Research essays are like the bad apples of educational writing. They seem to instill a fear of writing in students that follows them throughout their entire life. Over the years I have come to love essays, but for some reason when the word research pops up my stomach begin churning. Someone could probably write an entire book as to why students hate research essays, but the reasons are different for everyone. For most of us I think it’s the thought of spending hours and hours behind the computer monitor surrounded by books, and dyeing of a monster head ache. It’s the thought of deadlines, MLA, APA, and citations galore. I’ve recently come to realize though that it doesn’t have to be that way. Yes, it takes a lot of time but there is also something to be gained from the process. Essays aren’t about recording facts like they teach you in high school. Essays are about discovering new things and making sense of them.
Research history
I grew up having to do the yearly writing assessment every other year. They gave you a topic, a black or blue pen, and an hour on the clock. Everything was to be spelled perfectly. Your handwriting had to be perfect, and you’re writing itself had to be well rehearsed and smooth. To this day the whole idea seems absolutely ridiculous. I failed over and over again. Half the time I just froze up unable to write even a paragraph. I grew up fearing essays for that very reason.
For most students in my high school, essays were not a common assignment until you hit your senior year. I unlike most students had the opportunity of being in the creative writing class a year early. This gave me the opportunity to become better acquainted with the “art” of essays. In this class I began to appreciate essays in a way I never thought I would. It was the first, and frankly the only class in high school in which the goal was not only to record facts, but to analyze them, and work to better understand them. I loved this idea and took it with me my senior year. Other teachers marked me down time after time because my essays were not formal enough. They didn’t have a solid enough conclusion. The point wasn’t to ask questions it was to state facts. That is when research essays became my enemy so to speak. I still loved essays but hated formal ones.
Current view
Once I entered college, ironically, all my teachers wanted us to ask questions, to analyze, and dissect. I was a little shocked, especially when I turned in a paper to my English 101 class that would have been a C paper in high school and got an A. The same thing happened over and over. Not only in English, but in history and philosophy as well. Slowly my view is beginning to change. I am finding that I can get involved in my papers now. I love using my papers to get out in the community and interview people, to get an understanding of other ways of life. I am a person who loves to ask questions. Service learning has created a great opportunity for me to go crazy with this. Not only will I be able to interview people, but I will be able to interact with them on a weekly basis.
Blogging
The blog has been an interesting experience. It can be a little scary at times knowing that people will be looking at my writing and analyzing every word. I can’t help worrying that they will think I mean something different than what I do. I have tried hard to keep a neutral stance because of this. I am finding that with a neutral stance I am also able to look at things with a more critical eye. I can look at ideas that I am confused about and work to understand them better or find out how they can be improved. I liked how in Joseph Harris’s essay “Forwarding and countering” he gives tips on how to be critical of someone without being offensive, or mean. I agree that that is important and at the same time very difficult. I loved how he described it as filling in the holes rather than pointing out the weaknesses. I have taken this to heart and worked hard to achieve that.
Extended Bibliography entries
The extended bibliographies have been a huge help. By writing them I was better able to think through the research I found. I realized that I had to look at each article closer, and by doing could delve deeper into the meaning than I would have by just reading it. I think this is going to be a saving grace when it comes to writing the final work. It will create more depth and understanding in my paper. I am still really interested in the effectiveness of Head Start. The Health and Human services survey although dry reading was interesting. It raises a lot of questions that I would like answered the most interesting of which I mentioned in my first bibliography entry. (“how the success rate today compares to that 7 years ago, and how my opinion based on my personal experience will differ from that of the study.”) I am afraid though that I am focusing too much on surveys and that by following surveys alone, not only will my topic be too narrow, but also that I will miss the whole point of the Head Start program. I am really eager to incorporate my own experience in with the studies. I would also love to get some stories from those who have been involved with the program.
Class Comments
The class comments have been great. I love it when people tear apart my work and give feedback. It helps me to look at my work in a different light and improve it. There is always room for improvement, even on a final draft. So I am really happy that I am getting such good comments and suggestions. In my second bibliography Amanda suggested that I include some of the results of the study. I hadn’t even thought about that and realized that it would add a lot to my entry and research. She also mentioned that I was researching my research and was talking more than my source. That is a great point. In reading it back I realized that I could, and should, spend a bit more time explaining the study itself. Professor Branstad also mentioned that I should focus my topic a little more. I absolutely agree with that. It is something that I have been struggling with. I am hoping that actually getting involved in the agency will help focus my questions a little more.
As for commenting on others posts; I found that helpful as well. I am often afraid of being too critical though. I love giving feedback, but can sometimes be too tough on a piece of work. I am really critical of my own writing, so when I move to someone else’s piece I want to give suggestions for improvement on everything and sometimes have to reign myself in. I am a strong believer that there is always room for improvement. I also noticed that when I was commenting on others entries that I myself was making similar mistakes. I was able to take that to my own writing and improve it.
Citations
Citations have always been a struggle for me. There are so many rules to learn. Coming into this class I had quite a bit of experience working with MLA, but I still find myself confused. With my last bibliography entry I was really struggling with having multiple authors on a web source. Even with the MLA handbook and OWL at Purdue I always seem to end up at the information desk in the library asking for help. I am glad to have all the resources though. It is a lot easier with so much help at hand. Citations drive me crazy. Why there are so many rules is beyond me. Hopefully these class with help me to become more citation savvy.
Conclusion
I am truly beginning to gain a greater respect for research and essays. There will always be work involved but no one says you can’t enjoy it. There are so many questions to be asked and problems to be solved. I used to think that at my age it was pointless because I was too young to be credible. I thought it didn’t matter what I wrote, no one would hear me. I realize now that is not true. You have to make yourself heard. You have to take the chance and get your voice out there. Even if no one sees it or no one cares, you were still able interact with amazing people, and better understand a whole different way of life. There is a lot to be gained from writing, which is why I love it so much. It not only influences others but it influences you as well.
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