See, this is why I don't like Philosophy ;)

[thelibraniniquity]

A more colloquial version of [Berlin's arguments of two concepts of liberty/freedom] can be made thus: I am free to the extent that I can write this essay at a time of my choosing as long as it is completed and submitted before the final arbitrary deadline. This is a form of what Berlin would call ‘positive freedom’ as there are external forces that control when I must write this essay in order for it to achieve what I want – that is, to contribute towards my final degree – and as such is a less desirable notion than an idea that I am free to write this essay within a series of set conditions that do not actively impede creative thought and interpretation of available materials. Therefore I am free to write this essay in a manner that is distinctive and representative of myself. As with much of Berlin’s argument on his two concepts of liberty, this is much the same argument as for ‘positive’ liberty, except in a different context. The freedom I have to interpret the essay question is a good thing; the much more limited freedom I have with regards to the arbitrary deadline is not.