Reflection Rough Draft

Before starting any course for school, I like to make a list of goals to make sure I stay motivated throughout the course. Sometimes I have specific goals but I like to have overall goals to not get overly stressed out.  The goals I made before taking ENG 122 were to give myself time to write and revise my papers. I am very bad at making my do dates on papers so turning my papers in on time was another goal. I also wanted to improve and add on to my vocabulary. The last goal I made was learn to use MLA format correctly. By the end of the semester, I still neglected on turning my papers and assignments in on time. I also still needed to work on working my essays out more. Starting with rough drafts and then moving on to the final draft. One thing I did master from my goals was MLA format.

            While researching the different topics I had throughout the semester, I definitely discovered new information per topic. There was always something new to learn and to read about. I learned how to use my library database and how to work my way around each database. The best part within my papers was getting to write about what I am passionate about. In my essays I predict my instructor would most enjoy my topic and arguments. I argue about real topics that are not typically talked about but are very important in today. The topics are very interesting and easy to understand to the reader. These topics need to be talked about more, which is why I chose them.

I have definitely improved with my web skills during my time in this class. I now know which phrases to plug into research web sites. I also learned about our library having their own personal database that includes scholarly information. These databases also have access to books that I didn’t know of before taking this course.

While writing my research paper I learned a lot of different things. Researching is not my favorite because I would rather write from my point of view. Although I did enjoy learning about different topics and reading about other topics I am passionate about. One thing that was difficult in the beginning was siting my sources. I also had trouble with in text citations. An easy factor was having the information in front of me and writing about it just like that. Honestly I should have spent more time researching over my topics weekly, but overall I think I explained and made the reader understand my topics. I think I could adjust my pointers by having a bigger variety of them. I could also add more sources to my research. Some helpful hints for researching that could be good for other ENG 122 students that I have discovered is not asking a direct question while on research sites. I also figured out that there is a specific section in Google that is for researching and it is called Google scholarly. This section of Google helped me find specific pieces for my papers and direct quotes I needed.

            During my time in this course I definitely saw an improved as a student within myself. I accomplished goals I had, and learned about things I hadn’t known before taking this course. I enjoyed improving my writing skills and adding to my vocabulary. This course taught me how to express myself through my writing and I appreciate it very much.

Ups and Downs (Research Reflective Essay)

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This semester was a wild ride. I started off my college journey by taking an English composition class. There were ups and downs; things I struggled with and things I excelled in. I learned from others and I learned more about myself. By taking this class, I grew as a student and writer.

It got me to think about my college goals. At the beginning of the semester, some of my goals were simply to get good grades and finish assignments on time. I achieved my goal by generally getting A's on my papers and handing them in when they were due. Another goal was to manage my time well. Although I allowed myself enough time to work on most of my assignments, when I was assigned my research essay, I found that I hadn't given myself enough time to write it at a relaxing pace. Next semester, I would like to plan ahead much better and begin working on my biggest paper in advance, long before the paper is actually due. That way, I won't be cramming so much work in a small period of time, which would reduce my stress and help me be the best writer I can be.

This class helped me to learn how to research, while also helping me discover what I like and don’t like about the process. How I researched my topic was by simply searching for articles about restaurants and portion sizes through Google and online databases. While I did some research before I began writing my essay, I continued researching as I wrote because I realized I needed more information to support my argument as I went along. Some of my points were about obesity and food waste, which needed specific statistics to back them up properly. There were many different articles about my topic, which I enjoyed reading. It was nice to read others’ opinions that were similar to my own, but also interesting to learn about others’ thoughts on the subject I had never considered. I disliked finding out that some sources included statistics that were too old to include. To best support my argument, I had to search a bit longer for newer study results and statistics. Sometimes it was difficult to find the exact information I needed, but it was fairly easy to figure out how to cite the sources when I found ones I could use. Although I have no idea of the exact amount of time spent researching, it may have been better to spend even more. If I had started working on my paper in advance, it would have allowed me to enjoy the research process more.

The research essay assigned in this class encouraged me to find new and surprising source information. While researching, I was surprised to find so much information about restaurants and their menus. I thought there would be enough information on my topic, but I had no idea there would be as much as I found. It was also surprising to find that authors of several articles online often quoted or paraphrased the same works, which I found interesting. When researching, I learned about many statistics and study results about my topic I never knew before. Naturally, I also learned about others' ideas, thoughts, and insights about the topic. It was interesting to find that source information could come from a cookbook. In the cookbook, More-with-Less, the author sprinkled her own thoughts, opinions, and information she gathered about nutrition, eating habits, and how to avoid wasting food. I wanted to include a print source in my paper, but didn't have enough time to run to the library for a book. So, my mom suggested that cookbook, which we happened to have at home with our other cookbooks. I was skeptical that I would find anything that would add to my paper, but as I skimmed through it, I found many interesting things she wrote. One quote stood out to me, and I included it in my paper. It helped me to create a whole separate point which I think improved my essay.

