Reflection on ACLC (Im)Perfection

Coming to ACLC was a life changing experience. All the way back in sixth grade, I remember walking through the doors on the third day of school, since I had to go to Chipman for the first two days. In all the time at Chipman, I made no friends. Within 10 minutes in ACLC, however, I made many friends. It was a great change. And who doesn’t get totally sold to go to this school when they hear about free periods? But then with free periods we all make the big mistake of procrastination. You’d think with more free time, we’d get all work done seconds after we get the assignment, but no. I remember the constant battle in my brain of ‘I can do this when I get home’ and then when I’m home ‘I have a couple free periods before that class, I’ll do it then’ and then not finishing in time. During  all of ninth grade, I did all my homework for Friday late on Thursday night, and that’s only because my first free period on Fridays was fifth period. I would get bad grades as a result, which I didn’t want. The only reason was that I wouldn’t turn in my homework. I did a good job, just never on time.

So junior year, I told myself to buckle down, and get these things done on time, and I’m pretty proud of my grade last year. Especially since I didn’t have to do a whole semester of work in one week right before I got a passable grade. It was passable throughout the year. Even though I still sometimes wait until the last minute to do my homework. I make sure I can finish it last minute. I know that if something takes two hours, I’m not finishing that in one period.

I’m not quite sure when it happened, but about the time around ninth or tenth grade, I stop liking math as much. I used to love doing math, and even now I still give myself little pointless math tasks, just to make sure my brain’s still working. But after too much complication, I stopped liking it and got really into English and writing. I guess I always liked writing stories, even when I was a little kid in Elementary school, when we had to write fictional stories, I had a lot of fun. It was the writing the mundane things like what we did over the weekend that I didn’t like. It never stretched my mind enough, and I would finish as quickly as possible, but now I realize, I like stories. I always had, it was just writing was tainted with what I did over the weekend. When I don’t have to write, I love to write. Even if I give myself assignments, like writing a chapter every week, I don’t like doing it. But if I can just write, I will just write. I like freelance, not assignments. Assignments bring pressure. Who likes pressure? I like having things in a folder for years, and then coming back to it.

At ACLC there is always a battle of procrastination. Everyone in this school has it. I procrasted this website. And every time I would turn in an assignment late. Or had to write a long essay in one night, I would tell my myself 'No more. You can't do this. You can't live like this.' And then I would shrug it off and go on Tumblr instead of doing another assignment. 'What? I got a week. I can go on Tumblr for one night.' It's a horrible endless cycle. So I reasoned with myself. 'You get 10 posts. And then you do a paragraph or 10 problems or read a page.' And sometimes, this works. Or I would make something to eat. And then after every page I could take only one ite. So my mouth is watering, so I have to read that page. But I think the best was work for an hour and then break for 15 minutes. Although, sometimes a 15 minute break turns into a 24 hour break. At least I got that one hour in.

It's really interesting to see how my brain works with procrastination. How I have to tell myself many times to buckle down and do my work. And then I ignore it.

The worst time to procrastinate is in a group project. Because then you let everyone else down. Instead of you just getting an F, everyone gets an F. But if you are in a group of procrastinators, it's really interesting. There is a mix of nobody wanting to do it, and encouraging others to get their work done. And then, all of a sudden, you have a finished assignment.

As hard as it is for me to get to work, at least I can work in free periods. Especially since there are usually computers free. MAny assignments need a computer to do. Whether the whole assignment is looking at a website (or making one), or you just want to, or need to, type out your essay. I generally like typing, because my handwriting is not the best. So I'm more comfortable doing everything online. I'm also less likely to lose it, because it's in the cloud. It's also easier to turn things in online. I can do it in the middle of night, and turn it in the second I have it done, instead of doing it, and then putting it into my backpack, where it could possibly get lost, or at the very least, crumpled up a bit. It's just better online.

I’ve been here for a long time, officially longer than when I was at elementary school, and ACLC has become my home. Sure, I have problems at school, and all the moving can physically and mentally destroy a gal, but it still has all the amazing people, that really make this school count; that really make you proud to graduate from this school. They make it worth all the times you tell someone where you go to school, and they give you a blank look. It's always worth it.