or, if you've gone your life thinking you were a procrastinator and in reality you aren't, now you know where you fit.)

And now that I'm actually caught in the thick of college work, it's evident now more than ever.

See, I've been at home, in the library, and all around Norman today trying to focus of a paper I wish to get done. The paper isn't due until Thursday, but getting it done would free up a lot of needed study time for the two tests I have this week.

But can I write it? Of course not.

I've tried everything. Outlines, Red Bull (which usually works miracles), taking breaks, coming to the library (which is always foolproof), but nothing is working! I have revised my thesis statement several times, and just can't get it right. It's just not working...

I know why.. That little voice is reminding me that i have plenty of time to get this thing done... Later..... Wednesday night at midnight...... that would be a GREAT time to start....

Stupid pressure cooker. Whatever... Lit Paper, we'll meet again Wednesday.