i know i should have started researching my final paper for global evangelical movement a long time ago. i had an idea, started researching it this afternoon, and got somewhere, i thought.
then i went to talk to the professor. my crying-in-his-office record? 3 of 4 times. so today he chewed me out for waiting until the 11th hour. i had some good reasons for him, but some not-so-good reasons. and really, i just don't want to have to take his class again. so i don't care about getting an A, i just don't want to fail. and thankfully, i can re-write my proposal if it isn't good enough. which is due tomorrow (the first draft). so hopefully i can crank something out tonite that is good enough that earns at least a B-, then i'll just go on from there.
but really, his expectations are ridiculously high. the required reading for the class totals over 2500 pages, double the norm. not to mention whatever i read on my own for the 2 smaller research papers and the final (20 page) paper. ugh.
my point is that i'm not a student of history and i don't know how to approach history with a "line of inquiry" that he wants. it's history! all i know how to do is regurgitate it! his point today was that he can't help me wrestle with the material until i've done the reading myself. once i've read, say, 500 pages and have a dozen sources, he can help me form an argument with it.
i almost got up and walked out. then i realized that it probably wouldn't help our relationship very much.
so now i'm at the library, with a nearly dead computer (the new one, mind you, since i had to buy a new one last week since i spilled coffee all over the "old" one) and i forgot my power cord. and i'm checking my friends' blogs, catching up on emails, and writing this post.
even better, i'm leaving for "taco tuesday" in 16 minutes. yum.
here on the 3rd floor of the new library, i have (or had until it got dark 10 minutes ago) a great view of the mountains to the north and east. it's a bit smoggy today, which made for a great fading effect with distance. and the mountains that peek up between the 2 ranges that are closer are completely snow-capped, which with palm trees in the foreground is just fantabulous. i love it.
so now, with 14 minutes left to research, i shall start to look into the role of women in missions to china in the early 1900s. wish me luck. ugh.
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2 comments:
I used to like the fourth floor of odu's library. No one was ever up there. And they had a small kid's book section too :)
I enjoyed reading about your urban retreat experience.
I'm sorry you had to buy a new computer and that your paper is frustrating.
Maybe we can have a phone date soon?
I love you!!!
Suzanne :)
As a person with a History Degree I can agree that his expectations are pretty high. My capstone course only required 20 pages (20 for a final project seems a bit excessive). The way to pursue a line of inquiry into history (from what I remember) is to ask a question and then answer it in the paper. What he wants is regurgitation plus analysis. Its not easy, but you will be fine!
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