Find something interesting to write about
20 pages might not seem like a lot at first (okay, it does) but it will seem much longer if you don't like your topic. The topic for Seminar will change depending on when and with whom you take it but you should be able to find something within that topic that interests you. If you're having problems finding your calling then ask your professor or a librarian for help.
Subjects & Topics
While the database isn't as smart as you, it will offer suggestions based on your searches. These will vary by database but Topic usually refers to what the article is about - food, poems, nursing - think of it as a confirmed keyword, the article doesn't just have the word Gilgamesh in it but is actually about Gilgamesh. Subject is the area of study - think Literature, Medicine, and Philosophy. These can be used individually or together to narrow your number of search results.
Thesis or Research Question (video below)
aka the chewy nugget center of your paper. Your thesis is a super condensed version of your paper, it needs to communicate to the reader exactly what the paper is all about. As a plus, it will also keep you on track in your research. Everything stems from your Thesis, including your Keywords.
Keywords or Search Terms (video below)
are the most important part of searching. Think of your thesis as the recipe for a really delicious pie and your keywords are the list of ingredients. The keywords themselves won't make the pie but they will point you in the direction of the ingredients (articles). The database isn't smart. It can only find what you tell it to find. Pay attention to spelling and punctuation. If you search for "Alice's Adventures on Wonderland" you will get zero results.
Boolean Operators (video below)
Searching for articles in databases
Each database uses a slightly different system of classifying articles. In some databases, there is limited keyword searching, and you must use the appropriate subject heading assigned to the article in order to find it. For example, if an article is called "A survey of dentures in the elderly" and you are searching for the term "false teeth," you will not find the article.
Tip #1: Start with keyword searching, but take note of the official subject headings assigned to the articles that are most relevant to your topic. Then repeat the search using those terms instead. Note that not every database uses the same exact subject headings. Most databases, like Ebsco's Academic Search Premier, will offer suggestions when you type in keywords. These suggestions are based on the Ebsco subject headings thesaurus.
If your beginning keyword searches do not bring up enough relevant results, you will have to find the appropriate subject heading in the database's thesaurus. This is usually an option at the top of the screen, or it may be buried in the advanced search options.
Finding the full text
Sometimes there is a fairly obvious link to the full text of the article in the citation you've found. Most articles will have a 
icon or offer FullText HTML. When you don't see a link or icon to the article, don't give up just yet! The library subscribes to dozens of databases, and the full text might be available elsewhere.
Tip #2: Try Article Linker - look for the 
icon. When you click this icon, you will be checking to see if any of our other databases have the full text of the article.
If Article Linker does not point you to the full text, you may still have a chance at getting the full text electronically (declining in probability at this point, but worth a brief gander. You're seniors and it's about time that you learn the hard truth about real research: it takes a long time and is full of many dead-ends.) by searching Journals/eJournals for the title of the journal. It will list the databases that have the journal electronically as well as the print version.
When all else fails: InterLibrary Loan
If you are certain the article you'd like will be useful to you, ILLiad. Articles will most likely be delivered to you through email as a PDF within a few days but could take up to 3 weeks.