How You Do ANYTHING Is How You Do EVERYTHING

 

How you do anything is how you do everything: 

a short, true story:

Once upon a time, before I was known as a Troll Witch (which is yet another short, true story), I had a very exceptional student named Tim, who decided to major in both history and English. As brilliant as he was, he could not decide which discipline he would pursue in graduate school. Instead, he chose to work.  Because he had attended Berry College, in Rome, Georgia, he had been taught skills, as well as academics. For a couple of years after college, Tim supported himself and his wife as a house painter--inside, outside--whole or part--whatever was need. It was also about that time that our first home needed painting.

My husband and I were frustrated. We had had the house painted just a couple of years previously, but still the house was in need of a  new coat. Naturally, we chose Tim. Where it had taken the first painters less than a week to paint our house, it took Tim over a month. Instead of slapping a fresh coat of paint on top of the existent paint, Tim began by stripping off every layer of paint until he reached the bare wood. Next, he caulked between every board on the house. He replaced a couple of facer boards and even worked on a back window in need of repair. Then he applied two coats of primer; two were necessary since the wood basically soaked up the first coat. Finally . . .  he applied the the trim paint and final exterior coats. The house looked as new as a 100 year old house could look.

My husband had been unsure what it would be like hiring Tim to do the work, but he was far more impressed than I was with the final outcome. "You're not surprised?" he asked me.

"No," I responded. "I had Tim in class; I KNOW what kind of work he does. It doesn't matter if it's writing a paper or painting a house. His work is excellent. It's exceptional. It's just like Tim."

Eventually, Tim chose history. He is now an assistant professor of history at West Georgia College & University.

How you do anything is how you do everything. ~  Zen Expression

Why do a research paper?

A research paper is not a wicked form of punishment or deliberate torture, though it does seem that way when one is a student.

• Research papers require the highest forms of critical thinking. Writing a research paper asks you to analyze the topic, seek information, evaluate the information, determine what you can use, then synthesize the specific evidence into your own work in such a way that it supports your position.  The student must also adhere to all the conventions of written language, consider transitions, logic and coherence, maintain organization, AND all this work is for an average paper--one that earns a "C."
• No matter what field of study or position you hope to pursue some day, there will be a level of complexity that requires in-depth consideration and requires you to follow a specific procedure or process. Hopefully, if it is in your chosen field it will be less painful than writing a research paper in English 1101, BUT it will still require you to be specific and detailed.
• It is work. It is hard. It is life. No excuses. Just do it.  ALL the cliches are true. Get over it; understand that EVERYONE you are in class with is having similar difficulties, time constraints, and the same deadline.
• There will check points between now and the day the final draft is due. You need to be in class for each of those, since each required portion will count as a daily grade, and work outside of class to be prepared for the next class.

How you do anything is how you do everything. ~  Zen Expression

Writing a research paper--even a very SHORT research essay--is work. It is a process that one must work through and it is not done well overnight.

Expect to put in serious time in reading and research.
Expect to put in time in writing an initial draft.
Expect to put in MORE time determining what amount of research you will put into your paper, where it will fit into your argument and how you will incorporate it.
It is not easy for anyone, if the paper is done well. There is much truth in the statement that "the devil's in the details." You must be willing to be meticulous in the citations and the works cited page, both of which combined are referred to as documentation.
You will need to refer to the information on this blog, in the text, and seek assistance, as needed.

How you do anything is how you do everything. ~  Zen Expression

The fun doesn't end with the research paper. The day you turn in your research paper, you will receive an introduction, outline and overview of the points that need to be noted in The Kite Runner, which you will need to read over Thanksgiving. There will be a quiz when you return--over the whole book.