My project was always intended to be an independent study, so I was prepared to do a project that required self-motivation the whole time. However, I was going to be somewhat reliant on other people, for example when the courts were open, when and where people could meet me, and in Alabama, my uncle’s work schedule. With my current project, my only time constraints are the cohort meetings and other school required meetings, but beyond those I’m completely on my own in terms of when, where, and how I do my work. Honestly I think this has been a good experience for me, because during the school year I have track practice every day after school so my days are highly structured and I don’t have a lot of time to experiment with procrastination because I start my work at 8pm anyways. During this project, where “work” is harder for me to quantify because I’m not turning in papers or doing problem sets where the end feels really immediate, I’ve found that I work pretty well in the morning and the evening, and I can do reading, or watch something at night, but I definitely can’t write at night. I work much better at my desk or the kitchen table than my bed, and I think right now more than ever it’s important to separate work/school from sleep and relaxation. 

Going back to my essential question, as I wrote in a previous CR, my question was purposefully vague since I had to change my project, so I left room for myself to do what I could. While I don’t think anyone could come up with one single or concrete answer to my essential question, I’ve definitely been working towards multiple answers to it. For example, my online class has helped me gain a philosophical, idealized understanding of our justice system, while the books and movies/documentaries I’ve watched have given me a more literal and proximate picture of the system.