Saturday, February 14, 2009

The Chronicles of Unfinished Essay

Foreword:


First of all, I would like to thank my lousy time management, who was the biggest contributor for this week's blog to be possible.

I would like to thank Stephen King, whom novel I read before the test, which without it, I would not have spent too much time reading the very gripping novel - "The Shining" - and spent too little time on the actual studying to be done.

I would also like to thank Mr D, my EALD lecturer, who initiated this blog and provided an inspiration for me to write this week's blog, or else I would struggle for 2 hours trying to figure out what to write this week. Thanks for making my life easier.


Finally, I would like to thank my parents who brought me to this world, then love and supported me for the past 18 years.


Prologue


It was Friday.


The sky was a marble of grey and white. Blinding, illuminating white. It was surprisingly quiet when I cycled to school. Maybe its because that it was already ten to nine. Or everybody else decided not to go to work at that specific time. I was trying to keep my eyes open when I was cycling, because I had little sleep the night before or should I say this morning at the wee hours.

On the last Saturday, I downloaded "The Shining" from the internet. And son of a gun, what a gripping novel it is! Though not as gruesome as "Cell", I spent a lot of time reading it off the screen of my laptop. The initial progress was slow, sluggish even. By the time I reached the climax, it was already Wednesday. I have heard from other classes that there is going to be a test on Friday but nothing from Mr D yet, since my lessons are on Thursdays and Fridays. Hence, I decided to spend the first sleepness night trying to finish the novel instead of reading up for my test. I did and was satisfied and contented with the happy ending.

Then it was Thursday. Mr D comfirmed the test on the next morning. But that night, my group members and I were trying to finish the 30-second trailer for our documentary which was due Friday. We underestimated the time because we realised that it was already 12 a.m. when the cutting of footage was finished. The next two hours were devoured by editing and choosing the perfect song and timing. Yet, when it was done, we love, no, adore the end product. By the time my head hit the pillow, I was drowned in my soundless slumber for the next five hours. That was the second night in a row with little sleep. For your information, I sleep as much as a one-year-old. I get cranky when I do not sleep enough or disturbed during my slumber.

The next thing I knew, Friday had replaced Thursday mercilessly. I was very anxious and sleepy when I woke up that morning as I did not really prepare for the Essay Test that was be going to be tested on that faithful day. I just cramped up all the studying on that morning after I was awake. The cool morning air did not cool my soul at all. It just compounded my anxiousness.

Chapter 1: The Sentence

I plodded my way to B606, the slaughter room that day. Surprisingly, I was the second person to arrive. Looking at the emptiness of the corridor and the faint ray of sunlight, I decided to do a bit more studying. Not like it will help much anyway, but at least it calmed myself. Minutes passed, and the overcast dissolved into the morning. The Sun was shining again. The effect it had on my mood was nil. Then Mr D, our beloved EALD lecturer, arrived, carrying our - or at least for me -paper of DOOM into the not-so-blissful classroom. Can you imagine this almost weightless, seemingly gentle sheet of A4 which at most gives you a very serious case of paper cut , carry the heaviest words in this semester. They read as follows:

"Show how the characters in at least one print text and one non print text are used to reinforce or challenge accepted ideas/values and attitudes about a particular culture or group in society.


MAKE REFERENCE TO AT LEAST ONE PRINT TEXT AND ONE NON PRINT TEXT YOU'VE STUDIED."

My reflex moved my hand to grab a pencil when Mr D said: You can start now, it's 9.15 so we end at 10.15. I underlined the keywords and spent WAY too much time on the planning. Well, mainly because I analysed the question a bit too much and had to fork out good examples from my still-quite-sleepy hard disk inside my skull. By the time I was finished with the planning of the body of the essay, I repeat, the body of the essay, it was already 9.30. And I was still missing the head. I spent another full 5 minutes on the head. I did not even DARE to bother with the conclusion as time was ticking away, fast and clandestine.

Chapter 2: The Tension

I started to scribble furiously on the empty page of narrow-line foolscap paper but still the momentum of eloquence got stuck frequently. Therefore, I only have ten minutes left when I reached the third paragraph, which is pathetically, body number two. Before I even know it, Mr D announced: "One minute left! Write down your final sentence for the conclusion class!" Conclusion, my God, the conclusion! I am not even done with the second body, not even close! The first word that came into my mind was the four lettered word starting with an 'F' that most ten-year-olds should recognise and it was not 'FISH'.

I was another three and a half paragraphs away from the conclusion and only 30 seconds left! So I tried my best effort to at least end that paragraph I was working on but to no avail. I handed in my not-even-close-to-half-finished essay to Mr D, very reluctantly. I knew at least 50% of the marks gone right after the paper escaped my grasp. With the tiredness and exhaustion, physically and mentally respectively, I never felt so beat before.

If only I studied more. If only I was more well prepared. If only I did not download that novel. If only I spend less time on the planning. If only I could write faster. If...if...if.... So many 'if's in life that appeared when things go awry. Yet I cannot turn time around so face it young man! Face it like a man and stop whining! You, yourself, screwed this up. Blame yourself and not others. You are the one controlling your own life. So, learn from this lesson and reflect on it. Trifles make perfection. Move on, move on and move on. Lingering on one mistake will only make one look immature and shallow.

Epilogue

It is Saturday.

The night is stuffy and humid. The noisy, rapid beating of the ceiling fan in my room only made matters worse, hence, I decided to slow it down. Here I am, in front of my laptop, reflecting on this matter, typing this post in my room, alone. Phase 1, gloating and blaming, is over. Phase 2, reflection and acceptance, is happening now. Phase 3, improving, will follow. This is how I learn.

Let's you and I use some of the free time before sleeping to reflect on things happened that day. Step into another person's shoe. Learn from mistakes and there you go, a happier, better life.

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