# Avoiding Writing a Paper **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2000, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864 "2000-12-10T06:24:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/1 "2000-12-10T06:24:49Z")
Its amazing what I can do to avoid writing a paper. I sat down in front of the computer to work on my paper for my philosophy class around 8:30pm and it is now 1:30am. I have a grand total of 2.5 pages done for a 4-6 page paper. Not that I’m blaming SDMB because if it wasn’t for this I might be playing minesweeper or solitaire. Anything to avoid writing my paper. Altogether, I’ve spent about 40 minutes writing and over 2 hours reading and posting to threads. ---
**Author:** ![They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/They_Call_Me_Sneeze)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/2 "2000-12-10T06:40:53Z")
wolverine: “Its amazing what I can do to avoid writing a paper.” isn’t it though? i was supposed to sit down tonite and write one of the many papers i have due this coming week. have i written a word? no. but i HAVE cleaned all my dishes, the kitchen floor, organized a bookshelf, taken a very thorough shower, and divided two weeks of laundry into nice, even loads. from the looks of it, my desk is going to be what is cleaned next… good luck with that paper : ) ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/3 "2000-12-10T07:29:53Z")
It is now 2:30AM and I only got another 1/2 page done. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/They_Call_Me_Sneeze)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/4 "2000-12-10T08:33:21Z")
wolverine, i figured out what your problem is. it’s only saturday night. unless your paper is due on sunday morning, you are attempting this thing too early. last minute panic is ALWAYS the best motivation. last minute panic and bone-crushing exhaustion. if your paper is due monday morning, wait until late sunday night (like 4 am) to get started. that way, you HAVE to do your paper before you go to sleep, and the only thing you will WANT to do is go to sleep; ergo, the paper will be done as quickly as possible. if you dont care too much about grades, this is an excellent strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Sang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee7513/32.png) [@Le\_Sang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Sang)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/5 "2000-12-10T08:37:12Z")
I disagree. Having just pulled an all-nighter on Thursday for that very reason, I heartily advise starting your paper early. (Unless, of course, it is only a 5 page paper, in which case put it off :)) By the way: what’s the paper on? ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/6 "2000-12-10T08:48:48Z")
It contains two parts. The first part is to explain Thomas Nagel’s position on absurdity while contrasting it with Camus’. Then either defend it or show where it goes wrong while defending our position from possible critiques. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/7 "2000-12-10T08:51:46Z")
Oh, the paper is due Monday but I have to write a Biochem paper on tomorrow, study for my Biochem Lab exam on Monday, and study for my final exam in Psychology on Tuesday. Plus, I have a philosophy quiz Monday and Quanatative Analysis quiz on Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Jimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@Jimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/8 "2000-12-10T11:40:47Z")
Clearly what you need is a good text generation program. Unfortunatly I only know of one that is a tad random, as the following, which took maybe 3 minutes to create, shows– > [@](#): > > Maybe we want to write the competition. “No thanks, Dr. Ted.” Is shell, which is to see cracks where they begin perform songs and screamed up Marjabelle for putting on a ring divorced, a development to Illinois and sincere lack of dawn and relaxed and occasions involved with shoppers are the house and complain to the troubling of the IRS’ chain a little bit here’s also tell me, at the vials, which are constitutions. It looks great new dress rehearses a new kind of energy for rage in some active the sand. > > But instead, Tony says, “Ladies’ room. There are mean-spirited.” > > Which way? No I shall not sound, because a crazed squirrels, while most important topics, accordinary ingredients are totally no overt talk from local TV news. I am a very famous etiquette experiencing team in Estonia. The crowd goes nuts as Pat strides of some good tick snorkels. > > We would be brushing back upward of 140 million squirrels might answer the announce, 96-ounce or six hard-hitting bad should be prepared to relax. Anecdote the stock, which looks performed manners showing on city streets, then taking to O.J. Simpson. > > No, seriously, it should be in one day that many stop us, saying: “magic way has the stupid hen.” But an everything in and becomes out and says “wherein superior.” > > I’m just saying: “If I could have grasped these congressperson what popular western culture: in an eight movie.” > > You don’t meet these poll result of follows: Sweet potato soup with lobster is the one that the news media since the nuclear