DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Memorandum Reflection:

 

At first when my instructor, Lisa Diomande, instructed the class to do a memorandum as our first assignment, I had no idea what was expected of me. After she showed the class several examples of a memorandum, I was still a little confused so I researched it myself. Since I've never done a memorandum before, this was definitely out of my comfort zone. It put me at ease to know that my friends from other classes were also expected to do a memorandum as their first assignment. My friends and I exchanged memorandums and we each gave each other feedback. Overall, I thought I did a pretty good job. My friends told me that mine was too long but that was only because their instructor wanted theres to be extremely brief in comparison to my instructor that requested that we do it a little longer so that she can familiarize herself with the way we write. 

 

I enjoyed doing a memorandum because it is a form of writing that is essential for anyone that needs to express a new idea or an issue. Since I am going into the medical field I'd probably find myself needed to write a memorandum. Since I got a good core on my memorandum it'll always serve me as an example of what a memorandum is, if I ever need to remind myself again. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Profile Reflection:

 

The second assignment that I had to do for this course,Writing for the Sciences, was a profile based on a person that is in a career field that interests me. At first, I attempted to get in contact with Stanley Hum. Stanley Hum is a doctor who specializes in pediatrics and works at the Stanley Morgan Children's Hospital in the medical center of Columbia University. I personally knew Dr. Hum because he hired me a couple of years ago to be his intern. Unfortunately, he was on a vacation when I tried to get in contact with him, and by the time he responded my assignment was already due the next day. Due to this I choose to do the profile assignment on my aunt, Neorfis Tavarez, who is a social worker.  Although social work is not what i intend to do as a career, it is my back up plan just incase things don't go in my favor. 

 

The profile assignment was difficult for me because it was something I've never done before, just like the memorandum. It also took me out of my comfort zone and introduced me to another type of literature. What I found the most difficult about this assignment was its format. I didn't know what I had to cover in each of my paragraphs and since the prompt did not give me exact instructions I was left to use my own creativity. Another problem I encountered was making sure my tone and writing was professional. This is always an issue for me but was more of a problem in this assignment since it was based on someone who I am related to. Before my final draft was due, I decided to go to the writing center. The writing center was so helpful and helped me realize what I was missing and fixed some grammatical mistakes I did not realize were present. Overall, I am very happy with the way my profile assignment turned out and although I have not received my grade just yet, I am hoping for a good grade!

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Argumentative Paper Reflection:

 

The argumentative paper was a bit difficult for me. I'm typically used to the instructor giving me a topic to defend or to not defend and then I write a paper on it. This time around, I got the opportunity to pick my own topic. I liked the fact that I got to choose my own topic but this also could of been the reason of why this assignment was difficult for me. 


I didn't have the prompt to the essay until after the first draft was due, so my first draft was horrible. I was really confused about what was expected and whether or not the paper was based on the book we read in class. Due to this, I literally had to start from scratch because my first draft was so bad. I went to the writing center to get some help and that helped me a lot, but I didn't feel as if I was prepared to write this paper. The fact that I wasn't prepared is partially my fault because I'm always really busy with all my other classes as well as this one and I'm also working about 35 hours a week so it makes it pretty difficult for me. 


I've learned that I need to use time management skills to prioritize and that I really need to pay attention to blackboard because if I don't I will not do as well as I want to do in this course. I've also learned how to make a thesis more specific and I'm getting better at finding sources and incorporating them into my writing. I still have to work on using transitions and analyzing quotes and I also think I am very repetitive. Overall, I enjoyed doing this essay because it has helped me grow and it has definitely helped me to become more prepared for our research paper. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Research Paper Reflection:

 

For the research paper we were expected to do thorough research on a topic of our choice. I have to say, the research paper was probably the most difficult writing assignment for me this semester in Writing for the Sciences. The first problem for me was picking a topic.  I had difficulty in finding a topic because there weren’t any limits set by the professor on what we could do. At first I wanted to choose a topic that has something to do with feminism. When I tried to find sources about feminism, it was very difficult to find articles. I determined that I’m not going to do feminism because The City College of New York library database did not have enough articles that could support my thesis and be used in my research paper. For this reason, I had to select another topic.

 

I ended up choosing to do my paper on cancer. Although it was still difficult to find useful sources, it was a little easier looking for articles on cancer than looking for articles about feminism. Cancer is such a broad topic so I chose to set a limit on my paper. I limited my paper by only focusing on the top 5 cancers that affect men and women. This came down to lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and colon cancer. In my paper, I defined each type of cancer and discussed the risk-factors. I also provided information on how people can properly protect themselves from these risk factors. I also used more sources that what was asked of us. I think the use of sources is very important because it supports my thesis and it makes my credibility increase. The more sources included means that a lot of research was done. With the researcher, I at times got very frustrated because it was so much to read. I like reading but not when its school related. Yes, cancer is an interesting topic but the fact that I was reading for an assignment is what made me procrastinate so much. So my professor gave us an annotated bibliography as an assignment. I did the assignment because of course I want to pass my class but I expected that it’ll help me finding helpful sources. After doing the annotated bibliography, I didn't end up using the sources that I used on my bibliography because it was difficult to take quotes from those sources that would make sense in my paper. I ended up spending most of my time reading and gain knowledge on my topic, cancer, in order to write my research paper effectively.

Some things I could have done in order to better my paper are thoroughly read every single source the first time around so that I would have not had to go back and do it over. I could have also planned my time accordingly, I was usually behind the class due to other classes and procrastination. I always seem to procrastinate and then I get writers block. I also feel that my topic was a little too broad. I need to work on transitions and the explanation of quotes but I have definitely improved in that throughout this semester.

 

Looking back on this assignment I feel as if I could have done way better if I had a better topic. The freedom of being able to choose anything really messed me up because I suck at picking topics. For the next time I write a research paper I will also plan to go to the writing center. The writing center usually helps out with organizing and structuring a paper. They can also help you find sources & make an outline. They can also help you with creating the research question and your thesis statement. I would also seek more assistance from my professor so that I could know exactly what they are looking for and what they expect to see in my writing. Overall, I can say the research paper has helped me with realizing that reading is essential. Skimming is great, but when you skim you might miss some very important information. Reading is necessary in order to write a good research paper. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.