To future Research Seminar students:
There are so many factors within a semester that if not managed correctly will negatively impact your performance within this course. From my experience, time management is the most important factor; without the proper use of time, all other efforts to excel cannot be executed seamlessly.
My first warning to you all is to remove any thoughts of completing work during lecture hours. It may sound unlikely and dramatic, but it is valid- acknowledge and accept that almost no work on your research paper will be done while in the presence of your classmates and professor. The lecture hours are spent going over what work you are expected to produce with no actual application. This is very important to take into account when assigning time to production.
All of your work must be done outside of class. I am taking five courses and this is by far the most demanding workload. This brings me to my next point: do not take this course in addition to other heavy courses. This course requires an unforeseeable amount of time and should be taken at your convenience. I am a veteran full-time student and never encountered a time management struggle quite like this one.
Take advantage of your time with Professor Shapiro! Asking questions during lecture and outside of class (via all of the platforms provided at the start of the semester) is a great time investment. Additionally, the best time to work on this paper is directly after you have the class. This way the information from the professor is still fresh in your brain yielding productivity. Also, Professor Shapiro usually stays behind for questions and assistance, making the half of an hour post lecture the best time to clarify any work that may be confusing to you.
My final tip with regards to time management may seem obvious, yet in the midst of taking the course feels nearly impossible. Dedicate time to this course daily. Binge researching and writing once or twice a week sounds ideal and functional, but in actuality isn’t productive. Please dedicate at minimum one hour per day to the formation of your topic and extraction of your research and source selection.
Speaking from experience and a current game of catch-up, manage your time wisely! Put in the hours and alleviate some of the inevitable stress that accompanies this course. I hope my testimony is insightful and I wish you all the best of luck!
