Paper Topic Tips, and College Take Two
by Dr. Anahid Kassabian
published for U-WIRE* March 5, 2001

*U-Wire member papers have full permission to reprint all or part of this column. Enjoy!

I am unable to think of a topic that would be suitable for an English research paper. All my interests have to do with opinions more than facts. I have to pass that course or I won't be allowed back at that college. What should I do?

Hmmm. This sort of depends on the kind of instructor you have and the kind of assignment you've gotten. Most of us will accept a wide range of research papers these days. And I'll try to give you some hints to thinking of one below.

But first, let me say something about your question. I'm concerned that you think that research papers are about facts as opposed to opinion. I would say - and I think most faculty would agree - that the point of a research paper is to learn how to support opinion with fact. In the process of writing a research paper, you should learn how to build a careful, well-crafted argument in support of your thesis statement, which should itself be an opinion, not a fact.

So, where does that leave us? Well, maybe you already have lots of good paper ideas and just don't realize it. Think about what you read: books, magazines, newspapers, Web sites. Can you write a paper about the history of the genre? Do you have an opinion about why such things are important/useful/necessary? What about food? What do you eat? What do you like? Why? You should be able to find a perfectly good topic in the realm of your everyday life.

Once you come up with a few topics, take them to the reference desk at your school's library. They should be able to help you figure out what research sources are available. Discuss the topics with them and see which one seems most manageable. I find that students who learn to work with the librarians generally produce the best research papers.

Finally, be sure you avail yourself of the other resources on your campus. There's probably a Writing Center where you can go and get help. Even before you have a topic, you can go discuss choosing a topic with the tutors there. Then you'll have established a relationship with people you can go back to throughout the process.

If you use your interests, your librarians and your Writing Center as guides, you can produce a perfectly good research paper. Good luck!

I went to a university for three and a half years. I hated every minute of it, accumulated a HUGE pile of debt and left with really poor grades. I didn't even do any partying - I just didn't get anywhere. I used to be a really good student in high school, but don't have great SATs.

Now I live in a tiny apartment and wait tables to pay the bills. I want to go back to school somewhere, although I don't know what I want to major in. I'm very unhappy. What kind of people can I talk to get some sort of plan? I honestly don't know what I can do to fix this mess.

This is by no means an easy problem to solve, as you know. But there are ways out. First, I suggest you try to find some career counseling, or more specifically vocational rehabilitation counseling. Contact your local social services office and find out if career services are available. You need to sort out what you want to do. Just because you don't like waiting tables, it isn't necessarily clear that college is the right answer. There are lots of great careers out there that don't require college.

If you find out that the career path you'd like to follow requires a college education — or if you decide that you want to go back to school for the intellectual stimulation — don't worry. Your financial worries are manageable. There are several good non-profit debt-counseling organizations you might contact. Or you might choose a state school with low tuition and then meet with admissions and financial aid counselors. In most cases, your student loan payments are frozen while you're a full-time student.

Nonetheless, you will probably have to work full-time while you're a full-time student. It's not impossible; I did it, and so do thousands of other people you see every day. But it's hard work — really hard work — and you definitely need to know why you're doing it in order to get through.

To recap:

• Get help figuring out what you want to do. Even if you change your mind later, having a goal is the only way to get this process rolling. Choose a school with manageable tuition, good financial aid programs, and a good reputation in your area of interest.

• Get help sorting out your debt. Use the resources at your school and elsewhere.

• Get focused. You'll need a lot of time-management skills and a lot of commitment to get through this, but you can do it if you get focused.

One final word: patience. It may take you a year to accomplish everything listed above. Be gentle but firm with yourself on this; set reasonable dates for accomplishing each step, one bit at a time. Start by getting a career guide out of the library — such as the classic What Color Is Your Parachute?. That's enough for the first month. Anyway, you see my point, I hope. If you set unrealistic goals for yourself, the process will make you feel worse, and you won't want to continue. But if you don't set any goals at all, you won't ever get to the tasks you need to complete.

I know this is not an easy process, but it's a really important one. I hope you find a career you love, and I wish you luck and perseverance in getting through.

Dr. Anahid Kassabian is a professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University in New York.

Got a question for our team of Virtual Advisors? Ask away!
(We may use your question on our site, but we'll always respect your privacy.)

© 2001 Virtually Advising