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[Akura]

I'm staying in Boston for the night, making it my first actual time in a big city.

Why the fuck are there so many people? Where do they all live when there are no houses? Are these things connected? Why the fuck are there so many escalators? Why the fuck is everyone in such a hurry? Why is every building so huge? What goes in the top floors? Why do people honk their horns even if nothing is wrong? Why does everyone drive like an asshole? Why do people even have cars when it's cheaper and easier and faster to use the T? Are these things connected? Why is so much shit made of bricks? Why is everything under construction in some way? Are these things connected?

In order:

That's the definition of a big city.
Tall buildings which are sorta like lots of houses crammed together, only more expensive and less space.
Yes.
People are too lazy to use stairs.
Places to go, often nowhere in particular.
Horizontal space is limited, but with vertical space the sky is the limit(literally).
Clandestine marijuana growers, zones for jumpers to jump from to minimize injury to those below.
Something is always wrong.
Because the other asshole is honking their horn.
Then the T would be even more overcrowded.
Yes.
I thought it was the other way around: bricks are made of shit.
Gotta keep the construction industry going.
Probably?

[Frumple]

The big problem is, every time I search for scholarly articles, either:

If you're doing economic history, can't you just use raw data and build from there? Why bother with scholarly articles to begin with, other than ease of plagiarism reference?

Other options, though... consider seeking tutors, asking other students how they're handling it, asking other professors in the program for aid. Also, if you can't manage to do a full 15 pages... don't. Do less, do them (as) well (as possible), and take a reduced grade rather than a flat zero. Or just screw the paper in question and eke out a pass with other course material, if it's possible. Unless you can withdraw and get some degree of refund, anyway. If you're paying for that shit, y'gotta' try to keep from losing the investment, y'know?

Really, though, one the biggest things is to just keep a positive outlook on it -- there's no faster way to fail a course or struggle with a paper than convincing yourself you're going to.

[Orange Wizard]

I think I'll just fail the class.

You should try to do something, even if it's just fifteen pages of wank and the bare minimum of sources. The professor might be generous and give you a C, you never know. But wilfully failing should be a last resort if you have bigger concerns.

[MrRoboto75]

The big problem is, every time I search for scholarly articles, either:

If you're doing economic history, can't you just use raw data and build from there? Why bother with scholarly articles to begin with, other than ease of plagiarism reference?

The prof says on the syllabus that he expects most of our sources will be scholarly articles, which must be published after 1990.  Moreover, he says "you might be missing something" if we lack an article from one of the main econ history journals.  At least one source must be a primary source from whatever time period the paper is on.

[Flying Dice]

Frumple, a paper like that and the professor trolling undergrads who don't want to apply nose -> grindstone says to me that it's probably worth at least 30-40% of the class grade. I distinctly remember a few like that myself; it was always a good way to weed out the students who were both lazy and incompetent while having a giggle. Had one brilliant one who taught me the invaluable skill of brevity by assigning free-topic policy papers and failing anyone who went over a page in length.

[RedKing]

I'm staying in Boston for the night, making it my first actual time in a big city.

Why the fuck are there so many people? Where do they all live when there are no houses? Are these things connected? Why the fuck are there so many escalators? Why the fuck is everyone in such a hurry? Why is every building so huge? What goes in the top floors? Why do people honk their horns even if nothing is wrong? Why does everyone drive like an asshole? Why do people even have cars when it's cheaper and easier and faster to use the T? Are these things connected? Why is so much shit made of bricks? Why is everything under construction in some way? Are these things connected?

My only question when in Boston was; How the fuck do people live in a place that feels like an Eskimo's freezer?
Seriously, it was -1 when I was there (New year's eve, 1996) I'm not sure I had ever even experienced negative temperature before that.

The urbanization stuff bothered me a bit less because I'd been to Manhattan just a couple of days before that. And after having been to Shanghai, no city feels big anymore. If you can still see the sky, and there are less than 500 people crossing the street at the same time, it's not a big city.

[TheBiggerFish]

Aaaaaaaaargh.
History essay needs citations I don't have.

[flabort]

Apparently at some point I bought and downloaded Space Engineers.
Why did I do that? I know it will crash as soon as I boot it up. Well... maybe it won't. Hmm... To test or not to test...

[Loud Whispers]

Perhaps something about cod. Hypothesize that the impact of WWI on the codfishing industry was negative, and then compare existent data to see whether that is an accurate presumption.

One of the most interesting things I've read in my life was the effect of the unrestricted naval warfare employed by Nazi Germany on the population of the Ruderal bee

[MrRoboto75]

Frumple, a paper like that and the professor trolling undergrads who don't want to apply nose -> grindstone says to me that it's probably worth at least 30-40% of the class grade. I distinctly remember a few like that myself; it was always a good way to weed out the students who were both lazy and incompetent while having a giggle. Had one brilliant one who taught me the invaluable skill of brevity by assigning free-topic policy papers and failing anyone who went over a page in length.

Tenure is a wonderful thing, isn't it

[Flying Dice]

Frumple, a paper like that and the professor trolling undergrads who don't want to apply nose -> grindstone says to me that it's probably worth at least 30-40% of the class grade. I distinctly remember a few like that myself; it was always a good way to weed out the students who were both lazy and incompetent while having a giggle. Had one brilliant one who taught me the invaluable skill of brevity by assigning free-topic policy papers and failing anyone who went over a page in length.

Tenure is a wonderful thing, isn't it

It is, and I say that without a trace of sarcasm. Almost all of my favorite professors were senior enough to get away with doing basically whatever the hell they wanted with their classes. As a rule, those taught by them tended to be more interesting, more difficult, and conveyed more useful skills and knowledge. The worst ones were the ones who gave softball assignments, plentiful extra credit, and generous curves when people fucked up their exams.

[ChairmanPoo]

I have a history question for the forum:

If only plebeians could become Plebeian Tribunes, how did Cato the Younger (a noble) get elected as a Plebeian Tribune? 

Nevermind, the answer is that he wasn't a noble. His family was very prestigious and wealthy but of plebeian origins.

If I were to guess, rampant corruption. That seems to be a good assumption for most governments who break their own rules, especially when that government would soon be, y'know, gone.

No... Cato was famous for rallying against corruption. In fact that was the basis of his election campaign.

[Loud Whispers]

Cato refuses to be restrained by human laws

[Putnam]

If I were to guess, rampant corruption. That seems to be a good assumption for most governments who break their own rules, especially when that government would soon be, y'know, gone.

[Mechatronic]

Because plebs are needed.