Feeling the Academia in me

I'm beginning to feel more like an amateur academic rather than a mere student. This is not to say that my intellectual capabilities have improved by leaps and bounds, but I feel more obliged these days to write good essays beyond the consideration of grades alone.

I used to "mass-produce" essays over a short span of time, and my "best" record was having completed 6 essays in slightly less than 2 weeks. These "factory-made" products passed without any form of proof-reading for quality control, but somehow I was often rewarded decently at the end of the day. I'm not bragging here, but I was just plain lucky in the past. Sheer luck indeed.

Due to the same old problem of time constraint, I still don't proof-read my essays, but would now devote more time and effort in consolidating my thoughts and devising a smooth delivery of my ideas in them. This is perhaps what I coin as an academic obligation. I ought to be more responsible for what I write. However, such a mentality has taken a toll on me. I possess little time to conduct individual field research, and had practically lost all sense and track of time. In fact, it suddenly dawned upon me that the exams will be held in about 2 weeks' time.

In addition, I have begun to formulate arguments of novelty instead of deciding on the "safe" ones in my papers. For instance, in my previous assignments, I discussed about how the demand of the Wu kingdom for horses had actually stimulated the maritime Nanhai trade during the Three Kingdoms period, as well as how Taiwan's State-Owned Enterprises can support a diplomatic quest for political legitimacy. These are controversial arguments that have not been fully ascertained, but I was willing to give them a try.

I suppose these changes within me should be viewed positively, if I really want to become an "academic boy".