Project 1 Reflection: underestimated

Writing this essay wasn't as easy as I expected it would be. I expected a quick observation where some obvious overall meaning of the SRC would arise. I did well with having proper length as well as observing the appearance of people, especially females, in the SRC and how people there observed each other. Also, I observed that what other people noticed about each other had an influence in the values of the SRC itself. The people in the SRC were very observant, usually, about other people’s appearance, which made appearance highly valued at the SRC. I struggled with having a variety of backup from the lenses. I struggled with my use of rhetorical questions; I had far too many. I didn’t have enough evidence to back up the points I was trying to convey because I didn’t take detailed enough observations. I focused too much on the possibilities of what could be going on or what people could be thinking, rather than what was actually going on. I relied too much on questions of analysis. I struggled with relating the lens I used in more than one way; once I found a way that was easy to relate my paper with, I kept using that one without much variety. I learned that there is a lot more to a place than you'd think and that paying attention to the things around you is mind-opening. I learned that taking incredibly detailed observation notes helps a lot when actually writing the essay. I learned that an analysis is all about the “why” of things, but instead of asking the “why” in the essay, explain it, prove that the answer you came up with is true. I learned that a place goes far beyond just a location and that it has meaning and values. I will alter my writing process by taking better notes and concentrating more on the lens. In order to focus more on the lens I will reread it throughout writing the paper and possibly take notes on how many points I can use from it so it is easier to apply them. I will also focus more on the arguments and have better evidence to back them up. I feel as though I didn't reach the depth asked for and to improve I can delve deeper into the lens and use it more throughout the essays. I can also improve by spending more time observing, maybe actually talk to some people. Outside the university, I will pay better attention to what is going on around me wherever I am and assess if it is a place I really need to be. If the place I go portrays bad values, I shouldn’t be there.