I'm currently writing a 13-page term paper. Isn't that FUN???

[SmileyBoy]

It's due on Tuesday, but I need to have it finished by tomorrow, because I have OTHER shit I need to do for other classes.

I got a 1-liter bottle of Vault, and my ass is parked in this chair at the campus library computer cluster.

Life SUCKS.

[elshiva]

1. Sorry. That does SUCK.

:hug:

[SmileyBoy]

2. It really does SUCK.

I have 37 words written so far. I need probably around 5,000.

[driver8]

43. 37 so far?? You mean the title page, don't you??

Sorry -- couldn't resist.

[JohnKleeb]

3. Ouch

Whats it on man? I have to give a speech on Thursday so you have my sympathies.

[SmileyBoy]

4. Systemic, state and individual-level analysis on the Cuban Missile Crisis

3rd-year Political Science shit.

(It's my minor)

[JohnKleeb]

5. Shit even a history nerd like me can't do that

Good luck to you.

[SmileyBoy]

7. I think I'll be alright.

I've got a shitload of knowledge about the topic, but I think this paper will require a little bit of bullshitting on my part.

[JohnKleeb]

8. I had to do that last year with my Appalachia paper

I hope you don't have to do read the paper aloud, thats one thing I hate and dread doing.

[SmileyBoy]

9. No, I would shit my pants.

That's why I got a D in Public Speaking (COMM 110) when I was a freshman. I'm not a good public speaker...

[JohnKleeb]

10. I feel ya

Thats what my speech is going to be in introduction to speech communcation aka SPD 110, ironically enough on what causes my public speaking, Aspergers. Its a real eye opener learning about this. Good luck with your paper.

[elshiva]

6. EEEK! I can't help you at all! I was a religious studies major.

Sorry.

[Shine]

21. I majored in Politics in college. Brother, I have sooo been there.

:hug:

Good luck!

Be Brilliant.

You can do it.

[SmileyBoy]

22. Thanks.

Luckily for me, I already have a boadload of knowledge about the topic and criteria. I just have to spill it onto the computer, that's all.

[Left Is Write]

25. That sounds...challenging.

Good luck!

[GalleryGod]

46. Did about 55 pages on that general topic in '71.

Had about 200 footnotes and 18 primary sources if I recall...of course, Poli Sci wasn't my "minor",either.

[Lisa]

11. if it's any consolation, your instructor will be marking several dozen ...

... if your school is anything like mine. (Ours comes complete with office staff who yell at anyone who's late submitting marks.)

The fun will just keep on coming!


p.s. sorry I can't help -- out of my topic area -- but I will pitch in with smacking the math/sci people who insist that polisci, history, and all the other social sci and humanities students "never do anything hard".

[SmileyBoy]

12. I don't understand...

You mean, he'll just mark points off just for the hell of it??

[Lisa]

13. what I meant is -- they sometimes withhold instructors' pay ...

.... if they don't have all the papers marked in time for the deadline set by the academic records people. (So people like me, who will go back over assignments to make sure we didn't short-change students on marks, get penalized.)

p.s. Some faculty don't take marking seriously, and will just dock marks if they don't see what you're getting at on the first read-through (especially if they've got a big class to grade). But most of us try very hard to be fair -- last term, I threatened to quit if they didn't let me supervise a rewrite for a student who'd had a really bad semester, instead of giving her an "F".

[SmileyBoy]

14. Oh, I understand.

I think this is where my eloquent bullshitting writing capabilities will come in handy.:) I actually have a lot of knowledge on the topic, the only problem will be inserting researched cited sources into the paper. I also have to put in endnotes, and I have NO idea how to do that on Microsoft Word.

[Lisa]

48. one thing that might help -- be strategic with the BS!

I learned the hard way that the more one writes, the more text there is to critique! "Extrapolating" in the areas which seem to require more explanation and keeping it short otherwise, tends to minimize the risk of getting caught out in a contradiction or misunderstanding.

[Kellanved]

49. This may be hard, but try getting rid of word

Especially in bigger papers, it tends to cause more problems than it solves.

Personally I had very good experiences using latex/pdflatex for everything longer than ten pages. The result looks better, can easily be managed with CVS and the bibtex bibliography management helps really a lot. Plus: it doesn't crash. (http://www.miktex.org/ http://www.toolscenter.org/ http://www.lyx.org/ ...).

Then again, I have a math/IT major, so word wasn't really an option anyway (equations and listings are almost impossible in word).

[SmileyBoy]

15. GOOD NEWS!!! 644 words written!!!

I've got about 2 pages so far. Only 11 to go!!

[deadparrot]

16. Good luck, SB.

:hi:

[SmileyBoy]

17. Thanks!! Now I have 729 words!!

:D

[Kathleen04]

18. I feel your pain

At least it's 2 days early and not the night before, as is my mode of operation. :)

[Beware the Beast Man]

19. I've crapped bigger term papers than that.

:P

Just kidding.
Once you get started, you'll probably find you have way more that 13 pages. It's editing the damn thing down that's a killer. good luck!

