hey lemme tell ya, a website requires a lot
Hello future major work wishful,
As a veteran of the harrowing extension two english course, i feel a duty to warn potential extension two candidates for 2003 about the perils and struggles involved with the major work!!
ahem. now that i've got the melodrama outta the way, i must honestly say that if u'r like me and the type of student who always expects everything to work out easily without putting in the hard work *consistently*, then be warned: this course will only bring you to the brink of a nervous breakdown as u frantically try to conjure up a major work at the eleventh hour!
that was my experience anyway; there may still be hope for you, so don't freak out - yet.
ok, basically- i mean *essentially*, this course requires 5 things:
- inspiration,
- commitment,
- discipline,
- nurturing and
- sheer hard work!
i began my major work with inspiration, determination, enthusiasm, and no pressure from hsc assesments and a loaded schedule. i had decided to create my own website, and like yourself, i was pretty confident in my web designing capabilities.
however, the content of the site kept changing as my *fickle* mind kept insisting that each succesive idea was 'not good enough'.
i went through various approaches to the content of my website, whether it would be ultimtely informative or creative, what it would host, whether i would vary my pieces(poems+SS+CR+..etc.) or have a series of similar pieces(SS+SS+SS..etc.) and so i kept putting off the actual writing bit until way, way too late. as for the web design, i would occassionally muck around with it, but i couldn't b bothered to attempt a serious site until i knew what i was goin to put on it. so what do u think i did? started to write consistently, even if i knew t was to get my metal juices flowwing, so that i ould eventually develop confidence in my work, and gain a better idea of my ultimate work? yeah i wish.sadly, no that's not what i did. amongst bludging, living the daily hell of teenagehood, rushing from one assessment to the next and feeling miserable and incompetent for a good portion of that time, i pretty much just sat there and hoped my dream major work, my aspirations and inpirations magickly whipped up for me by some doting fairy-godmother, would opportuntely fall into my waiting lap. and would u believe it, that's not how my story went!! what went wrong?! well unformtunately, the only answr for that is: human error. specifically, my bad. by the time i came to half of the understanding and wisdom *cough.splutter* that i am now imparting to you, it was about half a week until my work was due. there was no WAY- at least i did not delude myself at this stage- i could create a major work as well as the accompanying website as declared by a fellow 4u eng person, and so i came to the devastating - well actually, quite relieving conclusion, that i had no choice but to dorp the subject. as i went to my teachers and declared the sad news, i was overwhelmed by their desperate, frantic, "don't drop it!!!"s and threats and all the rest of it (hehe j/k) that i shoudl at leat attempt it becos i had already done much more than a couple pf ppl from the last yera put togethr, yaya...at this pt, i only had 11 units left neway, so i was really abt to throw myself into a pit of uncertainty and insecurity.
i persisted that i could do the written (although i'd only done one story of 6 proposed pieces) but not the website also. THEN my teachers used their secret weapon: "you can change to a short story!" i froze. i blinked. 'how do u breathe again?' i wondered. not expressly for the purpose of breathing, more for releasin in a high-pitched screamm the frustration, shock and disbelief that i could actually have changed so much earlier - as i'd wanted to - but noon had told me! and now i had a couple of sleeps - or 'nosleeps' to get the entire thing done in!! Damn, drat and darn! oh well, i managed to compromise my sleep and relief at not having to worry abt finishin the damn thing to come close to my desired completion of it. i managed to come just below the word limit, and with a frantic few last minute, but month-spanning diary entries, i handed my blood-sweat and tear-stained project in for finality. what was i meant to feel? sadness? nostalgia? heartbreak and wistfulness that this part of *me* was being sent of to be scrutinised and judged and marked? oh please. all i felt was relief, relief and relief. now that i don't have to worry abt it for the rest of my hsc, i am ecstatic. yet in a sense, it is also a case of 'absence makes the hear grow fonder'. oh well.
Right. now that i've scurpulously recounted the majoirty of my panicked and stressful ordeal with the demands of the ext 2 eng. major work, i hope u have picked up *something* useful, and i wish u the best with u'r own future work. just keep in mind that although i may have seemed allthis while to be fondly reminiscing, my approach and attiitudes to this course were btno means appoprate or even acceptable. i really feel i let myself down, as i know i could have been able to do so much more with the opportunity. please don't choose this course as *just*some fun pastime thing. especially if u have only 10,11 or even 12 units. if u want to be satisfied with urself, and not kicking, smacking or telling off(!?) urself by the end of it all, u NEEd to stay dedicated to it. this means being consistent, determined and most of all motivated, becos without that, u can't get much else on your side.ok. i thik i maight stop there before this message becomes my 6000 word major work come back to haunt me. hehe. good luck, have fun, but try your best. don't compromise u'r abilites, and don't let urself down.
bye, luv and best wishes,
Trinitae
