Question 1: I think my WP2 went well! It was really hard for me to write but I was happy with how it turned out. I was really happy with my thesis because I feel like I did a better job of taking a stance than I did with my WP1. I wasn’t so happy with not being able to answer every part of the prompt because that’s usually something I try to make sure I always do. I also wish I could have worked the course readings in a little better than I did but at least I included them!
Question 2: The most helpful comment I got by far yesterday was that I need to come up with a better thesis. Once I revised my thesis I was able to actually have a cohesive paper with an argument so that was huge. Another comment I got that was helpful was that I should include the course readings which I had forgotten to do at first.
It makes me happy that you feel like you improved on a couple of aspects since WP1. I agree that it was really difficult to answer the entire prompt, since there were so many branches of questions that we had to look at and consider when writing our papers. I had the same struggle with you there! I felt that if I included too many sources or included too many of my own personal analyses, that it would be too wordy. So don't worry, you're not alone. :)
ReplyDeleteI also struggled with forming a very strong thesis and the comments that I received yesterday also told me that I needed to work on my thesis. I’m glad that after you fixed your thesis you felt that the rest of the paper flowed really well. It was definitely difficult to fit everything into 6 pages, but this essay was much stronger than WP1. Hopefully you felt the same exact way!
ReplyDeleteYour comment regarding the course reader reminded me a lot of my WP1. This was a big problem for me because I forgot to include it in my WP1 rough draft, and when it came to writing the final draft I had too many words and couldn't find good, effective places to insert the ideas. I also agree with the issue of having so many questions. I feel I addressed most of them but only chose a few to write more about and focus my paper on. I found this helpful.
ReplyDeleteIt's admirable that you were able to achieve a strong thesis statement, as I struggled with that! Good job :) I agree that answering every part of the prompt is difficult, but I think the key is to only briefly mention some things, while elaborating on what you feel is more extensive. I agree that having a strong thesis definitely allows for a better paper. It is the foundation of the essay, and without a strong basis, everything else will topple.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way with my thesis. MY thesis for WP1 in all honesty was crap. It was extremely vague so I really have a strong connecting point for all my paragraphs. I also had the problems with not being able to answer everything. Part 3 seemed like an after thought in my paper. Like it was just there compared to the other parts. Tying course readings for the WP was really hard even though I was able to put in quite a few of them.
ReplyDeleteYeah I definitely also had trouble trying to address all the different parts of the prompt, it became a bit overwhelming. Like Pamela mentioned, I think it's important to be able to find a balance between analysis, evidence, discussion, etc... Easier said than done though! Anyways, I totally agree that coming up with a strong thesis can really help you get a clear idea of what your paper is gonna be about and how it should be structured.
ReplyDeleteThe thesis can be so tricky I found myself constantly feeling unsure about it and having to change it too. You want it to always be able to come back to it and that can be difficult because you want everything to be concise. Including the course readings can be difficult but I'm glad you did, so good job. That's good advice you were told because you need a perspective from a reader, I know that it helps me when people say it s unclear because you know what you're talking about but the reader doesn't sometimes. I'm glad you say it went well overall.
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