11.08.01
Okay, so we've known about the "wearable art" project being due today since the first day of class.
Three weeks ago, Beth made us all show her sketches of what we were making, and discuss project materials and the like with her ad nauseum, until she felt certain that we were all ready to make some wearable art. She also took great pains to reiterate that the project was due November 11, 2001, at 8:30am.
Two weeks ago, Beth checked everyone's progress, saying that if anyone was having any problems to let her know. She asked if anyone was having issues with materials or tools, because if anyone didn't meet the deadline, it would count against their project grade.
One week ago, a lot of people seemed to be working on things that weren't their specific wearable art projects. I, myself, was working intermittently on a revised version of my first project, a shell-like candle holder. I was almost finished with my second project, a silver bracelet, but still needed to tweak it a little here and there, and then polish it all up, nice and shiny.
Beth again reminded us that the project was due in one week, no later without suffering consequences.
I wasn't sure exactly how long it would take to make my various tweaks and final adjustments, so I allowed myself enough time to get things done. I could have gone in last Thursday evening, or even sometime on Friday, but I was aware that while I didn't know the exact amount of time needed to finish the bracelet, that if I didn't get it done on Saturday, I would have enough time on Sunday. And if not then, maybe Monday night, Tuesday in class, Tuesday night, or even Wednesday evening.
Saturday, I worked on the bracelet for about 4 hours. While it was cooling in the pickle after I soldered or annealed it, I would work on the candle holder. By the time the monitor was kicking me out, I was about an hour away from completing the bracelet, which I actually finished up on Sunday afternoon.
Monday night, I didn't go near the metals shop, Tuesday in class I finished up my candle holder and even started working on the materials for my final project, and Thursday, I was more than ready for the critique.
I'd say half of the class wasn't, though.
I even heard that a good handful were in the metals shop until at least midnight the night before, and one person muttered something about 2:30am. Hell, a girl in the class didn't even get her actual project started, much less completed, because she waited too long to order materials, and hadn't gotten them yet.
What in the hell is wrong with these people?
I can't say that I haven't procrastinated, or that I haven't found myself in the workshop late one evening doing the final work on an assignment, but Christ, it has never been one that a third of my grade is based upon. I was a little lax in the completion of my stone setting exercise, but it wasn't for a grade. It was strictly a matter of getting it done and turning it in on time, regardless of how nice it looked.
I don't even begin to comprehend fucking off a major studio assignment until the last minute like that.
It isn't like you can pull a completed, filed, stone-set, sanded, and rouge polished piece of jewelry out of thin air. Things take time to make, and even more time to finish.
