The 12 stages of doing a University Assignment

Stage 1:    Curiosity – what exactly do they want from us here

Stage 2:    Confidence – oh well that seems reasonable and easy to do

Stage 3:    Over confidence – I could take this perspective… link it to that and talk about this!!!!!

Stage 4:    Reality check 1.  You have gone off on a tangent   Shit.  Scrap all that and go back to step 1.

Stage 5:   Business time:  Get the books out and research

Stage 6:    Hope:  Things start to make sense, start writing.

Stage 7:    Despair - Immediately have twice the word count.  Go back to step 1.

Stage 8:   Light at the end of the tunnel - Write more, edit more, nearly there…

Stage 9:    Nihilism:  Deciding that everything you have written is crap.  You need to start again.  Return to step 1. 

Stage 10:   Reality check 2.  Realising it’s too late to start again or change it all now

Stage 11:   Final edit and proof read – it may be crap but at least you might get mercy for good spelling and grammar

Stage 12:    Submitting it with relief, not pride, and a prayer for clemency