[amcrouch]

I have worked on projects which are developed against stupid deadlines where getting the code out is all that matters. These projects are always doomed to maintenance overheads and cost.

I agree with the comments below that state code the simplest solution to make your tests pass but learn the best approach to tackle given problems so they are second nature.

My experience has shown me that learning various principles and pattens results in smaller code bases that make maintenance and refactoring easy. In turn you are able to deliver quicker.

That being said, its not always so easy to achieve with established code bases.