Working hard, or hardly working?

BOTH. Let's re-cap.

I locked myself in my room at 2:00 this afternoon. I made a small list, which was precisely this:
- review notes
- review readings
(1 hour)
- write exposé
(1 hour)

It is now 7:30. I read over my notes and readings exactly one time, but I vaguely remember what I read. I have 30 seconds of an exposé written. I wrapped a package to be sent out tomorrow. I got on convincing people to come with me to Disneyland Paris this Saturday. I checked my mail about once a minute. I did readings for a class on Wednesday.

5.5 hours. I only left my room once. It wasn't even all that much that I'm futzing around on the internet. I get so frustrated when I have to stare at something for more than 15 minutes. Even taking tests, I get so fidgety.

Unless I absolutely feel like I have to do something in a timely fashion (a.k.a. review for a test that happens in the next hour, or write a presentation that I have to present in the next couple hours), I just put it off until the very last minute. Which, at that time, I proceed to freak out and get the same amount of work done (read: very minimal) in a shorter amount of time (as in, instead of doing next to nothing in 5.5 hours, if I had tried to do things tomorrow before class, I would to maybe a little something in the course of an hour).

However, as this seems to be the case, at least for the moment, I'm learning to deal with it. I force myself to read over the same words I've been reading, and I realize that some of them are beginning to stick. My history test isn't for another week, and I've already learned 2/3 of the material that will be on the test! I've been making myself read over my notes every night since Monday. I've never done this.

Also, I'm sorry that I can't make an lj-cut or something to hide all that business up there. I've just been feeling frustrated.



Not to say that I haven't been chilling in the meantime. I saw 4 movies during the Festival européen des 4 écrans, which was.. depressing, as expected. But still fun! Good times with good people. We even bought candy at a Monoprix before seeing the last film. It was called Une femme à abattre, and it was about a woman looking for her husband in Russia. Afterward, I met up with this girl Sonia, who I found out was a visiting student from Russia (we're in the same Art History class at the Sorbonne). She said that they invented some of the details for cinematic effect, but she was shaken by the accurate portrayal of the images of Soviet Russia.

She had a cigarette to take off the edge, and I split ways with some of the Smithies to meet up with Sarah and Rachel at the Frog and the British Library. We got all-American fare (chicken wings, quesadillas, nachos, fries) AND deep-fried camembert with plum sauce. Holy crap, it was SO GOOD. I tried a beer cocktail, since they brew their own beer there and I sprung for the occasion. It was quite tasty!

Anyway, it is dinner time. With all luck, I will be more productive afterward. A plus!