be more concise

I am actually making major improvements with this goal. Very excited.

Despite a few recent slips, I’m biting my tongue more and actually editing my work. That’s good.

I talk too much. What’s worse is that it takes me three years to properly convey my thoughts and ideas. I wish I was gifted with eloquence…

It’s almost ironic that I used the word eloquence. I guess hope is not lost…

But it’s not really “done”. I’ll file the rest of my efforts ^{if any} under Practice Restraint

Anyway, my courses are over and I have no more essays to write (unless I do decide to take French with Alliance Francaise in January, but in that case this goal would be counterproductive.)

My assignment was actually LESS than the maximum number of words!

Such progress :-P

The prof handed back our midterms on Monday night, and asked the class if they wanted to hear an example of an exceptional essay. So he started reading, and after a few lines I thought, oh crap – I wrote that!

But the problem is – the exam required 3 paragraph answers and one essay. And the model “essay” that he was reading was actually supposed to be one of the single paragraph responses. At the end he said, “well, it’s quite long and more of an essay than a commentary, but…”

I’m glad he liked my stuff and gave me a great mark, but obviously I am NOT becoming nearly as concise as I would like to be. _{Explaining things takes far too many words.}

And I also feel bad, because possibly the other students are now thinking they should be equally verbose. Not good.

Well… good but not good in the context of this goal.

This is getting a little better, as far as essay-writing is concerned. Each one still takes me far too long, but I’m working on that.

At least the ideas are flowing more easily than at first!

that it takes me almost as long to write a 3 page essay (which is actually meant to be 2 pages) as it used to to write a 10 page essay.

I have this desire to explain everything, including all the exceptions or alternate points of view.

Writing brief, yet complete outlines is my biggest challenge.

My second biggest challenge is my tendency to use too much jargon (or at least I fear that I do this).

Summary: be more concise.
Must practice.

Well, I had meant to start by being more concise with my 43T entries, but I’ve hardly written anything lately.

The next subgoal is – I’m taking 2 college courses which require a lot of writing (history and literature). I’m not very familiar with these subjects, so they will be a challenge, but also an opportunity to improve my writing skills. I hope.

Well they will be an opportunity provided that I can stay organized as I progress in the classes. More likely, I will revert to my usual last minute panic-and-rush, so my writing will not improve. Sigh.

...can I say? I’m a rambler.

Need to self-edit. It will be really hard, but practice makes perfect.