Get It Done!

It's time for a good ol' fashioned rant. It's not against any one particular person or thing, but really more a group of people, or at least a particular mindset. It all began this morning. I was up late on Sunday night reading for a Monday class and getting all of my notes done so that I would be prepared for class. So I go, and what happens? Class gets called early because apparently nobody else read, so the discussion couldn't progress, so class was effectively off until our last meeting on Wednesday. That kind of shit just really pisses me off. I come off looking like a jackass even though I was prepared for class; I was even contributing to the discussion, the only problem was that no one else was. Actually, I knew that at least two other people had read, but the three of us were not able to carry the whole class. There were seven other people in there who were just fishing for answers like they were the smartest damn people in the world and nobody would notice.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not claiming to be the model student; far from it. I am just as lazy as the next guy when it comes to school work, but when I have to do something, I make damn sure to get it done! I admit that I skim at least 90% of my required readings, but I can extract the main ideas and articulate those into well thought-out notes. I don't just blow something off because things are, "getting a little rough." School is not supposed to be easy, if it was, everybody would have a college degree and the concept of higher education would be rendered virtually meaningless.

And then people try to hide behind the fact that it's finals time, so they don't have time to worry about all of the little assignments. BULL-SHIT! Other work does not suddenly lose all value because something bigger and more important came along. Don't get me wrong, prioritizing is one of the most important life skills to possess, unfortunately I don't think many people know how to do it right. If you're in school and you have school work to get done, then by God, get it done. If you're in school and school work is not at least in your top five priorities (among such things as a job, a family, and maybe a couple of other pressing issues), you might want to reevaluate your desire to be a student.

It's ok to procrasitnate (I do it all the time; hell, I'm doing it right now) but get that shit done. Don't wait until the eleventh hour just to say, "eh, fuck it." Do the gaddamn work that is required to do. You wouldn't pull this crap at a job, would you?

"Sorry, boss. I was goona do that report, but I just didn't have time to get it done 'cuz I just have so much else to do."

"Oh, that's ok, you go ahead and take some extra time to do that, because now that you don't have a job anymore, you'll have more than enough time to get your stuff done."

Am I the only one that feels like the number of people who will honor an obligation no matter what is dropping to a dangerously low level? Is doing what you are expected to do such an extreme request? Maybe I'm just blessed with the ability to half-ass and bullshit well, but at least I get it done. I put forth an effort, and I expect the people with whom I go to class to do the same. And it's not because you're doing yourself a disservice. I don't really give a rat's ass what you do with your life, but it compromises my learning, and I don't go to school to put up with your mute ass sitting there with bargain-fish-market eyes and getting my class cancelled so that I don't get the benefit of a scholarly discussion.

If I wanted to sit in a room and get nothing done, I'd commit myself to an asylum!