Buying research papers

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Sometimes, if you are really busy, it might seem like a good idea to buy a research paper. It isn’t.

Perhaps you don’t really care about the course and you think purchasing a paper is a great way to move on quickly. Don’t do it.

Do you really want to sully your reputation, get a zero for the assignment, and have a permanent ‘”Failure due to cheating” on your transcript? Once the designation is there, you will be known as a cheat and a fraud. That is not a good way to move ahead in life.

Maybe you figure you won’t get caught. Professors have their own ways of finding out if a paper was bought from a disreputable company (all companies who sell papers are crooks, in my opinion, as are the students who buy them). One thing’s for sure: your writing for the rest of the term better match the quality of the writing in the paper you just turned in, or you’re in big trouble. The Honor Board is not a fun place to visit. I know: I’ve won 100% of the cases I have brought before them.

So, what do you do? Be honest. Talk to the professor if you’re running late and need an extension. I talk with students frequently who need a little grace. Sometimes, they actually get it, without penalty. Other times (like if they have asked for grace on a weekly basis), they don’t. It’s better than buying a paper and losing your integrity.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Picking the right team

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

College and work frequently require teams. Before you groan too much, let me give you some tips on picking the right people for your team.

First, pick someone with your same work ethic. If your idea of “turning something in on time” is two days early, don’t pick someone who turns it in at 11:58 if it’s due at 11:59. You’ll drive each other nuts.

Next, find someone with the same idea of doing research. Are you a googler? Don’t pick a library geek. See the last sentence of paragraph two here.

Then, locate someone who wants the same grade you want. If you are determined to get an A, then don’t pick someone who is happy with a C. Revisit the last sentence of the previous paragraph.

Do you have to have team meetings after class? If you work the day shift, don’t pick a teammate who works swings. You have to meet and it just isn’t going to happen if your schedules are very different. Do you have transportation to meet with someone who lives a distance away? That is a factor, as well.

Finally, do you get along with the person? Don’t pick an obnoxious know-it-all if at all possible. That is tiring and just not worth the bother.

Good luck with your team. As they say, it makes the dream of good grades work.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Writing an article review

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Perhaps your instructor has assigned an article review for your next assignment. Before you head for the hills, asking what in the world that is, let me tell you and share how to write it.

First, you are probably writing about an article the the professor either assigned or which you have to find. In any case, find the article and read it. Don’t try to write a word until you have read the article in question. The idea here is that you are going to tell me what you thought of the article, much like a movie reviewer will talk about a movie, except that you will add scholarly information.

Next, set up your essay. What components did the professor ask for? If you are writing in APA format, that starts with a cover page. Tell the professor who you are (I’ve seen cover pages that did not have the author’s name!), the name of the course, the name  of the assignment, and the date. Good news- you are no longer staring at a blank page.

Next, write the abstract. This is a 120-word description of the article. Don’t put any quotes in it, just tell the reader (in your own words) what the article is about and what the author of the article learned. Do not copy and paste the abstract from the article. I am grading your writing, not someone else’s. You will also add keywords under your abstract. These are words that the article mentions, such as (for example) space flight, first moon landing, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins- for an article on Apollo 11.

I just want you to summarize what you thought was important about the article. To  that end, write and introduction that says what you are writing about (the article’s name belongs here) and how you will compare/contrast it to the reading your have done in class.

Next, you absolutely must tell me your analysis of the article. Don’t leave that out! Please write more than one paragraph. Don’t write one over-long paragraph; that’s very hard to read. Pick three major things you would like to discuss about the article, add your textbook’s comments on that subject, and the tell me your own opinion. That information should be at least three paragraphs in length. AT LEAST, especially if you are in graduate school.

The final thing in your review will be the conclusion. Where does this type of study go from here? What are the other opportunities for research, in your opinion?

There have been students who wrote beautifully about seven or eight other authors’ take on the article but they did not tell me what they thought of it. You are showing the professor your ability to take information, study it, and analyze it. That’s the purpose of this assignment. You can do this! Go for it!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Graduation day will be here before you know it!

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi folks:

It may seem like it will take forever to get your degree, but it is actually closer than you think, unless…..you are like a fellow I knew. He and his wife kept changing majors. By the time he got his Associate’s degree, he had 120 credits (enough for a bachelor’s degree). His wife had something like 130 credits before she walked on the stage to get her AA.

Another way to make it take forever is to drop a class because you don’t like the professor. If the class is part of your Degree Completion Plan (DCP), you don’t have a choice if that teacher is the only one who teaches the course. Sign up, put on your big boy (or big girl) pants, and take the course.

Don’t whine. Get through it. Keep in mind that this, too, shall pass. Even if you can’t stand the teacher, the next eight or sixteen weeks might be a strain but you can complete the course successfully if you just do it! (Someone ought to write a slogan to that effect….oh, wait, they did!) Also keep in mind that sometimes we don’t like you either, but we’re grown ups and we’ll get through it, as well. We want you to succeed, if we are not fond of you, simply because we don’t want to see you again. (This should not be your goal.)

Have a great semester!

Dr. Sheri

Are you on the scent of a good grade?

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

It’s important to get on track and stay there as you complete your college semester. I’ve run into quite a few students lately who do not understand this concept.

They begin the semester strong, only to peter out as the term progresses. They stop checking into class (or stop showing up for lectures). They do not turn in later assignments, even though they may have done rather well at the beginning of the term.

