Hi there, I am doing a 12-15 page senior thesis on my risk management and I am having quite some trouble with the topic to write about. I want to write about AIG and the risks they took that lead to their need for the bailout, but I can't figure out how to extend the paper to 12 pages. Here are the original ideas I had to support the topic:
*Talk about what risks AIG took
*How did those risks lead them to their brink of disaster
*Discuss the risk models they took (I found a lot of information about the "Fault" of the models, but I still have trouble finding the actual risk models that they used)
*Analyze in my own perspective the pros and cons of the risks.
The most trouble I have here is that I can't frame the ideas in an argument. Just writing about the ideas I had on the top will only be stuffing information in parts of the essay. I would really appreciate any additional ideas that I can write for this essay. Thanks.
AIG took perfectly reasonable risks given that they knew the government would probably not let them fail. They therefore cannot be held responsible for what happened.
Do you agree? If not, why not prove me wrong by writing, say, a 12 page paper explaining why that view is incorrect.
Thanks Sean, that's actually a great idea. I think I will frame my argument of the paper to being the FACTORS that lead to AIG's failure. This will include the risks they took and their mentality of being an insurance company that is just "too big to fail" (which is what you mentioned in the previous post).
I am currently looking for articles that support my points, but I can't find any books as my sources since these events are pretty recent.
If anyone have more ideas to help my paper, please feel free to write it in this thread. I will need all the help I can get!! Thanks again.
You 'want' to write about AIG? That means you should have 50 pages in a flash.
Quantity is a constraint, not a goal, if you have developed your writing skills well enough and have something you 'want' to write about. You could take 5-8 points and pound out 2-3 didactical pages per day for 7 days straight. Then make it flawless by proofreading it for 2 days, taking a one day break, proofreading 2 more days, taking another break, and proofreading one last time. Shit, turn in the kind of assignment your professor won't even understand; it's great fun and they're coerced into handing you top grade because they haven't a clue what you're talking about.
Analyze, take notes, cross check them, document shortcomings, point out mistakes, let your Prof. know that any word or action they take will be scrutinized; frazzle and intimidate them.
This takes intense preparation but works to great effect.
I only say that because it's not a quantitative topic. It's so easy to bully your professor with time and incentive. You can make their job lecturing living hell. But you should only take these measures if they piss you off being stupid. I mean, I could harass and chip any of 5 professors I have right now if they came at me the wrong way.
Write the paper methodically -- extremely accurately -- in language a law student would have trouble understanding. Your A is guaranteed.
Post your first paragraph; if I can't find a half dozen errors, you're going about it the right way.
Shit, turn in the kind of assignment your professor won't even understand;
That's a horrible idea. First, the point of good writing is to communicate clearly. Second, professors generally have PhD's in their fields. This means that they are both very intelligent and very well-educated. You are not likely to baffle them with your writing unless you write badly or without logic. Neither will guarantee you an A. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Indeed, you should absolutely not view your professors as adversaries, or strive to treat them as such. You will learn much more by respecting them and trying to understand their points of view, that is, by trying to learn from them. In that respect, humility is more beneficial to a person than arrogance.
The fact is, my paper is going to be written for my senior thesis project. I am not trying to obtain a certain grade in any class for this project. On top of that, the finished thesis will be reviewed by other professors and published. I'm afraid I can't agree on your method of writing a paper that overwhelms the professors, but thanks for posting anyway.
