The 10 Stages of Writing an Assignment

Originally posted April 6, 2017

It is time.

ASSIGNMENT TIME.

Internal crying time.

Are you freaking out yet? Caffeine-induced shaking? Hair falling out? Dark circles under your eyes? That little voice inside your head screaming?

We get you. We’ve all been there. We too are losing our cool as the mounting pressure of assignment after assignment after assignment grows.

Here are the 10 stages of assignment writing, in GIFs, for you to relate to and reassure you that you are not alone! It’s also just some good procrastination, for you reading this and for me writing this! You’re welcome!

1. Planning time – You’ve got your topic, you’ve got your new Word Doc open, you’ve checked your referencing style, you’re ready to get cracking! There is sometimes nothing as satisfying as a blank page ready to be filled. Let the games begin!

2. Research time – Hmmmm… Can’t find anything good in your notes? Time to hit up our good friend Google! And if that doesn’t work, might be time to open that $150 text book for the first time!

3. Drafting time – You write one sentence. Then another. Then maybe a few more. Things are starting to progress, good for you! Keep it up! You’re feeling good and are starting to feel like you really understand what the question is asking.

4. Procrastination time – Uh oh. You opened Facebook and began a downward spiral into the world of Reddit and Netflix. One minute it was 4:37pm and now it’s 9:23pm, you forgot to eat dinner, and haven’t looked at your assignment for hours!

5. Coffee time – We can do this. Let’s fire up with a coffee (or three) and push through for a few more hours! Definitely. Yes. Ok. Come on let’s get the next 1000 words done!! At 11:00pm. Coffee. Yay. Caffeine. Oh boy… Your brain is officially a scrambled mess!

6. Crying time – All hope is lost. You don’t know how you’re going to meet that 3000 word limit, especially when it excludes footnotes. The world is slowly melting around you, you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel (but that might be because it’s now 2:14am).

7. Nap time – You need a break, nothing good happens at 3:47am. You put on your comfy pants, slip into bed, and all is well again. You’re snug as a pug (see what I did there???), and fall asleep in a flash. Your brain is thankful for the break! Never forget to take care of yourself.

8. Life gets in the way –  It can’t be helped! You get called in to work one job, work a double shift at your second job, and then go out to trivia night with friends. A few days pass and you don’t open your assignment, but that’s totally OK!

9. Last minute push to finish – You realise your assignment is due on the 12, not the 16th! Woops! You grab your laptop, a block of Cadbury, and head to the Deakin library to smash out the last bit of your assignment! The end is near!

10. Submitting time – You did it!!!!!!!! You made it to the end, salvation has arrived! You press that ‘submit’ button with vigour and say farewell to that assignment!

YOU ABSOLUTELY KILLED IT, YOU ROCK!!!!!

Aaaaaaaaand you remember you have another essay due in a weeks time – Time to repeat the process!