They somehow believe that good grades at the beginning of the term will mean that the professor will automatically give them a good grade at the end of the term, even when they don’t turn anything in during the last few weeks of the course. Folks, that can spell disaster for your grade.

It doesn’t matter how much I like you, you will not pass the class if you don’t turn in an assignment. A student told me recently that she was going to challenge the grade she got, reporting me to my boss for being unfair with my grading.

The sad thing is that some of the students who have submission problems came from school districts who gave them at least 40 points out of 100 for not turning anything in. (No, I’m not kidding here. The mindset is that students can’t come back from a zero, so the lowest grade a teacher can give them is a 40, even if the assignment is never turned in).

Folks, some colleges may work that way, but the ones where I teach don’t. A zero calculated into any grade offers bad results. Don’t take that chance.

Stay on track, keep your head down and your mind focused, and get through the course with success.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

How many directions does your sentence go in?

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Occasionally, I run into students who don’t seem to realize that sentences end.

They talk about one topic and then head off in a completely different direction. Sometimes they return to the original topic before gracing the sentence with a period. The longest sentence I’ve ever seen was 267 words. No kidding. Did the person simply forget the periods? I wish.

So how do you know if your sentence is too long-winded? Read it out loud. If you need to come up for air, the sentence is longer than it should be.

This is not a marathon, folks. You should not be trying to outlast your reader. The person who stays in the sentence the longest is not the winner! Do not try to confuse the reader or obfuscate the topic at hand. Emulating a politician who is muddying the rhetorical waters should not be your goal. (Please note that the previous sentence was a passive voice construction, in case you are looking for an example. To write that in active voice, I would write “It should not be your goal to emulate a politician who is muddying the rhetorical waters.” I included it as written for your reading enjoyment.)

Instead, write sentences that make sense, clearly explain whatever it is that you are talking about, and stick to the topic at hand. This is also not a sprint, where you write choppy sentences that only hang together by the smallest of threads. Make your point, do it well, and get on to the next topic at hand.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Going on too long: the curse of the overly-long paragraph

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

One of the most tiring things a professor can see on an essay is one really huge paragraph. It’s hard on the eyes and the mind. So what should you do? Divide it up.

Yes, folks, I have had graduate students who wrote one-paragraph essays of several thousand words. Groan. Those were the paragraphs from a place known for its warmth.

What are the topics you are covering? As you change from one topic to the next, that’s a great place to break up your paragraph. Here is a natural break for your paragraphs:

Introduction

Point One

Point Two

Point Three

Conclusion

Do not write one-sentence paragraphs, however.  At the start of each paragraph, give me a topic sentence, state your case, back it up with support from your research, and either emphasize the thought that you stated in the topic sentence or  state something of importance that you just covered. This makes the individual paragraph about five sentences in length. You can go a little bit longer than five sentences, if you wish, but don’t get carried away.

Don’t go off on a rabbit trail, no matter how cute you think the rabbit is. Don’t introduce new information in the last paragraph. Stick to the topic at hand, but do break up long paragraphs into more manageable chunks. Your professors will thank you for it.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Job interview? Don’t get the deer in the headlights look

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Perhaps you have spent most of your lifetime (so far) taking care of your family and home. For whatever reason, you are going back on the job market. You want to put your best foot forward on that all-important job interview, but how do you do it without getting the ‘deer in the headlights’ look?

Be prepared. Figure out what questions you think the interviewer might ask, based on the job you are applying for, and practice answering them. For example, the questions you might be asked if you are applying for a job as a baker are going to be different than if you are a medical professional.

But, and this is a big “but,” some of the questions can be anticipated. Here are some of the sample questions a friend of mine and I were discussing earlier today:

Tell me about yourself. [Can you do it in less than one minute? Practice telling someone about yourself until your delivery is smooth. Not too smoothly, as if you were reciting a memorized spiel, but have your words flow smoothly.]

How will our hiring you make our company better? [Watch out here- don’t tell them their business stinks or that it’s run by idiots. You may be talking to the individual who created it and he or she will not be amused if you tell them they’ve really messed up. Friend, they’ve managed without you for years (perhaps) so they won’t fold (probably) if you don’t come on board.]

Why do you want to work here? Make your comments from a sincere heart. Don’t be an Eddie Haskell. [For those of you too young to remember, he was an obnoxious character on Leave it to Beaver. You don’t want to be like him, trust me.]

Tell the truth. When reading a story about three accountants trying to get a job, the first two were asked “how much is two plus two?” They both  answered “four.” The third candidate, who was successful in his job search, answered the boss “How much do you want it to be?” While he may have been hired, he compromised the person he was to get the job. Don’t do that.

I wish you well on your re-entry back into the world of business. Do you have any sample questions to share?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Staying in college could determine the kind of car you drive

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi everyone:

Did you know that staying in college and graduating could affect the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you live in, and the kind of vacations you take? It’s true.

Although there are the Bill Gates of the world who never graduate, becoming drop outs, most of the folks I know have gotten their dream jobs thanks to their hard work and graduation from college.

The U.S. Census Bureau statistics support my statement. College graduates generally earn more than $1 million more over a 40 year working life than do high school graduates, and master’s degree folks generally make more than $1.4 million more than high school graduates.

This affects the kind of car they can afford to drive. It makes a difference in the house they own and where they go on vacation (do you really want to go to your mother-in-law’s house for a week or would you rather go to Hawaii? Your call.)

Don’t drop out. Stay the course. Even if you end up working in a field different from the one you planned, it will be worth it all. The U.S. Census Bureau says so.

Best,

Dr. Sheri