The most important part of your new zemi life is reading. During your first year (Research Seminar 1), I want you all to read as much as you can. Read anything that interests you. Later, as you begin to focus your interest on a possible graduation thesis topic, read more and more about that topic.

At the end of the autumn term of your first year, I will ask you to submit an annotated bibliography. Reading and writing this bibliography will help prepare you to write a graduation thesis. Although the books and articles which you read may be in any language, both the annotated bibliography and your graduation thesis must be written in English.

In the second year (Research Seminar 2), you will write your graduation thesis. Your graduation thesis must be written in English. (If your thesis will be published in an academic journal or book, you may be permitted to write your thesis in Spanish, French, or Italian.)

Whenever you see a book or article or web page (i.e., any document) which you think might be of use for your thesis, you should immediately write a bibliographic entry for that document. Then, after browsing or scanning the document, you should annotate the entry with one of the following four initial annotations:

• nearly worthless
• possibly helpful
• promising
• must read

• too basic
• too general
• already read in translation
• glaring inaccuracies

If you like to use the KSC library for your research, then here is a routine for beginning to make your annotated bibliography:

• Use the library computer to make a list of library documents.
• E-mail the list to yourself.
• Search the stacks, find the documents, look at them.
• Begin annotating the list using the "initial" categories.
• Whenever you have time, examine the "must read" and "promising" materials carefully, and make notes.