Calling all PS students re: papers, papers, papers!

[onvacation]

I''m in the process of writing my final papers, and I''ve hit a wall. It feels like I''ve been hanging onto this paper for weeks, but I''ve only actually sat with it for a few days. I wonder how long it usually takes other people to write them?

So... (I know this is kinda depressing, but here goes)

1) How long are your final papers, usually?

Mine are about 25+. Blech.

2) How long does it take you to write a paper? Say, 15 pages?

Much much much too long.

3) Anyone have an interesting writing process?

For me, it''s write some, PS some, then back to writing. I''m not going to go into the ratios!

I can''t wait to be done with my two papers and start summer break already! I desperately need to get off PS

 

[sparklyheart]

Date: 5/11/2009 5:47:34 PM
Author:onvacation
I''m in the process of writing my final papers, and I''ve hit a wall. It feels like I''ve been hanging onto this paper for weeks, but I''ve only actually sat with it for a few days. I wonder how long it usually takes other people to write them?

So... (I know this is kinda depressing, but here goes)

1) How long are your final papers, usually?

Mine are about 25+. Blech.

2) How long does it take you to write a paper? Say, 15 pages?

Much much much too long.

3) Anyone have an interesting writing process?

For me, it''s write some, PS some, then back to writing. I''m not going to go into the ratios!

I can''t wait to be done with my two papers and start summer break already! I desperately need to get off PS

Ahh papers...

1) I don''t have *final* papers, just papers throughout the semesters.. Usually 20-40 pages.
2) Much much too long, also. If I start it weeks or months before it''s due then it will take me weeks or months to get it done. If I start it two days before then it will take me 1 1/2 days

3) I definitely have to mix writing with doing anything else... playing on the internet, cleaning, shopping

, playing with my dogs.. ANYTHING. Besides that, I usually find all my articles, read/highlight my points, then make my reference page and citations before I start writing. That used to be the last thing I would do and I often ended up leaving it off completely or half-way doing it. This way I have citations to copy/paste into the paper and when I''m done typing the paper and editing I''m really DONE.

What are your papers about? Anything fun? Good luck!!

 

[mayachel]

1) How long are your final papers, usually?

Varies. Currently I''m doing chapter by chapter and am not supposed to be more than 7pages.

2) How long does it take you to write a paper? Say, 15 pages?

Much much much too long.<---ditto

If I start around 8am...
First I complain
Then I eat
Then I read
Then I complain
Then I shower...
then around 8pm I get down to work and produce crazy amounts of writing in the next 5 hours.

3) Anyone have an interesting writing process?

"For me, it''s write some, PS some, then back to writing. I''m not going to go into the ratios!"

Yup, this is sounding familiar

We moved into our first home, the same week I started grad school. SO, we have a giant closet filled to overflowing with "mayachel''s boxes" that have not been unpacked.
We still don''t have curtains on the windows or anything on the walls. I''m looking fwd to all that jazz in the two weeks I have off before summer classes start.

 

[sparklyheart]

Date: 5/11/2009 5:58:51 PM
Author: mayachel


If I start around 8am...
First I complain
Then I eat
Then I read
Then I complain
Then I shower...
then around 8pm I get down to work and produce crazy amounts of writing in the next 5 hours.

Sounds about right!

 

[mayachel]

I totally hit a wall about 35 minutes ago. And am pausing briefly to share how I got myself back on track. I turned to pandora.com radio and programed a channel based on "Sweet Honey in The Rock" a fab female acapella black spiritual group. Then it got me rolling on a whole bunch of foot stomping, clapping, jump around traditional music.

I jumped around the living room for a good 10minutes and now have it turned down in the background to keep me pushing forward.

Good luck sister thesis/paper writers.

 

[Haven]

Are these research papers? For which discipline are you writing these papers? Can you share a thesis from one of your papers to give us an idea of what type of papers you''re writing?

 

[mayachel]

I am doing a MS in midwifery. My main focus right now is designing a research experiment that studies the efficacy of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage on the symptoms of dysmenorrhea- a severe compilation of menstrual cramping, nausea, pain etc...

Right now I''m in my taking "Research 1" and this study will be developed over the course of three semesters.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 5/11/2009 8:28:00 PM
Author: mayachel
I am doing a MS in midwifery. My main focus right now is designing a research experiment that studies the efficacy of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage on the symptoms of dysmenorrhea- a severe compilation of menstrual cramping, nausea, pain etc...


Right now I''m in my taking ''Research 1'' and this study will be developed over the course of three semesters.

mayachel - that sounds so cool and interesting! I am embarrassed to admit I don''t think I knew you could get a graduate degree in midwifery (totally makes sense now that I think about it).

I used to be in the procrastinate as long as possible, and then bang out the paper in a short period of time camp.

Now that I''m in grad school though, and submitting papers to peer-reviewed journals, I feel a whole new sort of pain in writing them. I recently submitted my first paper, and my graduate advisor must have edited it close to 40 times. He would go through and change his own changes from the last draft. Made me totally crazy - I have never been so sick of a document in my entire life

 

[OUpearlgirl]

1. My papers are anywhere from 12-25 pages.
2. Umm I usually take about 45 minutes a page.
3. No real process... I just do a little bit a day so that I don''t get overwhelmed. But sometimes I get realllly involved and spend several hours writing.

