Skills to be Learned Part 2

The first skill I initially chose for my “Skills to be Learned” blog post was integrating sources. Over the span of this course, I can definitely say that I have had my fair share of doing so. In each part of my rhetorical analysis paper, multiple sources were necessary to add credibility to my argument. This is a process I was not very familiar and comfortable with before this class, and I know that it will come in handy in future research papers for my other college classes. The next thing I wanted to learn was how to outline and organize my thoughts in order to create a logical and understandable paper. This is something I am now very confident in, and having a formula for each of the assignments really helped with this. Being able to have a strong foundation that you can branch out on has made all the difference in my papers, as opposed to my typical freestyle-type writing. I also have struggled with reaching the minimum paper length without dragging it out unnecessarily. Initially, even reaching 350 words for a blog post was a challenge, and incredibly time consuming. With the past few assignments, I have had no problem reaching the word count of 900, and the only time consuming part was the research. Especially because of the topic I chose, there is a plethora of information for me to use, and it wasn’t necessary to try to stretch my papers out. If anything, I had to be very conscious to carefully stick to the points I was trying to make, so not to confuse the reader on the already complicated subject. Getting stuck really hasn’t been as much of an issue as I expected it to be, mostly because of my interest in what I have been arguing. If at any point I felt stuck, I learned ways to get past it and when it is necessary to take breaks. I would say the revision has been more difficult than the writing itself. The last skill I chose was reading college level sources, which I believe I did through my weeding of articles and all of the assigned close readings. Overall, I am leaving more confident in my writing and conveying of thoughts than when I started.
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You Have Scarred Me for Life

The process of this class has definitely made me more aware of current nutritional issues in our society. From the presentations, to the assigned reading, to the in-class discussions, a lot of things have been brought up that I have never considered before. For example, the issue of bottled water is not something that I have previously worried about, but I will now be more conscious of it. Learning the nutritional effect of different foods is partially terrifying, because I think sometimes we’d rather remain in the dark about what we are consuming. Ignorance can be bliss, but only a very temporary bliss before our lifestyle and habits, if allowed, kill us. So while it would be more comfortable to remain unaware, the knowledge is essential to living a healthy, long life. One of the main things the class has brought to light for me is people’s (including my own) desire for instant gratification, particularly in our culture. With things like fast food chains being placed all around college campuses, it gives people the access to revolve their dietary choices around time, ease and money, as opposed to health and nutrients. I have been left with a lingering question of what we can do to improve the current conditions of our unhealthy diets, and what truly is healthy. I want to be more educated on the subject, broad as it may be. I think I already have a better grasp of health, especially on the particular topic of neurological health. There is a lot of misconception as to what is “healthy”, and far too often people only focus on the weight-loss aspect of dieting, and as a whole, we would be a lot better off if we made our choices based on the nourishing of our bodies. There is a lot of controversy in the health and nutrition world, which has made this an incredibly interesting topic. I know I for one am curious about my fellow classmates arguments, and the different areas they each are focusing on. Because of this class, I definitely have an increased interest in diet, and feel as though my knowledge of it has become greater. There are a lot of things that I know will stick with me long term, especially through my own expansive research. 
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The Final Draft

For my final two drafts of my researched argument, my biggest concern is being able to accurately articulate my argument, and narrow in on the topic in discussion. The first part of the researched argument wasn’t difficult because I had a pretty clear understanding of what I wanted to say, and the points I wanted to make, but part two, the history part, was a bit more difficult. I started out thinking I had plenty of research, but by the time I finished my outline, I realized I had gaps in it, and had to find more and learn how to connect all of them together in a way that makes sense to the reader. It was a struggle to keep the flow going in it, and expound on the points enough to be informative, but short enough to keep it concise. My hope for these upcoming two parts is that because of the knowledge I have obtained over the course of my studies, I will able to easily write them so they flow and feel natural, and will meet the required length without feeling over-stretched. I am slightly concerned about being able to convey the opposing argument in a way that relates to my argument. While I see their relation, the opposing view is not directed at some of the specific points I am making. Most of the opposing argument sources are broader and directed more toward the benefit of carbohydrates, and I wish that I could find more that would directly say it about the neurological system. Nonetheless, there is definitely still an argument there, and I have confidence that I will be able to clearly state it in a way that ties to my argument.

One of the things I am most excited about is seeing all of my work and research coming together. This process has definitely been a challenge, but I know that it will be rewarding in the end. I think the easiest part will probably be the conclusion, in which I state the way that we can improve the issue. With my argument being that carbohydrates negatively affect the neurological system, I plan to conclude that a diet free of complex carbohydrates can help treat neurological disorders, such as autism and ADHD. These upcoming parts will be a lot of work, and a good bit more of research, but I have a good direction in where I am taking this and can’t wait to have the finished product.

