The time is upon us once again, the time of year when high school students live on coffee and adrenaline. It is May, the independent study month.  As the sun shines and birds chirp, across the province students are slowly turning green from the radiation emanating from their computer screens.  Critics of the freak-out and write method of ISU’s often point out that students knew for months that these reports were due, and so there is really no need to panic at the last minute.  Critics may say this, but they don’t know the tricks that teachers create to harass innocent students.
 
For example, many teachers schedule ISU due dates for the first week of a new month.  This means that when students look at their planners to see what is coming due, they fail to see the Independent study due date until it is too late.

Some teachers have come up with an idea to make students submit different stages of their work by different due dates.  These teachers think that this method will motivate students to work on their ISU’s throughout the semester, as opposed to the night before.  I believe that this actually makes the ISU work even worse.  Since every step of the process is worth marks, the ISU essay itself is worth only a percentage of the final Independent study mark.  This means that the essay mark becomes even more crucial as students attempt to bring up their mark after repeated zeros in the process category.

The stage or process method of marking ISU’s has another insidious problem.  If a student completes the work needed at every stage, he or she invariable stops to take a break about a week before the ISU is due.  These students say to themselves, I know my thesis. I have my rough notes, I’m organized, I’ll just take a little break before I get down to writing the essay, I’ll have time to write it out later.  Hah! Suddenly students turn their page in their planner and realize that May 4th is only 2 days away.

When this realization comes, friends begin to look at the ISU victims with a mixture of pity and fear, perhaps it is the panicked eyes and constant scribbling on spare pieces of paper that frightens people.  Maybe others worry when the response to a simple question such as, “Do you want to do something tonight?” is met with “AGHH! I can’t deal with it. Just leave me alone, I can’t take anymore!!!”
 
Despite these difficulties, there is nothing better than looking up with bloodshot eyes to the rising sun and realized that you have completed the work.  In this dream state, the fact your essay really sucks and the fact that your next ISU is due in only another 4 days is dismissed.  You have conquered the horrible demon ISU and you have survived.  Time to go to bed.