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Miranda Montoya

Engl 1302-228

Professor Briones

May 1, 2024

Final Reflection

The first thing I learned about adequately borrowing research this semester was how to

cite the sources. Looking for the source I wanted was the easy part of the research, but finding

sources that connected with each other was the more challenging part. The first homework

helped me think about what topic of research I would be interested in exploring. I had initially

chosen the topic of healthcare, but as the semester went on, I found it more challenging to find a

way to bring my sources together to make a complete thesis about them. That then led me to

change my topic early on in the class.

One thing I learned during the writing process in this course was that I could be a

stronger writer. The homework assignment was able to bring me out of my head by exploring

other research topics I might be interested in. Even though I changed my topic early on, I was

able to build my knowledge on how to find appropriate sources for my essay.

In revising my assignments after I hadn't looked at them for a while, I was able to see the

information more clearly and understand what I was writing better. When revising, I chose to

keep everything the same as I had written in a way that I was pleased with and enjoyed the result

of my work. The one assignment I chose to revise was the third final draft of my essay. By using

my peer and instructor's feedback, I was able to fix my introduction. My instructor informed me

that I could make it stronger by stating my purpose without writing it in the first person. I also
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incorporated more of the sources in my essay by using quotes as my instructor informed me, so I

made my assignment more in-depth.

The most challenging part of revising my research assignments one last time would

definitely be finding the time to do it. During the semester, we only wrote three essays, but with

the inclusion of all my other classes, my time was definitely limited. One of the least challenging

parts was putting all my work together. Because I had a website already done from my English

class last semester, the only thing I needed to do was put in all the assignments I needed.

When writing my writing assignment explanations, I explained what the assignment we

had to complete was and a bit of the process that I had to go through in order to get the final

result. I mentioned the goal of the assignment and who the audience would be for. I also included

the genre of the unit and how it could relate to the research topic I chose, my purpose, and what I

learned at the end of the assignment.

The most challenging part initially was finding an appropriate research topic that I would

enjoy. Due to my needing to figure out what to write, I landed on healthcare, which was not a

very good topic for me in the long run. I then ran into the challenge of having to find a whole

other set of articles and sources for my literature review. In doing so, I was able to find the time

to look for the topics, find a connection between them, and get my review done.

The peer reviews were some of the least challenging parts of this course. I really enjoyed

reading my classmate's work and finding things to help them with. As a writer, this helped me

get out of my own head for a little bit to see what my peers were working on and positively give

feedback. The feedback I got from my peers was well-needed for my assignments, and a fresh
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pair of eyes was important for my research in order to be able to get more in-depth on the

subject.

I feel like this course definitely helped me get my foot in the door to be a part of the

academic research community. However, I definitely need more practice on the subject as I still

have a hard time trying to gather my thoughts on a subject in an eloquent and academic way.