Writing After 1020

    After writing an annotated bibliography, rhetorical analysis, paper proposal and starting my researched argument, I feel much more prepared for college papers. At the beginning of this semester, I honestly did not have a good understanding of how to properly execute a college level paper. I felt very lost and was not confident in my writing at all. Not only has my confidence level gone up immensely, but I’ve also gotten substantially faster at writing. I am getting over my fears that I had at the beginning of the semester, and now knowing how to brainstorm, outline, properly structure the paper, edit, revise etc. will help in any future classes I have that require me to write papers. As far as research goes, I really had minimal experience in it from high school, and no experience using college level sources like journals. I now know how to navigate the journals and libraries, and use the adequate, credible sources that will be required for future research papers. Things definitely started out very difficult, as English has always been one of my least favorite subjects, but this class has given me a much better understanding of it, and I’ve actually learned how to enjoy the process of writing. I also am so happy to have had the chance to research and learn more about a topic that I was already interested in, and while writing the first part of my researched argument, I realized my passion for the subject. This class has not only prepared me for my upcoming literature class, or just writing papers, but how to properly research. It also made me look forward to my science classes and I am considering taking a nutrition course as well. So on top of teaching me how to better compose papers, it also sparked interests in things that I didn't know I cared about. I know that everything I have learned will be beneficial in ways that I haven’t even seen yet. Overall, this has been a wonderful experience, and I know that I will leave this class far better prepared for college level writing and research than before. 
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Writing Reflection: Researched Argument Part 1

After writing the first few part of my researched argument, I feel much more comfortable with my subject matter. Breaking down and defining the terms really helped me have a better idea of what I am arguing and I feel like I have a solid understanding of it. I am very passionate about the topic I am addressing, and that made writing it much easier and more enjoyable. Our previous assignments definitely helped in preparing me for it too, and I didn’t feel lacking in any of the necessary information. Getting it to the required page length wasn’t an issue, especially with all the terms I had to define. I have had to dig through a lot of research to decide what was relevant, but I have a book called “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” that is about my topic, and in addition to providing a plethora of information, it also has outside resources that are helpful. The book is actually what initially triggered my interest in the gut-brain connection and the carbohydrates effecting the neurological system, so through this process I have read most of the book, and it has definitely sparked a desire to learn more about the subject. I do struggle with the actual writing, like being able to articulate what I am trying to argue and present the information in a way that makes sense to the reader. Connecting all of the variables is definitely a challenge, but I think through editing and rewriting I will be able to get the appropriate information through. As far as the argumentative aspect of my paper, it is a bit of a trial to find definitive opposing arguments. There are a lot of indirect arguments that I am using as sources, but it is not specifically about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet I am examining, it normally applies more to a general healthy diet relating to neurological disorders. It is still applicable to my argument, it just takes a thorough explanation of how it connects. I also have to bring more of the carbohydrate aspect in to it. I am not lacking any information, my struggle is more in the connecting of it all and making a concise argument that flows naturally. Through all of this, I definitely feel like I am much more able to take on and execute this argument.

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Food & Culture Presentation Review

    After hearing most of the food and culture presentations, I can definitely say I have been surprised by the numerous odd traditions and habits of other countries. One that stuck out to me was Rachel’s presentation of Germany. Learning about things like Oktoberfest is fascinating, and it’s really interesting to see what unites people in different places (like beer, for example.). While other countries traditions seem odd to us, for them it is what they’ve known and been raised with, like Thanksgiving or Halloween for us. It is also very interesting to see the crazy food that different cultures eat, things that sound appauling to us are the norm for them. While Houston and I were putting together our presentation, we had the opportunity to get a taste of the Peruvian culture. We definitely learned a few shocking things, like about the consumption of guinea pigs and alpacas, which would seem so bizarre here. Another one I found interesting was Thailand, and the way they set their meals up. I think it’s funny that it’s only encouraged to eat sweets for breakfast there, where here, dessert is normally for after dinner. Also their frequent snacking and large lunches with light dinners makes me question our own countries set up of meals. Through seeing the presentations, I also learned a lot about the different cultural and geographical influences of each countries diet. The videos of people trying  the foods from a certain country made me laugh, and shows the difference in preferences culturally.

    The main thing I discovered through these cultural influences presentations is that food truly does unite people. Even though in each country, they have their own specific and different traditions and ways of eating, the common denominator is that food is associated with celebration everywhere. Whether it’s rice soaked in alcohol, guinea pig or beer, food and drink brings people together. There are festivals and carnivals in almost every country celebrating that. The bottom line is that wherever you go, whatever the traditions and cultures, people love food. Something that we commonly take for granted and don’t take notice of plays a significant role in everyones life, far beyond the nourishment of our bodies. 
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Writing Reflection- Paper Proposal

If I had the time to go back over my paper proposal, I would be more concise with my points. I would also be sure that I didn’t repeat myself, especially with word choice. Reading it again, I see more improvements that could be made and ways that I could have articulated my thoughts better. Even though this was the longest paper we’ve had to write thus far, it was probably the one I struggled with the least. The initial outline really helped a lot, and then I just had to expound on my points. Being able to write it in first person also made it easier to get my thoughts out in a more fluent way. I would say the thing I struggled with the most is making it the appropriate length without repeating myself. This is something that I always have a hard time with, and could definitely use to improve on. I did think the writing on my proposal helped me have a better grasp of where I am going with my final researched argument. It also showed me where I need more research and what I am lacking in. Seeing that I was able to write a 5 page paper just discussing what I’m going to write about, and with relative ease, I have more confidence in my ability to write the final 12 page paper. With my breakdown of the definitions, in addition to covering all the different aspects of the topic, I don’t see reaching the full 12 pages being a problem. If anything, I realized how broad of a topic this is and all the different routes I can take it, and can see how it might be difficult to keep it within a certain page length. The topic I am covering is a relatively difficult one, and I see that now more than ever, but this paper proposal helped me get a better understanding of it and where I want to take it. It showed me the areas I need to improve on and the topics I need to narrow in on, and it got me thinking about where I can further my research.

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