Reflection

Unit 1 reflection- 

In this unit, I was able to draw conclusions based on analysis and interpretation of primary evidence and place that work in conversation with other source materials through the Cultural Artifact Assignment. I focused on the sunset as a personal cultural artifact and explored how it impacts my life and how my culture is affected by it. The writing process of this paper allowed me to engage with the learning objective when placing my work in conversation with other sources. My paper began with a personal connection, which helped me create a meaningful start, but I realized to strengthen my argument, I needed external sources that would add depth and evidence. 

First, I had an interview with my mom to get her perspective on the situation and give a first-hand perspective on the event that occurred. Her perspective really changed the tone of the paper and allowed it to be more personal and give it a multi-dimensional tone. Including her perspective enriched my understanding of the artifact and allowed me to place my personal narrative in a broader cultural context. 

After I got her perspective, I needed a scientific source that would give substance to my claim about how sunsets are studied, and how they are proven to affect people. The source I got was very helpful in making my paper stronger and showing that what I was talking about was true and shared by others. The combination of personal narrative and academic sources allowed me to create a balanced paper that was reflective and informative.

Research Paper reflection- 

In this unit, I was able to further develop my ability to analyze and synthesize research through this research paper, where I explored how structured sleep schedules and morning habits can affect productivity. This process helped me meet multiple learning objectives and showed me how to create a cohesive argument. 

This paper focused on how consisten sleep schedules, early wake-up times, and sleep quality can all impact cognitive performance. Each source adds a unique angle, some focusing on self-awakening and sleep inertia, while others emphasized schedule constitency in a school and work enviorment. Using both quantitative and qualitative data helped to strengthen my argument and support my claims with ample evidence. 

This assignment challened me to rely less on personal experience and more on research, which helped me organise my ideas based on patters across studies. It also made me reflect on how I can apply these habits in my own life to increase my own productivity.