Considering how much I love collecting information—considering how much relatively meaningless trivia I have filed away in my brain—considering how I spend literally hours just article-hopping on Wikipedia—considering I am notorious in my household for using Google on my laptop like a sixth limb (coming after all my natural four limbs plus my iPod)—considering LOTR Trivial Pursuit is one of the only board games I have retained a love for playing since the age of ten—
—it is really astonishing to me how passionately I despise doing school research. Research is the ultimate drudgery of homework. I dread no assignment more than "research essay". I think I would rather be put through a math major program than do three courses' worth of research projects. Short of divine inspiration, research with a purpose (especially topic-hunting) is the kibosh to my happiness and any aims of productivity and diligence.
An investiture of determination would do me wonders.
But alas (poor Yorick!)—I am saddled only with a deadline, chronic procrastination, and a mysterious leaden lump that seems to have taken up residency in the bottom of my stomach.
Is this useful?
Persuade me.
I dare you, double dare you; I really double-sonic-screwdriver-tag-you're-it-truth-is-not-an-option-dare you.
I could never deny a double-sonic-screwdriver-tag-you're-it-truth-is-not-an-option-dare, never on my life. I practically exploded with Time Lord when I read that.
ReplyDeleteIt is useful because it teaches, slowly, painfully teaches, self-discipline. It will also give you a good grade, resulting in a better chance of a better job.
Research is many things. Research is time. Hours and hours of reading about a topic, until you forget which tidbit of information you gleaned from which source. Research is frustration when you can't find the piece of information you desperately need to make the paper half a page longer. Research is discrimination when you have three sources that say the same thing and you only need one quote. Research is stress for the chronic procrastinator. Research is also useful. I know, surprisingly, research is useful. It enables you to get an overview of a topic, to bring together disparate pieces of literature in order to form a fuller understanding of a subject. It enables you to distill others' writing, and pick out the most important bits in order to support your thesis. It enables you to grow as a writer by forcing you to look at others ideas and incorporate them into your paper.
ReplyDeleteI would try to persuade you if I wasn't in the same boat. I actually have to come up with a topic for a research essay by Tuesday and I haven't even started trying to work something out yet :/ and I hang ten with only the best wiki-surfers.
ReplyDelete