Paper Panic!

[Eddie Kant]

I hope you all can help me with the serious end-of-the-semester freakout that I'm having. I'm in my second semester of a MA in Literature program and while drad work was certainly a shock compared to my expectations coming into the fall semester, I did well and received good grades. The workload increased significantly in this spring semester though, and now I'm freaking out        about all of the paper writing that I have to do (approximately 50 pages). I'm sure there are many out there who are saying to themselves, "Fifty pages? Is that all?" Or, "Fifty pages? What did you expect?"

 

After last semester, I told myself that I would start on my papers early this time around. Although the effort was there this spring, it was not systematic. And, now I find myself significantly behind (I've been looking at time management strategies on Study Hacks such as the autopilot schedule to improve this in the future. Any other advice or input regarding time management and the structuring of worklife is greatly appreciated). I just turned in my first of three papers and had to ask for extensions on the remaining two, which were granted.

 

Other than the lack of a systematic approach, my problem is that I work slowly. This is my nature. However, I think that my perfectionism and fear of having myself/my work judged is what's getting in the way of me completing work on time. I think I expect masteripieces. Everything I write has to sound smart. On a good day, I write 2-3 pages. Some days, I spend my time working around roundblocks that present themselves in line of argumentation that I'm pursuing. By very rough estimation, I took me 2.5 weeks of doing nearly nothing else to write a 15 page paper on a topic very similar to one that I had already written on previously.

 

Please, please help me. How do people approach the paper writing process in grad schoo? I know everyone is different, but how long should a 20 page paper take to research and write? How many pages per day? Words per hour? What can I do to make writing come easier? How do I get past what I think is likely the culprit here, i.e. my unrealistically high standards? Someone please echo the rational voice in my head that tells me that it is the substance of the material and not the language or perceived sophistication that is used as the benchmark for measuring quality work.

 

Please share your experiences. I'm sure there are many out there that would benefit beyond just myself. Thank you in advance!!!

 

[Andean Pat]

Hi! 

 

I am terribly sorry you are experience such things! It's awful to always be behind writing because of poor time management. Now, this is what I usually do (I am a slow worker myself, especially slow reader, but I am not in grad school yet) and what I sometimes advise my (high school) students. I hope it helps!

 

Write an abstract. Even though you are not presenting these papers at journals or conferences, writing the abstract is a great exercise to know what you want to do with that article. In my high school classes, I ask my students to brainstorm a web map, with the main points they want to make, the sources they will use and their conclusion. In my case, writing the abstract is helpful because you stick to that, you don't waste time wondering around lines of argument that do not collaborate with your main point. 

 

Plan backwards. This is something I learned as a teacher. If you paper is due to, say, May 15th, then it should be finished, for example, three days before that so that you have time to proof read it. Then, two days before that date, your conclusion should be finished. Four days before that, the introduction, and so forth until day zero (today). Now, if you write down this schedule in a monthly planner that you see everyday it gets easier to follow. 

 

Plan your paper. I learned this from my undergrad advisor. Get a page or a word doc and note down the main sections of your paper. In each section, write the main points you want to make, including the conclusion. As you read and write, your plan will change because you'll add more sections and/or more points that you want to make. 

 

Last but not least, have a look at this. It is an amazing guide on how to write a paper. I TRULY RECOMMEND IT. 

 

I am sure many people here will give more and better advise but I hope mine inspired you a little bit. Don't give up!

[Eddie Kant]

Thanks for the reply Andean Pat! Your response was helpful in a number of ways. It helped to clarify for me that the challenges that I experience have less to do with the planning of an essay's substance and more to do with the planning of its execution. I think that I need methods for time management and the creation of structure. Your suggestion about working backwards is super helpful. The problem I have is still figuring out what are reasonable periods of time to have certain tasks completed by, e.g. when research absolutely must without exception be completed no matter how incomplete I suspect my thesis to be . But, again, that is really helpful. Thank you! Hopefully others have some more insight for the organizationally and standardizationally challenged grad folk here.

[somethinbruin]

Hi Eddie,

 

As a fellow English MA (soon to be PhD) I LOVE talking about writing! Be it success or horror stories, I love working with student writing.

 

WIth regard to how long it "should" take you to write, I think that's a matter of determining or knowing how you work best. I personally spend a TON of time reading (over-researching, actually) and notating. The writing part comes pretty quickly to me. My classmate, on the other hand, makes his way through the research stage rather quickly, but writes rather slowly. So our timetables and processes are different, even if we're working on the same paper for the same class. He is consistently working on draft #2 or #3 when I finally stop researching and start writing. We both understand how our process works best.

 

I view my semester as a system of "triage" in which I have to prioritize my tasks. After about the second week of classes, I'll sit down and consider due dates, paper requirements, etc, and determine which paper is the "easiest." I will then determine when I want that paper finished (usually in the next three weeks), and get it out of the way early. I find that getting the first one done helps immensely with my stress level. After that, I prioritize the rest of the semester's tasks into a game plan (I also work backward like Andean Pat, based on when I want each project finished). This game plan gets put into my master calendar, which has all of my obligations planned into it. This helps me see how my school life and my "outside" life work together and conflict in tangible, visible ways. It also lets me break each day into manageable chunks that can be given specific tasks. So instead of saying "This week, I have to write a draft," I can say something more concrete. "To write my draft this week, I need to spend Monday afternoon reading/notating these three articles." Then after Monday, I can assess what needs to be done for Tuesday, so on and so forth. 

 

This is involved, and it may not be ideal for you. I think it all boils down to finding what works for you, then developing the discipline to stick to it. I really, really struggle with this. Sometimes I don't stick to my system as well as I would like. When I stumble, I strategize how I'm going to recover rather than beating myself up about it. My system is there to help me, not cripple me when I don't adhere. 

 

With regard to your perfectionism, I would say that drafting is your friend. Write the first draft with the conscious thought that your first draft is just about getting the ideas on the page and is therefore intentionally imperfect. It is allowed to have problems! Problems are good. It lets you wrestle with difficult things (can you tell I'm a theory nerd?). When you are writing the first draft, don't allow yourself to grind to a halt if you come across a problem. Keep writing or move on to something else (a whole other section of the paper if you need to). This is the draft that you use to identify imperfections, then work toward address them.

 

If you need some externally imposed pressure to get your draft done, consider setting an appointment at your school's writing center. Then you can have a "deadline" for your draft and also get the added benefit of getting an extra set of eyes to look over it. (Full disclosure: I work at my school's writing center, so I'm a shameless shill for writing centers). Writing centers also can offer a judgment-free environment where you can get valuable practice in dealing with criticism of your writing. 

 

Finally, realize that no piece of writing is ever finished--it just reaches the point where it can be turned in. (This is my generic knock-off of da Vinci's "Art is never finished, only abandoned.") There is no perfect piece of writing. I've never gotten a paper back with no criticism on it, and I never will. Your task is to make it as strong as possible, then release it to the world so all can see your brilliance!

 

Best of luck as you finish out your semester! Courage!