So, it seems, it is that time of the semester for PAPERS!! While the undergrads got to have fall break the end of last week us grads didn't.  I spent the whole time working on papers. I have three due in a period of 7 days (its a wonder how I find time to write on this blog). I had a midterm paper for my class on Contemporary Issues in African Societies. The teacher gave us the prompt for the paper last week in class and it was due today. One week to research and write a 10-15 pg paper isn't easy let me tell ya! I did it though. We had to choose an African country then, use the readings and what we have discussed in class to evaluate the causes for three main issues in the selected country. I found the topic very interesting, even if it was a lot of work. My next paper is due tomorrow and after my class finishes tonight at 9 I'll go home and put the final touches on it. It is a research proposal for my Qualitative Modes of Inquiry class. Throughout the semester we have been learning how to conduct qualitative research and now we are going to conduct a study on our own. Finally, my last paper is due Monday and that is for my class on Education in Developing Countries. We have been learning about different development theories and for this paper we have to compare and contrast two of the theories. Although writing papers is not my favorite thing (in fact, it usually takes me a few hours just to write one page) I do get a lot out of the process. Writing really helps to organize all the readings and discussions we have had and draw actually meaning and application from them. That's pretty much the point of graduate school isn't it?