Sunday, November 13, 2005

I learn better when I'm sad

I've been writing up my thesis proposal this weekend (when I haven't been engaging in extremely geeky activities). The first draft should be about 20-25 pages; it's currently 11, but I'm expecting to be about 17 or 18 by this evening, and I should have something for my supervisor before she leaves for her conference on Wednesday evening. She wants to have it so she can read it on the plane; I guess she needs something to help her sleep through the flight.

I can't do any good schoolwork, either research, studying, or writing, without a musical stimulus in the background. Truth be told, I don't typically spend more than a conscious hour without some kind of beats, but I can do most things without music. Not so while I'm learning. I also know that really fast, upbeat music can get distracting sometimes, so I normally listen to quiet, depressing music, but this weekend I've become Emo Student. My record rotation while writing this weekend has been:
Johnny Cash - American Recordings I and IV
Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
Depeche Mode - Violator
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
Radiohead - Amnesiac
I have the feeling I should be writing crappy poetry and drinking a lot of coffee. Well, a lot more coffee than usual, anyhow. For those of you out there still in school - or who can remember what school was like - what albums got you through deadline time?

4 comments:

Nezbitt said...

The Joshua Tree - U2

Got me through some very boring theology classes.

Shannon said...

Amnesiac is the perfect melancholic album to study by. I swear OK Computer wrote my Senior thesis for me.

Susie the Bear said...

I concur with OK Computer. Other suggestions: Pet Sounds (Beach Boys), Better Version of Me (Rainer Maria), Fashion Nugget (Cake), and Giant Step (Taj Mahal).

The Doc said...

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. I'll agree with nearly all of them, except MAYBE Joshua Tree, because of my reactionary response to U2. Also: nice to see you around, Susie; please come back whenever you'd like.