food of the gods; good intentions; my december project

[schmerica]

Pumpkin cheesecake is a food of the gods, yo. Especially when it's nice and heavily spiced without being overpowering. Mmmm. The grocery store did go a little overboard with the whipped cream, but that's easily fixed.

This term is almost over; it was a particularly disappointing one for me, so I'm already looking ahead to the start of new classes next month. Winter term starts January 8th, and goes through mid-March. The problem that's been fucking me up really badly has always been my horrific attendance rates. I'm trying to think of ways to improve this, because it's ridiculous, and I'm sick of not doing well when I should be acing everything. If nothing else, at least if I can get back on track for the next two quarters, it might at least show on my transcript that I am able to work to a high standard, and that I was committed to turning my grades around: if I ever want to go on to anything else, I'll really need that.

Do you guys have any advice on the subject? So far I'm thinking my strategy will probably be two-fold. On the one hand, I need to keep careful track of how much class I attend, and I want to make sure I keep myself accountable for it -- so you might be seeing a lot of "However-much/16 hours attended this week" on Friday entries in those months. On the other hand, I think positive reinforcement could be really helpful, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about it. Anything food-related is out, completely -- making food into a reward will fuck up my eating habits even more than they already are -- and I can't afford to really spend money, because I am a scrimping student. Any thoughts?

On another note, I've been thinking for the last week or so about something I want to do this month. December is, for me, not only Christmas and the end of the calendar year, but the end of a school term, and the end of a year of my life when my birthday comes around. It's a special month! And the internet is full of special people! So I decided every day this month I'm going to make this a project, to pick someone off my friends list and say something, just a couple of sentences about why they're so awesome.

Today is December 1st, and I want to say nice things about katallison. Kat Allison writes really amazing fic, and her Fraser voice is maybe the best I've ever read, but that is not why you should love her. You should love her because she is kind, and intelligent, and compassionate, and wise, and thoughtful, and interesting. She is one of the people who make the idea of being a grown-up much less scary, because it offers the chance that I might grow up to be a little bit like her.

Comments

[etben.livejournal.com]

well, there's always fandom as a tool of bribery, but I am too dependant on fandom for that to work for me. Um. you could get into a new fandom? and ration episodes like pearl-o treats?

...yeah, whatever. as though I am ANY kind of person to talk about making the self do things it doesn't want to. I have the patience of a fruit fly, and all of the self-restraint of a car with no seatbelts.

in more important news, blowjobs! as in we should write them. or fucking, I guess, but, hi: BLOWJOBS. we were right in the middle of one!

um, yeah. I have five more days in this broad-shouldered city, and it is COLD OUTSIDE and I don't want to go back to the flat yet and, hi: SPAM TIME. sorry.

[justbreathe80.livejournal.com]

For me, reading or writing porn works as a reward. *nods emphatically* I never had much trouble making it to class, because I have a MASSIVE guilt complex about stuff like that. Maybe being honest? Telling your professor that you have a problem and ask them to call you on it? *grasps at straws*

I LOVE your idea of appreciating someone every day in December. I wish I could do that and not just be ripping off your idea! And Kat totally deserves that, because her writing is FANTASTIC.

*leaps in all uninvited with unhelpful pseudo-advice!*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_unhurt_/]

oh, going to classes is hard - i had a terrible attendance record right through university. even for classes i liked, i had to force myself to go. i don't have any secret special advice, except to reassure you that it is possible to do well overall without making like my wee sister (my polar opposite) and never ever missing a single class. but if you can manage to make the habit of going in stick it becomes sort of self-rewarding because the guilt and "i know i could have done this better!" goes away. not that i ever went to more that about 75% of classes even at my best. they kept scheduling lectures before noon. i mean, what?

[sloganeer.livejournal.com]

not making it to classes was the biggest reason i had to drop out of uvic. the only way i solved it was taking less classes.

but now, i might be in the same boat as you next semester: i'm trying to take as many classes as possible to finish my degree as soon as possible. maybe we can keep each other in check.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

I find that making lists is what keeps me on track. Put it on your list: Attend class Wednesday (or whatever), and then check it off when you do it. Having those lists staring me in the face really helps me.

And katallison is not only a great writer, but a wonderful person; I met her this past summer and really enjoyed the time we spent together.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

BLOWJOBS are very important! I have kept you (and Harry, and Ralph) hanging for an inexcusably long time. I shall try and correct this situation as soon as possible, my dear!

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

I do not think writing porn will work as a reward, but perhaps reading shall! Hmm. Some kind of bribery, at least.

It is not so original on my part, really, you know, darling; you should feel free to steal however you like. Spread loving!

Re: *leaps in all uninvited with unhelpful pseudo-advice!*

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Silly, it is not uninvited -- I asked for advice!

You are totally right, of course, and I used to be able to carefully manage the 3.5 gpa with the bad attendance, but I am now at the point where I cannot give myself an inch or I will take a mile.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

maybe we can keep each other in check.

Man, I sure hope so!

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

I do love making lists -- and I had been thinking getting a nice planner anyway, to keep track of assignments and be more organized. Hmm!

[china_shop]

So I decided every day this month I'm going to make this a project, to pick someone off my friends list and say something, just a couple of sentences about why they're so awesome.

That is the coolest idea ever. ♥

[ficbyzee.livejournal.com]

If you can't do reading/writing porn as a reward, maybe watching media? I could see how it would be painful to do that with *all* your shows, but maybe you could say 'Okay, for this week I won't let myself watch Supernatural unless I've attended X hours. And next week that will be Grey's, and the next Heroes.' Etc.

Also, the December Project sounds like a really cool idea and you are such an awesome person.

[popfantastic.livejournal.com]

I don't know that I have anything helpful to add, re: class attendance (I use "work two hours [or whatever], watch an episode of a TV show" to get stuff done -- low-cost and effective!), but I wanted to drop in to join in the katallison love.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

You! You sweetie!! (*hugs you, twirls you around, hugs you again*)

I am -- just about speechless, and extremely pink in the face, and grinning foolishly. But I must say:

--the very fact that you would think up and execute your December project is a testament to what a kind, intelligent, compassionate, and all those other adjectives human being you already are;
--and I would give anything to have been anything like the person you are now when I was your age.

(Also, I am sort of working on a story in response to a prompt/idea you threw out a while back, and you've now given me a great deal of motivation to get it done by--if not Christmas, at least the end of the year. I hug you again!)

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

The only problem with that is that I'm not sure that making something that I'm already having every week into the reward isn't just another way of framing the negative reinforcement -- like, is getting to watch the show a reward, or is not getting to watch it a punishment? I think I might be better off with something I don't have now. (I'm thinking maybe a variety, changing each week. If I go to all my classes this week, I can buy a cheap used book! Or go over to Spes's to play board games! Or someone can write me fic! Or I can go out to eat! That sort of thing.)

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Hee, yay!

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

*nods* I find that a very useful tactic for studying and homework completion, too.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

KAT! I hug you back, many many times!

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

The attendance is something I can't identify with personally, since even at my most apathetic and procrastinatory, I am Attendance Girl. But I've noticed that when I have persistent problems like that (see Procrastination and Sleeping All The Damn Time and Living On Chocolate As Opposed To Food*), I can't fix them until I figure out why they're happening. So why aren't you going to class?

Lists are generally wonderful and helpful things.

Also, *snuggles*