December 23rd 2010
Dear Ross,
It is said that the road to Hell is paved by good intentions. If that is so, then I think I must be knocking on Satan’s door by now. Every evening I write a list of ‘Things-to-Do’, dividing the following day into time slots. Then I allot each task to those slots not already taken up by lectures. Unfortunately, there are two major flaws with my plan.
First of all, I am very easily distracted and often find myself organizing my music collection, for example, when I ought to be finishing a, erm, well you know. And thirdly, I spend so long designing my list of tasks that I never have time left to actually do most of them. This means I’m always awake until 3am playing catch up.
Do you have any ideas how I can organize my life without ending up so tired I sleep in for lectures anyway?
Shattered, Fl
Dear Shattered,
I might just be able to help you with this one. There’s a self-help book called “3 Steps to Time Management for College Students” by Beverly Coggins which should be top of your reading list. Actually, don’t put it on a list – just read the damn thing. There are many useful hints and tips but one hits the nail on the head. Coggins says that sleep deprivation is the bane of all students. If you don’t get enough shuteye, apparently it’s the same as being permanently drunk. So, how about this for time management? Forget the lists. Just go to sleep at a decent time instead. That way, if you aren’t sleep deprived, you can go to lectures DRUNK and still be no worse off than you are now!
You’re welcome.
Dear Ross,
I’m 20 years old and I know I should be able to stick up for myself, but for the past year I have been bullied mercilessly. It’s not even your stereotypical Jock vs. Geek bullying either, because I’m a 200lb Karate black belt and he’s a… she. There, I’ve said it – it’s a girl. She’s half my size but, ever since we started college, she’s been on my case. Nothing I do is right, she constantly mocks the way I dress and is always laughing at me when she’s with her friends. Personally, I can’t stand her either but I really need some advice as to how I can ignore her before I put my fist through something fragile.
Ninja, NY
Dear Ninja,
Oh, for pity’s sake, stop wasting my time. We all know how this one ends so stop pissing about and just kiss her already!
Dear Ross,
I have been teaching for many years now and, despite the decline in this country’s once fine education system, I still love it. Unfortunately, as society has progressed (or regressed!) I seem to have stayed standing still. Because of this I find myself looking down on my more, how can I put this, ‘street’ students. I don’t understand their dialect, their dress and their lack of respect makes me long for the return of corporal punishment. I realize I should treat all my students equally, but it is so hard.
What to do?
Grandpa, IL
Dear Grandpa,
What you are describing can be neatly summed up in one simple word:
LIFE
I am willing to bet that your professors back in the day thought you were a punk who was only one step away from bringing down society. If each generation was exactly like the last then the whole world would still be populated by slack-jawed troglodytes who club their women before dragging them back to their lair. Much like Alabama! Just accept this and NEVER try to be more like your students just to fit in. You’ll be on YouTube before you can say “drunken uncle at a wedding”.