It helped me to write a research paper I am proud of. One of my favorite parts of my essay is my introduction, because I wrote about how fun eating out is before I stated my argument. I think it makes my paper seem more personal and conversational. Another aspect of my writing I like is how I addressed both sides of the situation, which makes my paper be relevant to those in the restaurant industry and the consumers. I’m glad that I was able to include source information by paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting. As much as possible, I tried to alternate between these different ways of integrating sources. While I did use a variety of sources, I made sure to state my own thoughts and opinions in my own words as much as I could. I think I was able to mesh my words with others’ words and ideas in a balanced way.

This class helped me to think about what my professor might want me to include or exclude from my paper. My professor has mentioned that she strongly dislikes when I use the word “the” too often when it is unnecessary. Because of this, I made sure to go over my paper and take out the word "the" wherever I could. I’m not sure if she will notice the absence of this word, but I think she would like it if she does notice it. Also, I think she will like that I added variety to my Works Cited page by using digital and print sources.

This class has helped me to improve as a student. At the beginning of the semester, I did not know what MLA format was, and now I know how to use MLA on my computer at home and on the computer at school. As far as internet skills, I also feel like I have learned how to find valuable information and tell the difference between reliable, accurate sites and mediocre sites. While researching, it was very helpful to organize quotes and information I was thinking about using in documents on my computer, and making sure to include necessary information for in-text citations after or before each quote or bit of information. With this system, I was able to organize source information into different categories, while knowing all the necessary information for each quote. I would definitely recommend this system to other students.

While I have learned quite a bit this semester about my strengths, I have also learned about what I can improve. I would like to make sure to outline my next research paper in as much detail as possible earlier on in the semester because it would help to focus my research and save time. By taking this class, I learned about what I excelled in and what I needed to work on. I also learned about how to research, which helped me to create a research essay I feel good about. Overall, this class helped me to improve my writing skills and become a better student. The semester was a wild ride, but it was well worth it.

Written by Hayley Leach

Reflection Draft - This Semester

            Before I signed up for this course in the first place, I knew it would be one of the most challenging classes that I had ever taken thus far in my life.  Although I was scared being a high school student in a college course, I tried my hardest hoping that my hard work would compare, and be good enough to compare, to the work being turned in by the college students.  My initial goals at the beginning of the semester were to become a better writer and experience some college courses and understand the expectations in these high level courses before I continue on my college education in a larger environment.

            I accomplished both of these goals.  I have enjoyed the experience that I have had while taking this course.  I truly believe that taking this course has prepared me for more college courses in the future.  I have learned how to communicate with college professors and peers taking the same course.  Although I plan on attending a larger four-year college, I believe that this course has prepared me for the challenges I will face in many college courses.  Along with understanding how to communicate and carry myself in a college course, I have understood and begun becoming a better writer.  I have learned how to edit and reword my essays to sound more professional.  Researching was also a major component of what I learned how to do correctly and accurately this semester. 

            During the research process I learned how to correctly study a specific topic.  Just using Google may not help to find the best and most correct information possible.  I learned how to use a database in order to find more credible sources.  Before I began the research process, I did not know that that using a database would help specify and find scholarly articles for the exact topic I needed to find.    

The research process came pretty naturally to me.  I am a very curious person and being told to find more information about a specific topic was intriguing to me.  I found it much more beneficial using a database to locate information rather than just doing a regular Google search.

The parts of my paper that I believed will be liked the best by my instructor are the facts that I found through my research and the interview I used from my friend.  I think that the facts and statistics that I found truly support my thesis statement made at the beginning of my paper.  I also think that the story that I received from my interview added a nice little touch so that the readers of my paper could visualize one of the many different outcomes within a family.  I carefully wrote, adjusted, and rewrote each part of my paper many times to make it exactly what I wanted to say.  My audience for this paper is the rising generation especially, but to the society within the United States overall.  My purpose was to ultimately raise people’s awareness of what could eventually happen in society because of marriage and family.  I worked very hard and long on this paper and I believe that my argument is sound, the facts found support my thesis, and the way that I wrote and discussed the information is very professional and well written.   

I am not very advanced when it comes to being technologically versed, but through the course of this semester I have learned how to convert my paper from a Mac to a Windows computer.  I have also gotten better with my typing speed and my understanding about how computers work in general.

One of the most useful hints I have found useful while taking this class has been understanding the true meaning behind creating a thesis.  When writing a thesis you have to state your “freaking point” to your reader, and understanding this helped me when I began writing any papers.  This course has ultimately been very beneficial for me and I am glad that I had the opportunity to take it while I am still in high school. 

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Written By - Kelsey Robison