Reflect on the process of creating your research paper and answer the following questions. You will later expand on these in your portfolio cover letter:
1) What assignment/document was most useful to you during this process? Explain your answer.
- The most useful assignment in this process was blogging. I found that by having to look things up for myself, I retained the information better than if someone would tell me how to do it. I’m a hands on learner, and by having to do the finding for myself, I learned what exactly I needed to do to complete this project correctly. I used blogging to help me get the basics down for each section of my paper. It was very helpful.
2) What was the most helpful feedback you received at any stage – why was it helpful?
- The most positive feedback I received was the positive comments I got on my peer review rubrics. Feeling praised is always a god feeling. It helped me to make sure I was on the right track and everyone knew what I was trying to get across to them. Being told that I did something right, has always encouraged me to try harder because I don’t want to let the people around me down. Being told I needed to fix something, has similar traits, but I’d rather hear good news than bad.
3) What was most difficult for you during the drafting process? Easiest? WHY?
- The most difficult part during the drafting process was writing my results section. Being that it is an auto-ethnography, I was unsure how to go about it. I used other auto-ethnographies to help me in this process, but I wanted to make it my own. I struggled with that process the most. I wrote one draft that I was NOT happy with at all. I hated it and all I could think about was that SHITTY results section. That was a horrible feeling since the results section is the bread and butter!!! While looking for a journal to submit to, I came across a site for hyperhidrosis suffers and it gave me all the inspiration I needed to rewrite the results the way it should have been written, with emotion.
- The easiest part of the drafting process was combining my sections together and making them flow. I didn’t seem to worry a lot about this and I wrote like I had seen in other journals. Breaking sections up with headers helped in this process a lot. I am grateful for others research.
4) Where does your final essay best show your ability as a writer?
- I’m not exactly sure which part shows my best abilities. When writing something structured like a lit review or introduction, I feel it can go only one way, the right way. I know how to write formally which is what those sections are. I then think about the results section. It shows my struggle and true emotions that keep the reader wanting to read about my life. I feel I understand the structure of writing which is a strength and also how to tug at the reader’s heart.
