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Term Papers and Essay Tests

© Maria Christensen

By now, those of you in school are working frantically on your term papers and preparing for final exams. You are proofreading, editing and polishing your rough drafts and anticipating what kind of questions you might face on that final day. Chapters are read and it's merely a matter of going back over your notes. Yeah, right, and I'm the Tooth Fairy. I can't recall how many times I have faced Thanksgiving break with the notion that I would really do some quality work on my papers, only to wake up on Monday morning without a word written and unable to face the calendar. (Actually I can recall, but you would be appalled). Sound familiar? Cheer up, it isn't as hopeless as it may seem.

Those of you who have survived the term paper ordeals and are now productive citizens, despite the former agony, may be smiling. You can leisurely check out some of the links provided below without a sense of overwhelming panic. Those of you who have never had to come up with a thesis or sweat through two hours answering one essay question already know that learning is a lifelong process and school is just one facet. As has been said before, this too shall pass. And speaking of passing, let's get on with the help in passing your courses.

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Still Haven't Come Up With An Idea For A Paper?

Shame on you! But don't throw in the towel yet! You might find an interesting topic here, or at least a little direction. For starters, try these links. They were randomly chosen and are certainly not comprehensive, but they do cover some topics which I have not yet written articles about.

Today in Asian History
Pick a date, click on the link and see what happened. It can be a good place to get ideas if you are really starting from scratch, not to mention just plain fun for those without looming deadlines.

WWW Virtual Library
Huge history resource.

Ancient India
Written in a style for the younger set, but a very good site to take a look at. Interesting and well written.

Sun Yat-sen
A short but good biography.

The Boxer Rebellion
Fascinating episode and turning point in China's history. It won't help now, but look for an article here in the near future on the significance of the Boxer Rebellion.

Trade or Opium
Would any study be complete without reading Karl Marx? This article, written in 1858, analyzes the Opium War in China. Great primary source.