Grad School & Motivation

Hello all! Whether you're in front of one of the city halls staging an #occupycithall protest, at work trying not to fall asleep, or in a library finishing an assignment- I appreciate the time you took out to escape to our page.

Source: http://pfiesterpfit.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/fitness-the-need-for-more-than-motivation/

First I'm going to let it be known that I might be M.I.A. from the blog more often than not. I love this blog like I would my child-that I don't have. However, I'm a graduate student (Clap for em) and have a job (payday baby!) and find myself more and more strapped for time. I remember those days (only a few months ago) where I wished I was back in school taking classes. Now those days are long gone and in only my third week of classes, I'm ready for a break.Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), I won't have a break until Thanksgiving. So my posts will be few and far between. I hope my fellow ladies can keep trucking without me. We're all professional ladies, so please bear with us when our postings become sporadic.

I find the work extremely interesting and even find myself reading state budgets with pleasure. I really didn't know when I stepped into the world of social science and policy that I would be hooked, but so far so good. I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy my degree (M.S. in Professional Studies with a Concentration of Education Policy) but have found the various assignments to be extremely informative and have found myself becoming a much more engaged citizen with regards to education. As an education student with minimal experience tutoring or teaching, I live vicariously through Le Chele. I readily admit that I will probably end up being one of those policy makers with limited experience in education, but with a whole lot of heart regarding making the suffering education system work. I want to help create standards of equality in education, because the students always being left behind are the poor, minority, esl, and disabled. It has been this way since the start of education in America and it remains a struggling system of inequality.

Source: http://lifesabusiness.wordpress.com/introduction/ok-im-needing-motivation/

 

That being said. During my second week of classes I hit a road block of sorts. I found every possible way to procrastinate and made every possible excuse to hold off doing my assigned readings and writings. And then on Sunday at 3pm I found myself with 2 discussion posts due that day, with no research done and no idea what I was going to write about. I was reminded of college, where I would party or laze around until Sunday then find myself doing an allnighter. Luckily I was able to push it out and finished everything by 11pm. I don't know if it was as good as it could have been if I hadn't rushed, but I stick by my belief that I work better under pressure. Then again, that might just be another excuse.

As the end of my third week approaches I find myself in a better place: with one assignment already under my belt, some of my books needed for research already on my desk, and a mindset ready to work. I'm definitely under some pressure with all the assignment still due: another discussion, 1 quiz, and 2 papers. But I think I can handle it, if I don't fall back into my lazy ways. I just need to stay motivated. And when I lack that motivation, I just need to do what I need to do to get it back.

But my question for you all is: What things do you do to remain motivated? What gets you out of that lazy funk and back to business? Any suggestions for a habitually lazy student?

Let the Fun Continue

We've come a long way since the beginning of this blog. Us 4 ladies started this blog back on May 2, 2011 with the idea of given our thoughts a place to breathe. We wanted to create an enviornment where we could escape for a bit and hopefully allow others to escape with us. So far so good I think.

With 36 followers, 100 posts, and 10966  hits (as of the writing of this post)- we are well on our way to doing something pretty big. And I couldn't be happier. This blog has been a great motivator for me. I've kept up on current events, have continued to build my friendships with my friends, have matured extensively, and have learned a lot about my friends I didn't know before. It has been a blessing and I hope you will continue to enjoy this blog as much as we do.

Look forward to more humor, political rants, throwbacks, self-reflections, ruminations on life and friendship, and just whatever comes to mind. And if there is anything in particular that you want us to speak on or if you have some comments please feel free to email us sisterescape@gmail.com. And if you don't already follow or subscribe, get on the horse! We're fun ladies and you'll enjoy it. 

Baby I Need Some Motivation

 Well, not that kind of motivation.

A few months ago, you all learned about my journey as a writer. Since then, my poetry has been heard at a few open mics and has received a fair amount of positive feedback. With the support of friends and fellow writers, new ideas that were once scarce, began to flourish. My confidence began to grow as I entered this new chapter in my life.

However, it is still a struggle for to produce. The time spent on perusing blogs and watching Law and Order marathons, could instead be used to write Broadway's next big tragicomedy. The only time I write is when I'm on the train and that is usually to avoid the crazy mothaf*ckas surrounding me. I am lacking discipline. I need a Catholic nun to strike me on the knuckles with a ruler when I'm downloading music when I could instead be writing.

Writing is not easy. It can be very lonely and at times, very aggravating. While working on something, I read it back to myself and think "God, this is terrible." Maybe my confidence is needed more during the writing process and not just when I have something finished. There is a lot I want to share with the word, hence this blog and my frequently updated facebook statuses. What a shame it would be for my talent to waste away by just a lack of motivation.

The Newly Discovered Writer

Low self-esteem and laziness have kept me from exploring my talents as a writer. Ideas would come to me but would never end up on paper. I was not a storyteller, I was a writer who never wrote. Perhaps insecurities stemming from my bouts with depression caused my lack of motivation. A few months ago, I decided to reverse my inactivity. It is possible that all the ideas I had were lame, and my style actually sucked. Those worries obsessed me. However, I could not determine my quality as a writer if I did not, well, write.

I do not like to write - I like to have written.

~Gloria Steinem

Years ago, my sister saw a flyer about free youth creative writing workshops in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn. Hosted by the New York Writers Coalition (NYWC), I was a little hesitant about participating because journalism is what I wanted to pursue. I decided to try it out. At the end of the summer the other participants and I read alongside the poets Sonia Sanchez and Amiri Baraka at the Summer Literary Festival. The experience was fantastic. I participated in a few of their readings after the festival but never got into the habit of writing.

That somewhat changed at the beginning of this semester when I fought my way into a creative writing class at the college I attend. Its now summer break but this is my first time having a collection of writings. I still am unsure about my ability but I am proud to now some shit to show for.

Yesterday, my fellow sister lemonswithsalt came out to support me at an open mic hosted by NYWC. In spite of my insecurities, my writings were well received. It is possible some people were being polite but I genuinely believe that my writing has potential. With a new found sense of promise I now possess the urge I was previously lacking. There are a few open mics in the near future I hope to hit up including one tomorrow when sister Zipporah Pearce and honorary sister Miss All Ass* will be there supporting and shit.

I tell my students that the only way to surely improve your reading and writing skills is to read and write more often. You can't give advice you don't follow.


*She selected the alias, not me.