[SmileyBoy]

20. That's true.

A lot of times, I end up writing like Stephen king, in that I end up writing a LOT more than I thought I would.

I've got 1,078 words on about 3 pages now. Good start, good start.

[SmileyBoy]

23. I've got over 3 pages done!! 1,180 words!!!

I think I'll take a break in a little bit...

[SmileyBoy]

24. 3 1/2 pages, 1,318 words. I'm rolling now!!

:7

[LynzM]

26. Good luck to you, SB....

I hope you can get in the zone and just go with it!

[Writer]

27. I feel your pain.

I'm working on my thesis.

Hang in there, man. One page at a time. :)

[SmileyBoy]

28. Bachelor's degree thesis??

Yeah, luckily for me, my thesis will be a set of presentation drawings, because I'm working for my architecture degree.

[Writer]

30. Master's. In Mass Comm. n/t

[SmileyBoy]

31. Nice... I bet it's at least 100 pages, right??

I was told that Masters thesii usually range from 100-120 pages.

[Writer]

36. 115 so far...

Theses can... but most are anywhere from 80-120. Mine will end up at about 130-135 or so.

And I have one... week... left. To finish writing and edit the entire thing.

[Kellanved]

44. hang in there

Finished mine a few weeks ago. The final 10 days can be a real strain.

Save often, save early ;).

[SmileyBoy]

29. I've got 1,724 words in 4 1/2 pages. I'll take a break pretty soon.

I need to take a break...:(

[SmileyBoy]

32. I've got 5 pages done!! 1,955 words!!!

WOO-HOO!!!:woohoo:

[gordontron]

33. dang I wish I had your writing speed

nicely done, keep on trucking

[SmileyBoy]

38. Thanks. I got 2,127 words in 5 1/2 pages now!!

:bounce:

[gordontron]

34. woops double post

--

[NJCher]

35. I'm laughing my head off at this thread

Especially as a teacher who has spent the last two hours blitzing through papers.

I think it's crazy for your instructor to ask for a 13-page paper all at once. I have my students do papers of that length in sections. First I have them write the body of the paper (and even that is done in three sections) and I make sure that everything they write has a source. I check out their sources, too. Amazing what a teacher finds.

I run their stuff through turnitin.com, too. Keeps 'em honest.

If your teacher did it my way, you wouldn't be in the position you're in. I know students will do this if you give them the opportunity, so I just don't allow them to do it to themselves.

I think my students not only turn in better papers with this method, they learn time management skills.

Anyway, good luck on finishing your paper, SmileyBoy. Forget about the "bullshit," though, as we can see right through it.

Nitey nite.




Cher

[SmileyBoy]

39. I actually wouldn't call it "bullshitting"...

More like "useful filler". I just try to incorporate as much information as I know about the subject. It's probably more on the filler side, but it's really not irrelevant bullshit.

[HEyHEY]

37. Wow, you just made me nostalgic for University

yikes

[Evoman]

40. Im writing my thesis

Masters in Biology

I know its probably going to end up at about 80 pages. The problem is, I have about 10 pages, most of it intro and materials and methods. My supervisor, I think, believes I have A LOT more done than I do.

Life sucketh.

Evoman

[Lisa]

50. if your committee complains the paper is too short ... remind them ...

... that they would have to read all of it! In our department, the problem is that theses and dissertations tend to be too long ... they are now considering a mandatory 100-page cap for the MSc/MA people, not including tables, figures, and references.

And my officemate just defended her 7-chapter, 350-page dissertation on forest fire susceptibility in southeast Asia, on Friday ... it's so thick, I swear that her desk is starting to sag under the weight of the unbound copy.

Good luck! Actually, the materials/methods are usually the most boring part to write ... and I had to go over my intro about a dozen times and still wasn't happy with it. So it should be more enjoyable from now on, speculating about the implications etc. -- and at this stage, seeing that you've laid down the base for the first half, it should feel better when you talk to your supervisor (better than if you didn't have anything written at all, as I found out the hard way with writer's block ...) Now stop browsing through DU and finish it up!

[SmileyBoy]

41. I think I'm gonna pick up on this at about 5am.

I've got 5.5 pages and 2,156 words done. i think I need to take a little break now.:)

[driver8]

42. I have two words of advice for you, "Triple space."

Life in college never sucks, my friend. You may be tired, busy, inconvenienced, broke, etc...but enjoy these days to the fullest!! I would love to go back to college for a week...a week! That's all I want...one small, measly week. Is that too much to ask?

[Flying Dream Blues]

47. Courier font is your friend, too. :) nt

[Lisa]

51. and instructors love wide margins! (n/t)

[GalleryGod]

45. Try grading those devils !? Now that's fun!

Not!
:argh: :nopity: :argh: