Another school year has started. It was my twentieth first day of school. Sadly, I've gone from being excited and anxious about my first day to "here we go again" mindset. In elementary school, I enjoyed all aspect of school, not that I was opposed to a few snow days. In high school, I loved talking with my friends before and after class and playing on the tennis team. Then came college. Of course it was exciting and new at first. I enjoyed many of my classes and engaging in various activities that Ohio State had to offer. Yet, as I reached my junior and senior years, college became the gateway to my ultimate goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. I was so busy with classes, my senior thesis, and applying to grad school during fall quarter of my senior year that I had to miss the Mirror Lake jump (a tradition that occurs every year before the OSU/University of Michigan football game). Now, here I am in my third year of grad school. Even though I enjoy my classes (well, not stats), I find myself wishing the summer would last forever. It seems harder than ever to get back into my studying routine and I am not sure why. Maybe it's because I don't have anything pushing me to get the work done as I did in high school and college. For instance, today I am supposed to work on my masters. Will I actually get to it today, though? There is no actual due date, so it tends to go on the back burner- there's always something else that gets in the way. I should write this blog first. I need to go work out now. If I finish the novel now, I won't have the urge to read for fun instead of read these articles tomorrow. Basically, it all comes down to motivation.
It was suggested that I write do series on how to write a research paper. I will add a new step each week. Step 1: Choosing a Topic You cannot begin to write a research paper without a topic. Choosing a topic may seem like a simple task, but it is sometimes a complicated process. As undergraduates, you are typically assigned to write a review of the research in a particular area, such as psychological disorders or genetic diseases. Pick something that interests you! For some, writing papers is a tedious task. Picking an enjoyable topic rather than choosing an easy topic, such as one in which you know a lot of information exists (e.g. a topic the media covers regularly) may make the process more interesting. When you have no idea what topic to choose, talk to your professor/instructor or flip through your book to get an idea. Once you have chosen a general area as your focus (it could be as general as "depression" or "Huntington's disease"), perform a G
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