I did it AGAIN!!!!!!!

[The Hierophant]

AGAIN I TELL YOU!!!!

Man, whenever I tell myself that there will never be another crunchtime, the next crunchtime gets just THAT much more insanely hectic.

I just CAN'T do my work at a steady pace! I HAVE to leave it all until the last minute!

AAARRRRRRGH!

OK, so I'm doing my fourth year of History/Classics study, the 'Honours' year they call it (BA degrees in New Zealand go for three years, you do an extra year of 'honours' if you make the cut and want to have a little '(hons.)' beside your name on your degree), and I have to give a seminar tomorrow on 'The Origins of New Zealand's imperialism to circa 1890'. I have to lead/lecture my classmates for about fifty minutes straight, followed by an hour of discussion after that.

And y'know what? I'm not ready.

I've done my reading, I kinda/sorta know my stuff. But I havn't typed anything out on paper. I'm not worried about public speaking, in fact I kinda like being centre of attention... I'm just a little concerned as to whether I'm actually going to know enough to speak for fifty minutes.

I'm a student dammit! Not a lecturer! I don't have a PhD! I'm not qualified for this shit!

Ok...ok... panic attack over... I gotta get to work. No sleep tonight for me I'm afraid, and it's my own damn fault! Ooooh, maybe if I get tired enough I'll start hallucinating... this could be fun.


Anyone else here a chronic masturba....errr, procrastinator?

[ 03-24-2004, 04:46 AM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ]

[T/-/alali]

I do! I always tell myself the same thing to, I'll never do anything on the last possible day, but I always do! Maybe it's in our genes...

I have two projects in the same class and I haven't even started yet, and their due next Monday.

[The Hierophant]

Originally posted by T/-/alali: I do! I always tell myself the same thing to, I'll never do anything on the last possible day, but I always do! Maybe it's in our genes... I have two projects in the same class and I haven't even started yet, and their due next Monday.

I feel your pain man, good luck! [img]smile.gif[/img]

On a side note, I've just typed up a short question sheet that I'll give out to my classmates as I start my sermon... er, 'lecture'. Hopefully they can consider the questions as I speak and we can spend a good hour or so discussing them after I've finished my 50-minute rant [img]smile.gif[/img]

Anyways, here are the questions I've written up, please let me know if you think anything is missing. I need some creative input here...


The Origins of New Zealand?s Imperialism in the Pacific to ca. 1890.

- What comes to mind when you think of New Zealand?s imperialism?

- What sorts of communities made up the majority of European presence in New Zealand prior to 1840?

- What colonial powers had a presence/vested interest in New Zealand prior to 1840? Where was most of the European settlement concentrated?

- Do you think New Zealand?s establishment in 1840 by the Treaty of Waitangi was rather abrupt? Why was New Zealand established at this time and in this fashion?

o Under whose jurisdiction was New Zealand placed?
o What was the predominant religion?
o Did the newly founded New Zealand give preferential market treatment to any other colonies/nations? If so, do you think they were obligated to do this in any way?

- How did the foundation of New Zealand affect the colonial and economic attitudes toward the Pacific of foreign powers?

- If you think that foreign imperial strategies changed, what do you think were New Zealand/Australia?s reactions to this?

- Do you think that New Zealand had a steady imperialist agenda prior to 1890? Does New Zealand?s foreign diplomacy at this time seem consistent to you?

- Were political factors more important than economic ones when regarding New Zealand?s imperial policy? If so, why? If not, why not?

- To what degree was New Zealand?s imperialism a result of traditional European rivalry? Do you think New Zealand colonists were under any real threat from foreign powers at this time?

- How did native islanders factor into New Zealand?s imperialism, if at all?


whaddya think?

[Melusine]

Aaron. Dude. Relax, you're going to do fine!
I'd lose any questions on that sheet that you aren't 100% sure about, that are superfluous or too detailed or whatever, because too much reading material for your class while you are speaking will only distract them from what you are saying and it may throw you off too as a result. You could hand out the sheets, give them a minute to look at them, then make clear you want their attention for the lecture and after that give them another minute. Discussion about them afterwards is a good plan!
Good luck mate!! You know I'm just like you in this respect... sigh.... I have an essay on Literary Theories to write and haven't put a single word to paper. Oh well... it's all in my head I tell you! I just need to write it out

[dplax]

I'm sort of the same too: always leaving work for the last night before it needs handing in.

[ryaldin]

I hear you there. I've got a psychology self experiment to finsih carrying out, and I'm not really sure of the paramaters that it needs to fit within. [img]redface.gif[/img] It's not that bad though. I figure, one of these days, as I mature to the point of becoming professional, I'll be able to slowly effect teh change in my personality that is necessary for progress. Until such an event manages to occur, may sugar and caffine guide me through the night, to the lonely beacon of morning. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[Downunda]

we're imperialised?

[The Hierophant]

Originally posted by Downunda: we're imperialised?

Yeah man, we got up to some nasty business in the nineteenth century. Mainly involved pushing the Cook Islands and Samoa around. One thing's for certain, France was NOT popular in the mid Nineteenth Century.
Did you know that the South island was mere weeks away from becoming a French colony? French officials were going to land at Akaroa in 1840 and claim the island from there. The British got in a few weeks before them (with that blasted treaty of Waitangi). Imagine it man, the North and South Islands as totally different Nations, speaking totally different languages. It'd be weird...


ps: woo hoo! I've been up all night, but my seminar is ready!! Let's just hope I'm awake enough to actually give it come 10am [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Aelia Jusa]

Well good luck with it, Hiero! I can't really relate to the panic of leaving work to the last minute - my overactive worry-system doesn't let me get away with that , but I can relate to having to do scary long talks where you have to know so much stuff! I've started tutoring this year and even though it's only 1st years, the number of curly questions they come up with is scary to say the least! Anyway you'll be great. It's always much less bad than you fear [img]smile.gif[/img]

[The Hierophant]

Originally posted by Aelia Jusa: It's always much less bad than you fear [img]smile.gif[/img]

No, it was worse. That was the first failed assignment of my academic career, ironic that it was the first assignment of the most important year... I guess I just can't get away with last-minute, half-assed effort anymore. Shame I had to learn the hard way, but there you go. I'm not used to this sort of shock, ah well, live and learn eh? No more f**king around. Time to grow up...

Cheers for the encouragement though.