Major works: cheat sheet

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably got a word document minimised, an easel looking pretty lonely, or a sewing machine pushed into a corner. Whether English, Art or DT is your thing, the Major Work struggle is real. Way real.

For me, juggling an Extension 2 English Creative fiasco with an Extension History project seemed like an impossible task at times. Do they not realise we have other subjects as well?

With that in mind, here’s my cheat sheet for how to master the major (and keep your sanity along the way):

1. Prioritise

The top lesson I learned while taking on two major works was the importance of prioritisation. Not all subjects are created equally. There are points in the year (think lead up to half-yearlies) when major works are just not high on the radar. Here’s the thing though: that’s actually ok. But just because major works can be put on the back burner does not mean they can stay there. Just as you have to prioritise your other subjects at times, you have to give yourself time in the year/month/week/day to prioritise your major too (and that doesn’t mean the night before).

Especially for all you paint stained, sawdust covered DT and art students, your time to shine generally comes in the holidays. And I mean what I say, make that time a holiday...from your other subjects! So we all know when the creative juices are flowing you don't want to stop the flow, and the most productive times are usually when you give yourself TIME... So don't be afraid to block out a solid week in the holiday and cancel your dates with maths and chemistry, they'll always come crawling back. These creative subjects require your full attention and the freedom to think without distraction. Which leads me to my second point:

2. Don’t lose motivation

Now this is a big one. The HSC is full of ups and downs, exam periods and holidays, achievements and disappointments. When you have a major hovering above this precarious timeline, it’s pretty easy to lose sight of it in the midst of everything else going on. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that major works are passion projects – and if they aren’t, they should be. If you’re committing to a major, it has to be something you enjoy.

Constantly reminding yourself that you’re passionate about your work and that completing it is an achievement can have mad power. It’s all about putting things in perspective, and remembering the real reason you’re doing this – which shouldn’t just be your ATAR.

3. Make the most of your teachers

When it comes to major works, the only people who have been there before and know the go are your teachers. Now this can sometimes be a bit of a rocky relationship – majors are often super creative and therefore super personal. You invest a lot of your time, effort and a little bit of your soul into them, so criticism can be hard to stomach. Just hear your teachers out, they’re always there when you need a hand. So take advantage of this – you’d be silly not to. Email them with anything and everything from small questions to full drafts, run ideas past them after class, and actually pay attention to the feedback they give you.

Believe it or not, helping you is actually their job.

4. Just. DO IT

Now imagine me saying that in Shia Laboeuf’s voice. Honestly, for most of us, when it comes to major works our greatest enemy is ourselves. Whether that be the constant hum of procrastination in the back of your head, or the perfectionism that means you may as well not even do it because it’s never going to be exactly right, there are more than a few mental hurdles to jump over.

I guess the first step here is acknowledging that these are perfectly understandable, and even normal thoughts, but they’re not exactly helpful. Remember that a draft is just a draft, anything can be tweaked, and your end mark isn’t going to be stamped on your forehead for the rest of your life – it’s something you can be quietly proud of.

Sometimes just getting started can be 75% of the battle, which is a beautiful segway to my last and best point:

5. Inspiration is for amateurs – the rest of us just get to work

It speaks for itself.

So, go forth, you creative tropical fish, and tackle those majors head on. Nothing works if you don’t.