attack: do you eat spiders, has trained it, so that their views on various booths. The best selling him how they look like chemistry. And it is entire adult yaks. If you don’t know what squids this far? > > The music without telling stalked with the government came out became a “rash”; and wind up in the arena speaker who will win the way too early; I also helps protection, prostate and a man sitting carried off in the United States. Tony then bringing food dropped beef flying the space shutting as they reporter several minutes. Tony says the telephone a 900 numbers bounce they have an office. Let us hope, if he wants to “purchase proper utensil, modern golf course ones.” > > The future of never heard! Of course I was too professions including psychology. Stephen King, and Tobago, and ended safe falling us that I believe in your own competitor! But it’s time trying the IRS former defender strategies for sale. He given standable to bet on a tribe had a lengthy verbatim excerpt from elimination of the big moment, all major applied the federal reserve to do a projects are these article state, and their business – in shorts with the arena (who, for the placed inside my soul) something this point it’s time for the year 427 BC > > Which way? No I shall not sound, because a crazed squirrels, while most important topics, accordinary ingredients are totally no overt talk from local TV news. I am a very famous etiquette experiencing team in Estonia. The crowd goes nuts as Pat strides of some good tick snorkels. > > We would be brushing back upward of 140 million squirrels might answer the announce, 96-ounce or six hard-hitting bad should prepare to relaxed. Anecdote the stock, which looks performed manners showing on city streets, then taking to O.J. Simpson. > > No, seriously, it should be in one day that many stop us, saying: “magic way has the stupid hen.” But an everything in and becomes out and say “wherein superior.” > > I’m just saying: “if I could have grasped these congressperson what popular western culture: in an eight movie.” > > You don’t meet these poll result of follows: Sweet potato soup with lobster is the one that the news media since the nuclear attack: do you eat spiders, has trained it, so that their views on various booths. The best selling him how they look like chemistry. And it is entire adult yaks. If you don’t know what squids this far? > Take off the second runner-up is . . . Well, going this type of really outstanding deceased fellow passengers. But the Seville beach considerately the united state, we discovered, to his should rise signified many were “chaperonics” and “name of a pesticide cap.” > > It’s you! Cute hair, miss the trip to Epcot Center crowd of seminar. The ideal of postponement of “the grand charm and integrity” and “squatting scene in an F-16.” > > He gives the simply take a lot – big, radiant, glossy-lipped, and perhaps “partied with a young steward” > > Gobble that the fudge on it, on that if the highly of Neil Diamond. I don’t know. I let my hair go a little older is require looks great etiquette lesson from other special investigation center crowd of seminar. The audience, a volcanic eruption and more than a billion squirrels–which is a key element. > > A man walks up to becoming Stones songs, and may not be trusted to contour annual survey listening these viewers to phone a 900 number the president, it because we have some New York, and I was already knowledge, has never makes the same thing! Start right now. Foreign place. > > I can definitely bet on six hours to go! Now Tony to introducing this game. This sounds logical peels, fat grafting, then . . . Sorry! Go ahead and Tony comes out, a tourists have finalistic goal: “I will lick the Caesar!” > > How beautiful of all, which looking food dropped by golf. > > This wonders these are business. Next Tony wants there mostly middle-aged accounted and elevate uses the TV evangelists with fantastic quantities with no other guy’s nod in agree with her fingernails. The company, which is to start your science. She said she’d gained it, "it’s a great day at Iowa’s success, 1997 might be carefree. So what frequently been replaces the cameraman for channel that. But I would be dramatic true incidental timbers such as “unleash the ultimate goal of breast eight times!” > > A newspapers in the properly sized brassiere, although was that it was – get reader bill from altering system rage. For question, nose jobs and baseballs in the secondary; what matched, places such as “unlimited” to thinking about your top hazing! Players we’ve run out of his hair (never the democratic side). I encountless efforts, so you need to march to becoming a Miss Universe position. Photograph each other to form what attracted to quit basketball playing the sea of Japanese fisherpersonally he stones. In performing songs and give each other thing! So I guess what? They’re in the earth, in a trademark. Venezuela, which for “balloon butt.” > > I should remember: John. > > At the power with hairdos the staff on how to quote French bread pizzas at the Seville beach called “The Tupperware Agricult.” But it’s still Mick Jagger. Why do we can experiment in the evening twinkies by the phrase “Lamar – a man who signed it just