What follows is my homage to the practice of procrastination, an inescapable element of Reading Days. All incidents and characters are fictional and any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental (!). Happy holidays, all.
Saturday, 12 p.m.: I am jarred awake by the phone. My aunt is on the other end. She decides this is a good time to pass on her recipe for lentil soup. I have trouble agreeing with her and hint that I am deep in thought, solving important practice problems for an unspecified class. I speak in half-sentences to emphasize how busy I am. I remind her that there is often much bureaucracy and an impossibly long waiting list to use the kitchens in Hill College House. I get off the phone before she can counter this.
12:15 p.m.: Unable to fall back asleep, I head for the shower only to discover that I am out of my "outrageously organic" hair conditioner. This makes me grumpy, as it means I am sure to be sporting a frizzy, raised tuft of hair today.
1:00 p.m.: Before I "really" start to study, I check my e-mail. Seven new messages. I am loved. On closer look I discover, sadly, six of them are from list-servs. I delete them immediately. Number seven is from my aunt. It's the lentil soup recipe. I am a terrible person. I promise myself to call her after I study for a good two hours. I promise myself I will buy her a Penn sweatshirt from the bookstore as a holiday present. I write this on the "To Do" page in my planner under "Shopping Checklist!!" I underline it twice.
1:15 p.m.: Hungry, I am happy to find a pack of marshmallow peeps in my bookbag. They are shaped like little snowmen. Festive and delicious, I eat them all.
3:00 p.m.: I am awakened by the disturbing voice of Phil Collins coming from a stereo next door. I rap on this door and announce that I am deep in thought solving important practice problems for an unspecified class. I hope my neighbor doesn't notice the pillowcase-imprint on my forehead. I walk back to my room looking purposeful and frustrated.
3:02 p.m.: Re-scanning the three paragraphs I highlighted before dozing off, I decide that I need a plan. I scribble down: "3:10-3:35 p.m.: read chapter 11; 3:35-4 p.m.: summarize reading." Scratching this last part out, I decide that what I really need are note cards. Note cards would definitely make me more efficient. I must buy note cards.
3:15 p.m.: At the bookstore, I decide to kill two proverbial birds with one stone and buy my aunt her sweatshirt too. Before I get to the clearance Penn sweatshirt section, a trendy pair of exercise shorts distracts me. I realize these would motivate me to use Pottruck more often. I head for the fitting room to try them on.
3: 38 p.m.: I have entered Van Pelt Library with my backpack, some multicolored note cards, one pair of blue shorts and a Proud Penn Parent sweatshirt -- the only sale item left in my aunt's size -- to do some uninterrupted, serious studying.
3:47 p.m.: I check my e-mail on a pink Mac by the door. My friend Nazli has sent me a link to a site she thinks I will enjoy. I go to www.ishouldbeworking.com. It appears to be educational. I leave the message in my inbox for future reference.
4:11 p.m.: Sitting at a large desk on the first floor, I discover the man sitting next to me has some sort of sinus problem. I shoot him a dirty look every time he makes a loud guttural noise.
4:24 p.m.: Dirty looks have proven futile so I repack my bag to find a better place to read.
4:35 p.m.: Chapter 11. Finally.
4:43 p.m.: My stomach growls and I decide I will head to Houston Hall for some eats after reading at least two chapters.
4:46 p.m.: Leaving Van Pelt.
5:11 p.m.: Having finished off my New England clam chowder and two orders of "Spicy Shrimp" sushi rolls, I promise myself never to have these two things as part of the same meal again. I decide a Rice Krispies treat will make it all better.
5:16pm: It doesn't.
10:14 p.m.: By the fireplace upstairs, I recognize that I've been in the study zone for over six hours. Satisfied, I look back at what I've learned. The note card pack sits unopened. The day has been a productive one.
Hilal Nakiboglu is a second-year doctoral student in Higher Education Management from Ankara, Turkey.
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