It’s inevitable, an ever-looming presence in English courses. The sound of it makes students’ palms go sweaty and their anxiety kicks in. The dreaded assignment, the hardest month for any student: the research paper.

Though it’s required in almost every English class at EHS, students never seem to be ready for it. Year after year, students fear and avoid facing their research until the last minute. The real question: how does one conquer this monstrous task? And what weapons should one bring into battle?

Well, here’s the simple answer: to defeat the research paper, be prepared.

It sounds so plain, so obvious. Seniors, who have been through the process at least three times, cite preparedness as the best way to succeed. But students rarely take into account how much being prepared really does matter during research.

“Get ahead of the game as much as you can,” said senior Grace Desse. “You will thank yourself for it later.”

Choosing a topic or book early enough to fully understand the subject is vital. Seniors advise against jumping into the first topic that comes to mind— take it slow, and choose something that sounds engaging.

Interest in the subject is the most important, according to the American University Academic Support Center. The university’s informative guide states: “Writing the paper will be much easier if you select a subject that interests you and that you can form an opinion or viewpoint about. In fact, it will be easier later on to narrow the topic if you choose a subject you already know something about.”

Senior Kennison Adams agrees on the significance of topics, advising against both rushing into a topic and procrastinating the inevitable choice.

“Research all viewpoints before choosing your focus so that you have a better understanding of what you’re trying to convey,” Adams said.

A good focus and enough time to truly learn what the subject is about is critical in the writing process. Once these two things are accomplished, the writer is past the hardest part of the entire paper.

Desse also recommends that students starting research “utilize resources” that are provided by EHS. She regrets that she did not go the writing center in the past.

“(I wish I would have) gotten advice and critique on my papers to make them stronger,” Desse said.

So next time the dreaded research paper is brought up, fear not. Take preparedness into the duel, stop by the writing center and prepare to come out victorious.