Wow! What a Term!!

•         What advice would you now give to someone writing his/her first scientific paper?
First, I would say READ, READ, READ up on your topic.  Find as much information as you can on your subject and become well-acquainted with it.  Keep a list of all your resources so you can go back to them as needed.  Follow the guidelines you learned in Composition classes, and don't forget to check your citations and references for format.

•         What areas do you feel you strengthened in the past 10 weeks?
I definitely strengthened my skills in APA formatting, expanding on an idea in the paper, and transitioning.  The editing tool "Paramedic Method" was great for taking out some of the excess words and helped with flow.

•         What areas do you feel still need improvement in regards to writing?
When working on my draft, I go into a kind of "brain death" from looking over my paper time and again.  I would like to be able to write the draft early enough to be able to put it away for a couple of days before doing my final edit.  I just tend to keep picking at it.

•         Any final thoughts or statements to make before we wrap up?

I enjoyed this term very much, and hope to hear from all of you! 

Just Plain Tired, But Love to Write

Well, my paper IS almost done, and I feel just plain tired!  Doing two research papers at once has been an incredible brain drain, and I am looking forward eagerly to the week off.  My Anatomy paper has gone extremely well, while I feel my Composition paper has suffered, and I have suffered along with it.  I can generally write easily, but I have struggled with this particular paper.  I really feel that my subject is not heart-felt enough, and that's bad.  If I am having trouble getting into my own paper, how can I expect my reader to feel?  However, I am determined to use my new tools to work through this and make it the paper I will be proud to submit!

I have gotten my feedback from the Writing Center, and most of what they pointed out I already knew, in my heart.  This weekend I will be going over my paper and its critique in detail.  What I expect to do is to rearrange some information that appears to be out of place in one paragraph by modeling it again with the post-draft outline.  I will work on my transitions and add some more detail where it is lacking, and reword some of my in-text citing.  Overall, I hope to get a better flow for my readers. 

I have always written.  I will always write.  Whether I am writing song lyrics, or office memos, or research papers, the tools I now have will help me with all of those.

I think the most interesting topic for me in this course was the paramedic method.  It was all new to me, but it works so well, I don't know how I ever lived without it! 

Good luck to all, and I hope you will continue to blog!

Jogging Means Run, Blogging Means Fun!

It's finally cooling off a bit down here in sunny Florida, and that means it's time for me to get out the jogging shoes and get a bit more active.  It's kind of like spring up north.  You do your outside activities when it's comfortable.  Since school began last January, I have found myself sitting at the computer day and night, as I have a desk job at work.  My poor tushy is screaming, "Get up!  Get up!"   I have been missing my walks and runs, and it's time for me to get serious about it once again. My heart and lungs will appreciate it,  although my knees and ankles will beg for mercy!

Blogging is just like an exercise habit.  I imagine it's much easier to keep up with your blog when it is mandatory, but it's still fun.  It's a little disappointing not to get comments, because you are never sure whether anyone has even read your work.  Then again, I think it would be very exciting to be writing my own blog, outside of class, and actually have some followers.  This seems to give purpose to the exercise of writing on a regular basis, a goal similar to weight loss due to jogging. 

I have started a second blog about spices, and I am glad to be doing it, as I am discovering interesting facts about and uses for some of the spices on my shelf.   I don't intend to continue that blog once I have exhausted my spice rack, but who knows?  I would, however, enjoy blogging in the future if the occasion arises and the subject is something about which I can passionately write.

I do hope to see you all in the blogging world after the cuorse is finished!  

That "Peer Review" Thing

Many of us are writing about how it feels to be reviewed and to review our classmates' papers.  I think it is the most obvious and emotional subject of the week.  While looking forward to hearing what you have to say about my paper with great enthusiasm, I feel nervous about making comments on your papers because I fear you will think I am an idiot (lol) or a meanie.  We are all on both ends of the stick this week, reviewing and being reviewed.  It is a difficult thing to take criticism.  Just imagine actors reading newspaper reviews.  You have to pick and choose and be comfortable with yourself, ignoring what you feel is incorrect and embracing helpful hints.  We need to be open-minded abut reviews.  I truly wish you all the best on your final projects! 

Six Weeks in Retrospective

It's been a full six weeks!  The Dow Jones is up a bit.  Tony curtis passed away, as did Gloria Stuart (the old woman from "Titanic"), and Eddie Fisher.  The Pope visited the UK.  Pakistan remains flooded, as does a portion of the East Coast of the U.S. at this time.  And, the Chilean miners are still underground.

Given these facts, my last six weeks have personally been dull.  No deaths, no storms, no tragedies (unless you consider the theft of some of my son's band equipment!).  However, it's been a full six-weeks of head-in-the-book weekends as I deal with my most difficullt class to date, A&P II.  Given that and the fact that I seem to have so many papers to write this term, I feel like a real book nerd.  I do miss the beach, but that will come along, as the weather is cooling a bit.  I am anxious to finish this term and look forward to the holidays!