Why Are Term Papers Dreaded by College Students?
Once a professor announces a term paper, almost every student groans on the inside. The term paper is one of the most dreaded assignments that professors continue to assign. While professors love the fact that students have to conduct research, form new ideas, and present them on paper, most students hate everything about them.
The Cram Doesn’t Work
One of the biggest reasons that college students hate term papers is because they are so long. Term papers cannot be written in a crammed fury of writing the night before the assignment is due. Despite this fact, there are many students who still try to write the entire paper the night before and the outcome is never good.
Need to Plan
College students are not known for advance planning and this is one of the skills that term papers require. If college students did plan in advance and dedicated at least 30 minutes per night to their term paper work, they would have a more positive experience researching and crafting their assignments. But, there are too many other fun things to do during the day and night and term papers often get pushed to the side.
Weighted Grades
Another reason that college students dread the term paper is because they are so heavily weighted. Students could have an A grade coming into the term paper and based on the term paper work and quality, their grades could plummet to failing. The high-stakes of term papers is enough to make many students avoid taking classes that require them.
Make the Experience Positive
While the process of researching, drafting, and completing a term paper seems like a horrible situation for students, many students actually find that they enjoy the process once it is completed. Since term papers require so much individual work, students find that they are actually able to learn something new when they take on the subject. Students who dive into the assignment often end up appreciating the work that they have done and those students often remember what they learned from their term papers over all other assignments they have completed over the course of their educational careers.
Students who want to have a positive experience with their term papers need to take the time to plan how to execute the paper. By dedicating time to researching and writing, students can turn a horrible experience into a positive learning experience.