soprano
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Posts: 19
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« Reply #15 on: December 08, 2007, 01:31:23 AM » |
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hairylarry,
If I'm truly clueless about what to do, I look back over my notes and think about what interested me during the semester. Then I just start doing a little preliminary research - articles etc. That is usually enough to help me narrow it down. Or, I'll think about what will help me concerning my own work and thesis and gear my work towards that. Or, if that doesn't work, I'll take a quick look at the table of contents for the leading journals in my field for the past few months/year or so. Whatever recurs, that I need to know about, is what I'll write about. Or, if that doesn't work, I look to see what kind of research is going on in the department (or outside) that I'd like to work on and see what they are researching (sometimes there are sources there). Then I write the paper on that - you can kill three birds with one stone - first you learn about the domain, second your paper gets written, and third you now have a good excuse for contacting people in that lab or department either now or later and getting your foot in the door. You could try bouncing ideas off of a friend who is particularly creative (and can generate ideas). Or, if you have time and it won't make you look bad, you can talk with your professor and ask if they can suggest a few topics. Or brainstorm on a piece of paper - uncensored for about 5 minutes or so. Finally, if all else fails, you can look at a few of the readings that you were assigned in class and look at their sources. If you see that a handful of sources are mentioned over and over again, you can try to map your paper to those sources since you'll probably need to know them anyway. It is a bit backwards, but it can work.
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dr_prephd
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« Reply #16 on: December 10, 2007, 07:15:20 AM » |
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Many of you still have papers to write, and it sounds like some of you still need topics. My question is: with a deadline quickly approaching, how do you formulate your paper topics? Usually throughout the course of the semester a few ideas will occur to me, but I'm in a particular course right now that I find very abstract, and consequently very difficult to write a 20pg paper for it.
When I'm under a time-crunch and feeling not-so-creative, I do a sort-of backwards process. I start with the details and then decide my argument. Strange, but it works. I start with the quotations. I'll insert 10 or 15 quotations that caught my eye, then see if there is any link between them, or any argument I can formulate based upon those. I'll rearrange them in an outline fashion, and then write the topic sentences. Then I'll fill in my own arguments, do the intro. and conclusion, and I'm done. I'll save it and come back to it to edit and tighten up, but generally, I can do a paper this way in less than a day. |
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Prephd, in all that black, you are like the anti-pink-me. Freewill is a beeyaaatch
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rhetoricma
New member
Posts: 18
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« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2007, 10:11:40 PM » |
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Presentation 1
Presentation 2
Paper 1 - 15 pgs.
Paper 2 - 20 pgs. (only 1 pg. done, due Wed. at 5 pm - busy Tuesday!)
PhD apps - 2 done, 7 left
Book review
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stanwyck
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« Reply #18 on: December 11, 2007, 10:02:37 AM » |
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Follow-up (just to waste time):
20 page paper (mostly a descriptive section for the dissertation) [feeling the burn on this one--research is complete, motivation is non-existent]
8 page paper (foreign language class) [rough draft finished, need to check my grammar in a few places]
2 book reviews (I've read the books, anyway) [second drafts done, need to polish them up]
1 final presentation (foreign language class)
1 final exam (foreign language class) [end of the week]
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hairylarry
Junior member
Posts: 52
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« Reply #19 on: December 11, 2007, 02:49:10 PM » |
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Another follow-up to waste time:
1. 10 page paper due this Friday
2. 10 page paper due this Friday
3. 20 page paper due this Friday (halfway done!)
4. Exam on December 17 (still have to study)
5. Exam on December 18 (still have to study)
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dr_prephd
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« Reply #20 on: December 11, 2007, 07:28:06 PM » |
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I just sent the last exam off into the ether.
Anyone wanna hit the bar with me now?
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Prephd, in all that black, you are like the anti-pink-me. Freewill is a beeyaaatch
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grad_geek
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« Reply #21 on: December 11, 2007, 09:14:43 PM » |
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I just sent the last exam off into the ether.
Anyone wanna hit the bar with me now?
I think I just hit the bar with you without realizing I was doing it. I finished my last paper today, so I went out to dinner tonight. I learned that my favorite restaurant just quit selling their wine by the glass, and now only sells it in 16 ounce mini-bottles. Good thing I left the car at home and took the bus... cheers to all! GG |
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stanwyck
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« Reply #22 on: December 13, 2007, 11:09:53 PM » |
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20 page paper [done! 27 pages + 3 appendices + 6 images + bibliography]
8 page paper (foreign language class) [a bit short, but the instructor said "chalega," so that's all good]
2 book reviews [second drafts done, need to polish them up]
1 final presentation (foreign language class)
1 final exam (foreign language class) [tomorrow night]
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mr_55
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« Reply #23 on: December 14, 2007, 12:24:23 AM » |
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...only...one...exam...left. I've made. Then I have to drive 1000 kms to a performing engagement and another 500km round trip to an interview for an administrative job at a SLAC next week. But, at least I will be out of the exciting plains where I live.
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captain_obvious
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« Reply #24 on: December 16, 2007, 12:16:58 AM » |
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Hope everyone's doing well. I'm, um, a little behind.
Theoretically, I'm supposed to turn in:
*20 page paper on the 18th (I've written 10 pages)
*20 page paper on the 19th (I've done 1/2 the reading, no writing yet)
*10 page paper on the 21 (I've done the reading, no writing yet)
I already turned in a research proposal.
Ok, so in my defense I had bronchitis for a week and then we had a major household disaster (details would give me away, but suffice it to say I've spent 4 of the last 7 days dealing with the city and various emergency repair and utility people). So I'm having a hard time. But still, the amount I've got left is just ridiculous. eeep!
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bewilderedta
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« Reply #25 on: December 16, 2007, 02:42:12 PM » |
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I am on page 9 of a 15 pager due tomorrow. Page 11 of a 20 pager due Tuesday. Why am I posting this here? Because if I don't take a moment off I will bang my head against the wall with great force.
My writing process:
4-6 weeks before due date: select topic, talk to prof, start researching
2-3 weeks before due date: write outline, talk to prof, revise and research more
1 week before due date: write a detailed outline and a few pages; class discussion of work-in-progress
2 days before due date: completely change thesis, write maniacally and hope for the best
This needs to change...
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