Reflective Memo:

   

Dear Annie Halseth,  

 

    In this reflection I will cover my development throughout my class and the lessons I’ve learned that have stuck out the most to me. Many of these ideas were presented by “Bad Ideas About Writing” as well as by yourself in class. 

    Over the course of this semester, my understanding of effective research methodologies and source evaluation has significantly evolved. As I researched for my papers, the sheer volume of articles and sources pushed me to refine my skills in processing and organizing information, as well as my sources. I found myself finding so many different papers that held great arguments for my conversation, as well as others that shared new ideas that hadn’t been attempted in the field; however, I couldn’t keep trac of them just by leaving a tab with it open on my computer. Creating a research log showed me the importance of keeping an organized log of what each source brings to my argument, especially regarding an issue of so much conversation. This process not only enhanced my understanding of the subject matter but also exemplified my development as a writer in terms of organizing thoughts and sources efficiently. Categorizing my sources made writing my paper much more effective, and allowed for me to plan out where each source will be used in which part of the argument. Furthermore, it helped me organize the counterarguments, since many papers often had counterarguments of their own that could be used for my argument. This progression aligns with the course objective of honing research and organizational skills.  

  

   Furthermore, my writing process has seen a transformative shift, exemplified by two distinct reasons. Firstly, in addressing the "Bad Ideas about Style, Usage, and Grammar," I reflected on my personal narrative and recognized the belief that informative pieces should lack a personal touch. I now understand that a writer's imprint can enhance an informative essay, provided it is expressed appropriately and doesn’t intervene with the information being presented. In sum, I didn’t have to worry too much about sounding like an encyclopedia, helping my writing flow much easier. Secondly, my work ethic underwent a notable transformation. Since before, it had been fixated on achieving perfection in the initial draft, I now appreciate the slow nature of writing. I understood that sections can be less coherent or organized initially, as long as there is room for revision and improvement, has contributed to my overall skill enhancement in the writing process. An assignment that embodied this growth was the A3 Argumentative Essay. I had to plan my way through the essay, knowing that this time I couldn’t just write it in one go. Especially seeing the amount of information and sources that I needed to find. This pushed me to improve my writing process and work ethic in order to write the best paper I could. 

 

   I plan on using what I learned in this course to further my writing progression in other classes as well as later on in life. In the next coming years, I will have to do a lot of writing and especially a lot of argumentative writing. Making it all the more necessary to translate what I’ve learned onto those courses. Furthermore, this assignment in and of itself will act as a starting point to literature pieces like the ones mentioned in the assignment description. Since many employers ask for annual reviews of progression. 

All in all, this class helped me greatly in further developing my skills as a writer, and as a student. Creating organization habits, planning habits, and finally, creating a good sense of direction when navigating sources and papers.