[Names have been changed for privacy reasons.]
A large amount of my course load consists of science courses, which then translates to a large amount of my writing assignments being laboratory reports. For the last lab report we had due this morning at 9am, we had 2 weeks (from the conclusion of the experiment until the due date) to write a detailed lab report, roughly 8 - 10 pages. Naturally, when given an assignment of this magnitude, one would probably think that planning ahead and getting an advanced start would be in his or her's best interest. However, Aly did not agree.
Aly is a good friend of mine. She's a smart girl, and she usually gets good grades. However, she has a major procrastination problem, and this time, she decided to wait until Monday night, at 10:00 pm, to start her lab report.
The same lab report that was due Tuesday morning at 9am.
I watched Aly go through the stresses of research, rushed writing, and tear-filled eyes laced with the regret that she was undoubtedly feeling. A few hours, and several angrily-uttered expletives later, Aly submitted--what I could only imagine to be--a poorly written paper that lacked any proofreading or revision.
Through all of this, I wondered, how many "last minute-men" do you think we will end up with as writing consultants? Just because a student may make a writing center appointment does not mean that they are essentially "planning ahead." I wondered, what would I have done if a student in Aly's position walked into the writing center for a consultation on a major paper due the next day with barely an outline?
How can you possibly help one sort out their ideas and express them in 6 or more pages when there has been no previous thought on the part of the writer himself?
I honestly believe that the only writing from which you can learn from is the writing that is done in advance. You can't learn from scribbling down some quick thoughts and hoping that your teaching can't tell you started late. Let's face it we've all done it, but really you never learn from that. I'm sure there will be times when the best advice we can give a student is to start the next paper earlier.
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