At the beginning of this quarter, I didn’t think UWP 1Y was the class for me, I only knew I had to take it because I didn’t get a prerequisite done from not passing the AP English Composition Exam. I thought this class was going to be easy, one that I could slide through , and eventually get an easy A. Was I ever more mistaken?
The class is probably the most valuable class I’ve taken here in my first quarter at UC Davis not only because of the requirements it’s allowing me to fulfill but because of the skills I’ve acquired. My writing was definitely not as good as I thought it was coming into this class and I had never been taught to take a holistic and natural approach in order to conquer writing assignments. It was all foreign to me, my high school English classes never focused on writing what we wanted to, the fact that I got to choose what to write about- let alone which projects to do, was fantastic. Needless to say, completing these projects wasn’t easy, nor should they have been. I’ve found that challenging myself and putting myself in ambitious situations is where I’ve grown the most. It’s where I’ve learned that it’s okay not to be perfect, and to embrace the struggle. The struggle was definitely real within the podcast project and Wikipedia article I chose to do. These projects challenged me in ways that were necessary, and helped me reinforce some learning goals along the way. When I found out I had to write an original Wikipedia article, truth be told, I was scared. What isn’t on Wikipedia? To answer this question required tons of analysis and strategy. I had to pick something that wasn’t to hard to research on , but also something that wouldn’t end up as a stub. So, I decided to write my article on the James C. Rives Mansion, a historical landmark in my hometown of Downey, California. Through this project, I inadvertently fell into a rabbit hole of information that I usually do on Wikipedia once again, but it only strengthened my research skills and patience for myself to write a clear and concise article. Being part of the Downey Historical Society throughout high school, I really thought I had a fair advantage when writing this article. I knew enough about the property to write an introduction, and my connections would help me access photographs that you couldn’t find through a google search. I was terribly wrong. This project was a catalyst to enhance my processes skills- as in, research and critical thinking. The more I looked into something, say for example, the owners of the house, the more controversy I found, and the more sources I had to find to validate all of it. The project was so intriguing yet so tedious at the same time, but I was determined to set out my best work forward. I called two libraries for information on a Swedish newspaper that was supposedly printed in the outhouse of the Mansion, made at least ten calls to the Historical Society to verify information alongside letting them know of my newest discoveries, and had one cry of frustration out of realizing that there is so much of this property that the City of Downey refuses to release. The research I did almost made me feel like I was protecting and all knowing of what had happened there. I felt special, I felt like I knew all the secrets. I felt like a historical detective. I am so eager to publish the article to inform the citizens of my city of what really happened in at the Mansion. Though the work was tedious, it was fun, and makes me look forward to more research projects in the future in my university career. Though the Wikipedia article was more technical and focused on the Processes learning objective, the Podcast Project felt like it culminated everything we had learned in the quarter from other Learning Journals and projects, but with a focus on Metacognition- at least for me personally. This project took me by surprise in the sense that it required more work and analyzation then what I had hoped it would quite frankly- but in a good way. I learned how to listen to my inner voice more often and be as raw as possible, despite how dumb my thoughts may have seemed as I travelled through three different airports in three drastically different locations that had no relevance to each other despite the connecting flights. The project wasn’t simple and I’m glad because I truly feel that it helped me grow my Metacognitive skills. I observed fellow travellers all day and did some reflection on myself. I checked myself every few hours to see how I was doing, how was I feeling, was I overwhelmed by all of the stories being played out in my head? The answer is yes. I am naturally an introvert, and crowded spaces aren’t necessarily my cup of tea (e.g Las Vegas International Airport) . I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to make up stories for the individuals I observed, I was just overwhelmed from what I saw, especially when referencing my personal situation. My true reason for going home was because I missed my loved ones: my family and my former boyfriend at the time. Of course, with the distance, there are times of miscommunication, and I didn’t know how I was going to express that sentiment in my writing. I observed families and couples, and couldn’t help but miss my own. I wanted to make this podcast as intuitive as possible- neither extremely positive or sappy to the point where the reader is re evaluating every decision in their life. I wanted to show how airports, these fantastic crossroads of life, are metaphors for our own lives, and how they’ve adapted to our needs. Once I got over the fear of expressing my honest feelings, The writing process (in this case, writing notes) became easier. My notes are brief enough to remind me of what I saw, but every observation is something that struck me in profound way throughout the trip. The hardest part was writing a dialogue for it (to which I may say I am not proud of my first draft) . I regret not recording myself speaking, or writing down every single piece of dialogue I had thought of in my head immediately after thinking it. It was definitely a challenge to also have a question be the focus of this podcast, let alone find the science to back it all up. These skills grew because I was in a situation where critically self reflecting on my observations, thoughts, and dialogue were absolutely necessary. Though I don’t know if I will ever have to do a podcast for another class here at UC Davis ever again , I know that strengthen this skill holds a great value. It even relates to the revision sessions I have to give my previous writing pieces since I have to critically self reflect to make the focus of my papers in this class very clear. Going forward after completing these projects and having finished the course, I finally feel secure with myself to admit that sometimes, I need to reflect on my own writing and let myself be my harshest critic. The peer reviews were also very valuable, and provided me with insight I couldn’t have fathomed on my own. These past 10 weeks have been a quite the trek, but I feel like I’ve acquired a new set of eyes for my writing- ones that will be more patient, appreciate the writing process, and look out for any inconsistencies. |
This class was like a maze, both challenging and exciting at the same time.
Credit: Home Stratosphere The process of writing the Wikipedia article took me through an exciting rabbit hole Credit: Longevity
Throughout this course, I learned the value of self reflection and criticism. Credit: Chris Sakins
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