Write PASSING termpapers without reading sources
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Not all of us are fast readers, so reading for a term paper is a challenge for many college students. Even if you genuinely want to read the book, sometimes you just can’t finish in time to actually write your paper and beat the deadline. Of course, if you’re lucky, you’ll be saddled with only one paper at a time—but what if you have more than one? If you often find yourself in these situations, here are some quick fixes that might save the day.
Read study guides . Literature study guides practically do all the work for you, down to per-chapter analysis. Usually, they’ll start with a summary of the material and study each part separately, with an overall review or conclusion at the end. Cliffsnotes and Sparknotes are two of the most popular sources in the U.S.; try looking for York Notes for obscure British titles. Many schools consider this cheating, so make sure you don’t get caught—write in your own voice and try not to sound too scholarly or academic. Write in your own words.
Skim and scan through the book . You may not have time for the whole book, but try to take at least ten minutes to skim through the chapters. Try to identify the key characters so you can look them up later on. Read passages from the first, middle and last parts—that should give you a rough feel of the plot.
Find a newer edition. New editions often come with additional materials, such as forewords, author’s notes, and sometimes even study guides. These add-ons can give you more clues to what the book says and what your paper’s focus should be. Try looking up theses or dissertations that cite it—you might find a useful description in the literature review section.
Scan your class notes, then read the summary. In most cases, the required reading is connected to your lessons in some way. So read through your notes and compare them with a quick summary of the book, and try to make a connection between them. That’s most likely what your teacher wants to read, so make it the center of your article. That way, even if you don’t read the whole book, you get to read the parts that matter. Don’t have enough notes? Check your course outline for key concepts or phrases. If you were given a syllabus, you might find some clues there as well.
Photo credits: iBjorn
