Take a moment to consider what it might be like to function day after day in an environment in which you are “the only one” or, at minimum, one of only a few who represent your particular race, nationality, age group, ethnicity, or gender. In many graduate departments across the U.S. minorities, foreigners and even women often find themselves isolated within an intensely competitive academic environment that provides no cultural understanding or support to assist them in finishing their degree.
Further exacerbating this situation is a shortage of minority faculty role models who can provide a mentoring and support system for like graduate students. A lack of diverse faculty in a department can create a signal of an unwelcoming environment for women and minorities. This may curtail the number of minority students who actually apply to graduate school, and may also contribute to the small percentage who actually complete their degree once they have enrolled. The cycle continues, the next generation of female and minority students will face the similar issues.
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You’ve Got the Wrong Attitude
Your belief system is what may be standing in the way. Most academics cling to the belief that they must set aside large chunks of time, do a lot of preparation, and be in the proper frame of mind to be able to write.
What this means is that when you finally sit down to write, it’s going to be an unpleasant marathon. You have placed such importance on this writing session that you feel anxiety about it living up to your expectations. And you know it’s going to be difficult. After all, there are thorny issues you haven’t addressed, articles you haven’t read or reread, and a lack of coherence to your thinking. You need to solve those problems. And if you don’t do it now you’ll be quite disappointed in yourself.
How unpleasant! And how counterproductive! Continue Reading…
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Before starting work on a research paper, two things must be clearly formulated; firstly, one should possess a thesis and a questionnaire that fits the subject in consideration alongside a basic outline of the format of the paper on what needs to be said at each specific zone of the paper.
Drafting should be the least time-consuming and yet the most important step in the composing of a research paper. The draft need not be of polished language and could be composed using shorthand writing methods or other rough measures.
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