Roll Up Your Sleeves, Spit On Your Hands, and Finish That Term Paper
A while back, my dad was helping me install a 12-by-20-foot carpet in our living room. We had already installed the padding underneath the carpet, and we had the new rug pretty close to where we wanted it, but we were struggling to move it just a few more inches, so it would lie perfectly up against the walls. That’s when my dad — a retired, 82-year-old plumber-steamfitter — got serious.
He rolled up his sleeves, spit on his hands, rubbed them together to get a good grip on the carpet, and said, “Let’s move this thing.” Sure enough, within seconds, we had the carpet exactly where it belonged, and we were ready to trim it and secure it by installing the baseboards. Fortunately, that blue-collar, get-serious-about-your-work mentality can also help you with your term paper.
Writing a term paper can be a long, arduous process, but some parts of the process are so much easier than others. Choosing a topic, for example, and researching that topic can be fun and exciting. You’re reading, you’re learning, you’re asking questions, and you’re answering them. Usually, too, you’re doing these things early in the semester, so you’re not worried or nervous yet about due dates or deadlines. Then, at some point, you’re ready to write your first draft.
