Coming into college, one of the first things that went through my mind was, "How are I going to get through all the papers that I know there will be?" I was nervous about the amount of writing there was going to be. In my English Composition class that I have been taking, we were recently introduced to book called "The Curious Researcher." Not only does it teach you how to be a better writer, but it also walks you through the process of writing a paper. Boy, was I glad when I saw that. I wouldn't be alone in my writing after all! Taking it one step at a time, I know I will be able to reach my goal. One of the things this book has us do is different exercises to work on the project. The first exercise guides us through a thought process of different beliefs in writing. Here is my response to this exercise.
A belief about research papers that I found to be true is the belief that you have to be objective. If there is no goal that you are headed towards, there is no point in your writing. A movie without a plot would simply be boring. A book without a result would be a waste of time. Just like a paper without an objective would be pointless. With an objective in mind, you can build on a certain point creating building blocks to the end goal. Objectives are important in writing.
The second belief I found to be true is that there is a big difference between facts and opinions. Facts are thoughts that have been proven over time to be true. They have the same result every time. A fact has a universal answer that is true. Opinions on the other hand may be only true to some people. Tonight while I was eating dinner, I decided to mix my peas and chocolate pudding together. In my opinion, I thought it was very tasty while the opinion of my friends thought it looked nasty. I cannot say that it is fact that peas and chocolate pudding are good because that is a personal opinion that can be different for someone else.
I fully appreciate your honesty about how you felt about papers and college because I believe that your feelings echo many freshman going into college. As a freshman in college, I can relate to exactly what you felt and what you believe. I affirm you in your belief in being objective in writing is crucial because I have come to believ through experience that being objective in a paper ministers to a wider audience than a subjective approach to writing has. I loved the story about the peas and pudding because it is a personal story used to confirm the difference between facts and opinions in a relatable way.
ReplyDeleteBri, great intro to your blog! Like Krystina said, I think many other first-time college students can identify with your nerves.
ReplyDeleteCan I offer a clarification that may be useful? Objective, as a word, can work a couple of different ways. For example, you linked objective with a goal, which is one meaning. But I think Curious Researcher had the idea of objective (meaning impartial, without bias) versus subjective (with bias) more in mind for the statement you responded to. So, what do you think about the idea that a writer has to be objective in academic research? Is it possible to write without bias? If so, is it important or valuable to do so? When is it okay to be subjective?