because you were too busy.” > > Ready busily worn by women wearing you will not be trusted to be a personally, it’s wrong. After about you, because they’re on the results of my officer is going to chow down out of beer. > > Impossibly at some kind of guy who gives this year’s resolution, breasts will deeply dividualy computer space. This is not appears ago, they’re internal revenge for the hypothetical loser who will have picked up by alien resurrect: I have lots of serious, middle-aged accouter a man sitting on behalf of the horses, no placement on a Friday afternoon at the handful, there was not appears to have treatment. It used to be the golfers, doctors who will have peak energetic welcome – Elizabeth Dole. > > Every time I tune in, it turns out the weight-horse locker space, will impress, and two female, of which at least eight live in Miami. When she wanted origination in Colombia, wherein you have to be point: if you’re lying to their faces, unless of course, companies “vote for cosmetic supports the creativity,” which including knowledge, has never listen as she was telling-chunks, as with a sense of dread that God ticks. ---
**Author:** ![Jimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@Jimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/9 "2000-12-10T11:51:42Z")
How come, no matter how long you spend proof reading a paper (and I spent a good two minutes on my last post) there are always a couple of glaring errors you see \*\*immediatly \*\*after it is too late. ---
**Author:** ![Anake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@Anake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anake)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/10 "2000-12-10T16:31:53Z")
I love those teachers (my Philosophy teacher is one of them) who says, “Now I know there will be some of you who wait until the last minute. Working on your paper at four in the morning then turning it in and it’ll be horrible.” My teacher doesn’t know me, then. I waited until the very last minute (the last minute for me is usally the night before after having, like, three weeks to work on it, or thirty minutes until I leave for school. Now, if I choose to hand-write it, I usually procrastinate until the class before the class where my paper is due) and turned it in and got a 96%, the highest in the class, I believe. For some reason, I always feel delicious smugness when I do this. I hand it in and the teacher gloats, having no idea that I just completed it, about fifteen minutes before handing it in. From, Anake ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/11 "2000-12-10T16:43:59Z")
I would like to state for the record that **Nen** knows nothing about not writing papers. Really. ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/12 "2000-12-10T17:06:03Z")
I skipped one of my best friend’s birthdays on Friday, had someone tell my manager I would quit if they didn’t let me go home yesterday, and am skipping my work christmas party tonight, for my Art History essay. And so far I have all of… hmm… zero pages. I am amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/13 "2000-12-11T03:51:27Z")
Just thought I’d let people know I finished the paper. 10:30pm on Sunday. And no I have not been writing my paper the entire time. :rolleyes: I stopped at about 4am and started it back up about an hour ago. Taking a quick break before I write my Biochem one. I’ll let you know when I get that one done. ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/14 "2000-12-11T18:27:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rasa \* > I would like to state for the record that **Nen** knows nothing about not writing papers. Really. No, of course not. Leaving work early, say 4:30 PM just to get started is evidence of my motivation. The fact that I surfed the boards and got stuck in chat until 3:00 AM without typing a single word is mere coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/15 "2000-12-11T18:44:53Z")
[whine]“Hi, my name is Nen, and I have no willpower whatsoever…”[/whine] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/16 "2000-12-11T19:03:53Z")
Hey! Willpower is one thing. Knowing the difference between pleasure and pain is another. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/17 "2000-12-11T19:12:22Z")
Well, I finished my Biochem paper a half hour ago. And for those not in the know… ::Chucks snowballs while trying to evade Tygr:: SMACK! Nen SMACK! Rasa ::Snowball fights are fun:: ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/18 "2000-12-11T19:19:22Z")
Um… yeah. What he said… ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/19 "2000-12-11T19:21:57Z")
D’oh! The “uh what he said” was directed at Nen. And willpower’s overrated anyway. Way overrated. ::grabs a handful of the sleety, slushy, grey, icy muck outside and tosses it Wolverine’s way:: DUCK! That goes for both of you. ---
**Author:** ![Grendel69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7bcc69/32.png) [@Grendel69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grendel69)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864/20 "2000-12-11T19:30:09Z")
A Biochem paper??? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-writing-a-paper/44864.md?page=2)