UGHHHHHHH I''m tired of writing!!

 

[luckystar112]

1) How long are your final papers, usually?

I''m an undergrad still, so my longest paper was 15 pages. Most of them are around 7-10 pages though.

2) How long does it take you to write a paper? Say, 15 pages?

From beginning to end (not counting the multiple breaks between), I''d estimate anywhere from 12 to 36 hours.

3) Anyone have an interesting writing process?

-Pretty soon after getting the assignment I''ll devote one day to finding the sources. Not reading them or taking notes, just browsing titles that I might want to look at later. I bookmark all of them (I''m too lazy to actually go to the library so I use my school''s online library which is just as good).

-Then I take a month long break and don''t even think about the paper. lol.

-Eventually I''ll get around to reading all the sources. If there is one I like I will put all Works Cited information in Microsoft word and take notes or copy/paste any relevant information that I may need underneath. I do this for every single source.

- Once I''m done, I change the text color for each individual source. One source will be purple, one red, and so on.

-Then I develop my outline. This is where the color-coding comes in handy because I copy and paste the information from the sources into the right sections. The color coding helps me to remember where I read it. Also, if three sources say the same exact thing it''s easier for me to remember to note that in my in-text citations.

-I take a break for a couple of weeks.

-I write the paper without formatting anything or putting in any citations. I dive right into the substance of the paper, skipping the introduction and conclusion sections until I''m finished (I find that this makes things so much easier, or else I''d just stare at my screen wondering what the heck my first sentence should say).

-I forget about it for another week.

-The paper is due in two days so I do my intro and conclusion, format it to MLA or whatever is required, and do my citations. I read it over and over and have my DH read it so he can tell me if it "flows".

-I turn it in. Voila!

 

[swimmer]

Good luck to all of you!

My favorite writing tool is zotero http://www.zotero.org/ When you use firefox as your browser zotero will save links, your notes, and the bibliographical information for books, journal articles, or really anything that you find in your research. You can then have different lists for different topics and then you never lose track of your research. I''m about halfway through my dissertation, so that is now more than 400 sources divided into 7 themes with about 4 subheadings per theme. It would have been so easy to get lost along the way. More importantly, zotero is free and does all your citation and bibliography formatting for you. I sound like a freakin'' infomercial. Used to use endnote, but that is spendy and not super mac compatible. You could also use delicious.com but that wouldn''t create a bibliography.

Hmmm, if you were doing a web-based diamond hunt or a ring hunt it would actually work for that as well.

Oh, and my reward system is peanut m&ms. At the end of each paragraph completed on the dissertation I get one. With revisions I have a complicated formula for (time/degree of difficulty) x intensity of hatred= regularity of M&Ms.

 

[mayachel]

What a great concept swimmer, I''ve never heard of this tool before. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Haven]

I didn''t answer your questions. I recently finished my second master''s, my papers were anywhere from five to 25 pages long for that program.

I teach writing, and I''ve developed a method of teaching the writing process over the years based on research and my own writing habits. This is my process:
- Proposal. This serves as an abstract of the paper I plan to write. I use the proposal to see if I really understand the topic I''m planning on researching, and if I''ve really reached a research-worthy assertion. This drives my research.
- Research.
- Thesis. I develop a working thesis based on my pre-research.
- Annotated bib plus notecards. I pull worthy quotes from my research, write each on a notecard, then write the author and title on the back with a brief sentence stating how this quote will help further my thesis.
- Outline. I group the notecards based on which I can use to support similar assertions or supporting details. I then use these groupings to write a basic outline.
- Revise thesis.
- Draft 1.
- Don''t touch it for a few days. Pass it around to a friend to revise for fluidity of ideas, content, etc.
- Revise for content and ideas.
- Edit for grammar and usage.
- Draft 2. Repeat the passing around and revision and editing process.
- Draft until I''m satisfied with the final product.
- Publish.

I teach writing as a method in my English and writing classes, so my students write using this process, as well. It has worked incredibly well for them, and I''m proud to say that they have created some outstanding work. It''s a lot of grading for me, but it''s totally worth it.

 

[princesss]

Let''s see, as an undergrad, the papers were between 5-20 pages, and it averaged 5 pages per hour. BUT my process usually went something like this:

Research
Procrastinate
More research
Dinner
Chat with BF
Watch Law and Order: Criminal Intent (though SVU would do in a pinch)
Have a soda
Look at the clock
Freak out
Spread all research around me on the floor in piles sorted by topic sentence
Type like a madwoman for a few hours
Sleep
Wake up
Drink diet soda
Write bibliography
Try to print
Curse printer
Try to figure out paper title
Print title page
Turn in

 

[princessplease]

1) How long are your final papers, usually?
I''ve written papers as short as 10 pages, and most recently, 35 pages.

2) How long does it take you to write a paper? Say, 15 pages?
I try to break it up in segments, maybe 3 pgs over 5 days to make it like smaller assignments

3) Anyone have an interesting writing process?
Not really. I sit on my couch with my laptop and let the juices flow. I definitely do all of my research first, and if I''m short on sources or have a very narrow topic, I look in the references section of an article already written on my topic.

Princess, love your writing process