Independent research - a few reassurances

Researchingnesses,

don't worry:

1. everyone is struggling
2. struggling is good - if you weren't struggling, you'd already know how to do it - think of it like learning a physical skill where you have to practise and get frustrated and practise more
3. this is a vital life skill (as well as essential at university) - think of all the people who voted in the referendum without knowing how to read a wide variety of reliable sources to get the clearest possible picture (not that you can ever get a perfect view of any issue but you can be better informed or less so)
4. the more you practise the skill, the quicker you get, and the better the overview you have of a topic, the easier it is to choose relevant points to explore in depth (and the easier it is to memorise things that fit into a bigger picture)
5. everything you read about theorists and key ideas is useful - try and find a way to make it relevant in your next essay
6. if you are not sure you understand, post your research on your blog and I will check it - remember to use Harvard referencing in your bibliography for each post and to have visited at least a couple of reliable sources (see my earlier post for ideas on what is reliable)

And don't worry. You probably won't start to feel that things are clicking until around March when all the terminology, theory, analytical style and wider understanding are at your command and you can start to really assemble exam-worthy responses. That is if you have been chipping away at all of these areas in the meantime to develop them. So don't worry. But do carry on struggling.