I’m not going to lie, I hate research papers. I absolutely despise the monotony of taking other people’s information and constructing an eight to ten page attempt to sound like a text book. What I have learned from taking this course though, is that you can in fact try and make writing and research fun, with the application of critical thought and your own personal style. Although I had to write research papers in high school, they were nowhere as nearly expansive as the one we had to write in English 104.

From day one in class, I thought never in a million years would I be able to complete the project. Somehow, I managed to without paying a friend to do it or taking amphetamines. The reason I was able to actually complete the research paper is because of my completion of the assignments leading up to it. Each assignment gradually increased in length and required more in-depth study and thought, which helped me grow as a writer and investigator. In addition, I was surprised to find out how many of my opinions changed simply by reading and analyzing an author’s essay paragraph by paragraph. For example, when I first read Alan Dershowitz’s essay on the promotion of national ID cards, I thought it was a fantastic idea! But after we had a classroom discussion on his argument, I realized that national ID cards would be a terrible idea.

 The same pattern followed with many of the articles we read, and lead into my research paper on indoor tanning. Not long ago, I used to be a regular customer at tanning salons and thought it would be hypocritical for me to say that all people who indoor tan are ugly, orange, and stupid. As I thought more about the issue, critically thought to be specific, I made the connection of indoor tanning to other addictions.

I was already a passionate writer, due to the fact I am an extremely outspoken individual who loves finding new and thought-provoking perspectives on anything and everything. After taking this course, I have noticed that my passion has grown because I have realized that I am capable of doing extensive research yet still have the personal touch that I care so immensely about. This devotion and craving for my voice to be heard has even made me consider switching my illustration major to journalism. I have discovered a lot about myself this semester, and the exploration will continue!