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Elise's LaGuardia audition is coming up.
Dec. 13th, 2006 12:15 am
She's totally unprepared, of course.
Jenn, when she auditioned, literally threw together a dance routine the day of her audition. Of course she got in.
When I took my Stuy test, the only prepwork I did beforehand was flipping through a Regents review book. And yeah, I got in.
My family is like that - we're really good at doing things at the last minute (lots of practice, there!) and if there's something we want to do, we generally go ahead and do it. Not because of perseverence and discipline and all the stuff from movies, but because we're usually good at doing what we like to do. And it's not just Jenn and me - I grew up hearing stories about how my dad "passed current events without doing the work because he knew more than the teacher, who had to ask him for help" and how my mom "nearly failed beginning French (her first language!) because she never filled in a required notebook". I remember being told that I'd be "allowed" to stay up late when I was older, to finish up last-minute, overdue papers. (Jenn got a good grade on that essay, most likely.)
We'd be better off with a little more of that perseverence and discipline - this magic skill doesn't work when there's stuff you really don't want to do, or don't care about. Jenn passed a math class she should have failed, because she spent two days before learning a year's worth of material. But if she hadn't decided, two days prior, that she wanted to pass - yeah, she would have failed. And failed next term too, if she kept up not putting in any work.
I've written countless essays in the space between two classes, and gotten As. But if I don't care about the subject, I can't dredge up the energy to do this. And I've failed classes for just that reason.
But here's the question - how do you go about getting good study and work habits when, deep down, you really believe you don't need them? Because, like I said - generally, if I want to do something, it gets done. That's just how I am. And I have the hardest time convincing myself that I really *want* to get the stuff done that I don't want to do!
(This really pointless post was brought to you by Sinus Infections R Us. They're the gift that keeps on giving! Get one for your family today!!!!)
Jenn, when she auditioned, literally threw together a dance routine the day of her audition. Of course she got in.
When I took my Stuy test, the only prepwork I did beforehand was flipping through a Regents review book. And yeah, I got in.
My family is like that - we're really good at doing things at the last minute (lots of practice, there!) and if there's something we want to do, we generally go ahead and do it. Not because of perseverence and discipline and all the stuff from movies, but because we're usually good at doing what we like to do. And it's not just Jenn and me - I grew up hearing stories about how my dad "passed current events without doing the work because he knew more than the teacher, who had to ask him for help" and how my mom "nearly failed beginning French (her first language!) because she never filled in a required notebook". I remember being told that I'd be "allowed" to stay up late when I was older, to finish up last-minute, overdue papers. (Jenn got a good grade on that essay, most likely.)
We'd be better off with a little more of that perseverence and discipline - this magic skill doesn't work when there's stuff you really don't want to do, or don't care about. Jenn passed a math class she should have failed, because she spent two days before learning a year's worth of material. But if she hadn't decided, two days prior, that she wanted to pass - yeah, she would have failed. And failed next term too, if she kept up not putting in any work.
I've written countless essays in the space between two classes, and gotten As. But if I don't care about the subject, I can't dredge up the energy to do this. And I've failed classes for just that reason.
But here's the question - how do you go about getting good study and work habits when, deep down, you really believe you don't need them? Because, like I said - generally, if I want to do something, it gets done. That's just how I am. And I have the hardest time convincing myself that I really *want* to get the stuff done that I don't want to do!
(This really pointless post was brought to you by Sinus Infections R Us. They're the gift that keeps on giving! Get one for your family today!!!!)
