Monday, November 29, 2010
To Write those End-of-Term Essays?
Bliss Hall is buzzing, and everywhere I look I see students with books and papers. Faculty offices are filled with students with paper drafts and questions about their sources. A semester's work of thinking, reading, and discussing is all coming to fruition with the final essay of the course. It is both wonderful and a little scary.
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I definitely agree. During the past two weeks, I have been one of those bustling Bliss students. With a fifteen page LIT 499 paper, a thirty page Spanish research paper, and a seventy page independent study paper, these past few weeks have really been hectic! I hope everyone is enjoying their last few weeks of the semester; I know that I am really proud of all the hard work I have put into these papers. You all should be too!
ReplyDeleteAshley Edwards
English majors have a love-hate relationship with those final essays and research papers.
ReplyDeleteI know I will subject myself to a few late-nighters, a mug of caffeinated tea in hand and a stack of books strewn across my desk. Thank goodness my roommate is of the same literature-loving species, otherwise I would risk complaints about my 4 am paper-shuffling!
My immune system will suffer, but it has to be done. The stress provides an endorphin rush. The challenge is thrilling. The tension and urgency will soon give way to something better. When those papers are all typed up and printed out, the sense of accomplishment will be the greatest feeling!
I know that no one wants to hear this, but remember that faculty will read all of these final examinations and papers. Generally speaking, we look forward to the reading (although we generally dislike grading them). So as you're thinking, "How can she ask me to write 15 pages about Spenser and Milton" or "I can't believe she thinks I can come up with ten intelligent pages about the English language," remember that your professors are going to be reading those pieces--and the twenty more written by your peers.
ReplyDeleteI know this feeling! Recently I have been trying out new techniques to kick the procrastination valve and jump start the energizer bunny within. So far, running in the afternoon and yoga early in the morning have helped me keep physically in the game. Mentally, I was given a mantra that will hopefully get me to the finish line. A friend, watching my face transfigure from cool, calm, and collected to deer in head lights, grabbed my arm and exclaimed. "Listen! Stop thinking! Just Do!" That is what I am doing. I am just going to DO! Good Luck everyone!
ReplyDeleteAs a student I was always very annoyed by having to write papers and then I became a teacher... and I have to concur-- writing the papers is 10x easier than having to read 25 of them AND provide decent comments AND grade them. But I have come to the conclusion that papers are like vegetables-- you don't like them, but they ARE good for you!
ReplyDeleteOne of my courses had a rolling due date for the final paper, determined by ABC order. At first I cursed the fact that my last name started with B and I was one of the first to hand my final paper in, but now I'm so glad that I'm done with it, and already have my grade!
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