Term papers?

[peter12]

Anyone else been sitting at their computer for about 3 hours trying to get started on the dread term papers? I got a poli one due monday and I have maybe 2 pages of notes.

HOW does one get motivated?

[albertGQ]

I graduated a couple years ago, so term papers are a thing of the past for me. Mwaahhahahahh.

Good luck though!

[calgaryred]

motivaton for me is I want to pass the class! Paying for tuition sucks and I certainly don't want my money to go wasted.

[peter12]

It's really killing me. Writing about conflicting post 9/11 Con and Lib values is not my friend.

[albertGQ]

When I went to the UofC, I would always pick my courses based on if there is a term paper or not. I would rather take a course with two mid-terms then one with a term paper and a mid term.

And if I had to do a term paper, I would make sure I study for the mid-terms and ace my assignments because I would always do my papers half asssed since I know I won't get a good mark on it anyway so why spend dozens and dozens of hours on it

[peter12]

Thats what I do too, but writing papers is such a huge part of Poli Sci it's kind of unavoidable.

[albertGQ]

Originally posted by peter12@Nov 13 2004, 02:51 PM
Thats what I do too, but writing papers is such a huge part of Poli Sci it's kind of unavoidable.

Then change majors!!!

[FlamesAddiction]

In a way I'm lucky because I'm taking all science courses this semester. A lot of labs, but no term papers. I do have to do a big presentation in a couple of weeks though. I hate those things. I have done probably close to a dozen in my university career, but I still crap my pants every time.

[albertGQ]

Originally posted by FlamesAddiction@Nov 13 2004, 02:57 PM
In a way I'm lucky because I'm taking all science courses this semester. A lot of labs, but no term papers. I do have to do a big presentation in a couple of weeks though. I hate those things. I have done probably close to a dozen in my university career, but I still crap my pants every time.

Yeah, presentations were never my thing. Although I am known as a people person who is very outgoing, I would always get extremely nervous before a presentation, even if it was a group presentation

[Ozy_Flame]

I'm trying to get around to doing my POLI437 paper, but it's just not happening lol. There's more important things to do in life, like drink beer and play GTA: San Andreas.

[peter12]

I have never had a problem with presentations, in fact I love them. I do ok on papers it just takes me about 19004 hours to actually start them. And I also have a ######ed book review to do for monday on the exciting topic of the Chinese communitry in Vancouver. This is the first time I have had to do a book review since like grade 9, which begs the question how do I do one?

[Kidder]

With careful elaboration each individual note can be transformed into one paragraph. 2 pages of notes could suffice for a 20 page term paper. Plus your introduction and conclusion are just summaries, so you have plenty to work with.

Just follow this easy guide for each paragraph:

introductory sentence.
setting up your little factoid sentence.
the actual researched factoid. (quote)
reflecting on or summarizing the factoid sentence.
A 'deep' or personal insight on the factoid sentece.
transition into the next paragraph sentence.

Repeat until you reach the desired length.

Problem with me is I don't know where to even start with the research so I usually don't start at all, or at least until it's too late.

[peter12]

Same here Kidder. Then I go way overboard on the research and end up completely overwhelmed. For example I went to the U of C library yesterday to get my 4 non-Internet sources, I came home with 11 books.

[lucid]

Ugh. I feel the same way.
I usually go way overboard with the research (except this year, when I've barely gotten anything done!). I see many late, late nights in the near future for me....
1 paper done... 3 to go. :unsure:

[peter12]

Originally posted by lucid@Nov 13 2004, 04:20 PM
Ugh. I feel the same way.
I usually go way overboard with the research (except this year, when I've barely gotten anything done!). I see many late, late nights in the near future for me....
1 paper done... 3 to go. :unsure:

History major? I got a friend doing that and he had 5 term papers!!! He started way back in September.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by FlamesAddiction@Nov 13 2004, 03:57 PM
In a way I'm lucky because I'm taking all science courses this semester. A lot of labs, but no term papers. I do have to do a big presentation in a couple of weeks though. I hate those things. I have done probably close to a dozen in my university career, but I still crap my pants every time.

I had a presentation once while in uni and I was totally nervous. It was on a Thomas Pynchon book (which means quite hard to crack) and I was unsure of my material and the whole nine-yards. Panic attacks, shaking hands, my ladyfriend at the time even gave me a good luck charm to keep in my pocket. It was ugly.

So I get done with the thing in one piece and I'm thinking yeah, I did pretty good. Get the mark a week later and the guy says something like "it was a good analysis of the material but your demeanor during it was far too relaxed and informal". I was sitting up there thinking I'm going to puke and the guy says I was too relaxed. Sheesh.

My advice to term-paper writers is this -- get thee a doctor's appointment if you don't think you'll make it with a good paper. Complain of headaches or chest cold or lupus or a bad back or something and get a note. Profs have to take those notes and will give you a little leeway and some motivation to boot. I once actually got a final postponed for a month and wrote a fall-semester final in the middle of January. I wasn't even enrolled in the University any more (I was done, I just needed that mark).

I just look at it as being resourceful. It's real-world training when you get right down to it.*



*no it's not, it's lying and cheating

[Mightyfire89]

Please don't take this post the wrong way, I'm not trying to be a knob to all you poli-sci people (or people with post-secondary education in general...I only went as far as finishing high school), but what does a degree in this field do for you? What sort of job are you looking at that requires this? Also, if this is your chosen field of study and you genuinely require it for future employment, wouldn't the fact that it pains you to do a term paper on it be a sign that perhaps this is the wrong path for you?

Again, I'm not trying to offend anyone. Good on all of you for furthering your education...I wasn't built for the classroom. It's just that I've always wondered about this.

[peter12]

I want to go into law or some sort of foreign relations gig, Political Science is one of the best degrees for that sort of thing. I personally love learning about political stuff, languages, international development, I just hate writing research essays on it. Something I hopefully won't ever have to do if/when I ever get a job.

[albertGQ]

Originally posted by mightyfire89@Nov 13 2004, 04:23 PM
Please don't take this post the wrong way, I'm not trying to be a knob to all you poli-sci people (or people with post-secondary education in general...I only went as far as finishing high school), but what does a degree in this field do for you? What sort of job are you looking at that requires this? Also, if this is your chosen field of study and you genuinely require it for future employment, wouldn't the fact that it pains you to do a term paper on it be a sign that perhaps this is the wrong path for you?

Again, I'm not trying to offend anyone. Good on all of you for furthering your education...I wasn't built for the classroom. It's just that I've always wondered about this.

After I got my degree, I am asking myself the same question

[Oxygen-Supply]

Originally posted by peter12@Nov 13 2004, 09:36 PM
Anyone else been sitting at their computer for about 3 hours trying to get started on the dread term papers? I got a poli one due monday and I have maybe 2 pages of notes.

HOW does one get motivated?

Yeah,
final papers ever!!!!

I got one page done today