Monday, October 09, 2006

Running through Jello

You know those nightmarish dreams where you're running through Jello or mud trying to get away from something and can't make any progress?

Today I thought I'd put down some estimates for how long tasks should take and compare it to how long the tasks actually took:
  • Creating two questions for graduate exam when I'd already read the student's bibliographies and supporting materials. . . Estimated: 45 minutes; Actual: 60 minutes. (This isn't bad; it's down from 45 minutes per question.)
  • Writing a 700-word newsletter article and sending it (with supporting pictures) . . .
    Estimated: 45 minutes; Actual: 2 hours, 24 minutes.
  • Updating a study guide . . .Estimated: 20 minutes; Actual: 45 minutes
  • Collecting & editing & sending some handouts to be printed. . . Estimated: 15 minutes; Actual: about 45 minutes.

    Academic jello. I definitely need to run faster.


  • 2 comments:

    Professor Zero said...

    I think you underestimate the time needed, and that you are actually pretty fast!

    undine said...

    Thanks! That's a good point; I hadn't thought of it like that.