Reflection #1: Introductions.
This blog is a place to share our reflections on the process of writing the Senior Thesis. As we said at the start of the course, this Senior Thesis document is many things. It is a symbol of your education at MUIC. It is a document of your project and exhibition that you will never forget. It is something that you will put on your shelf and revisit in the future to reflect on your time at university. It is a legacy of your program Communication Design. It is in all of our interests to make this a special thing.
In this first blog, I want you to write a reflection of your experience of writing this section. Some questions that you may consider for your post (but are not all necessary to answer) are the following: Do you feel more confident and clear about your project after writing the Introduction? Did you have a good or bad process for completing this first section? Do you plan to make any changes in your process as you continue forward? You may consider any, all, or none of these questions for your reflection.
Please write not less than 200 words in your post. You are also required to respond to at least 2 classmates. You can ask each other questions. You can cheer each other up. You can cheer each other on. This is a place to support one another through the course.
To post, click on the "comments" link below, and make your post there. Remember to include your ID# in your posts. This post is due by Friday, and respond to your classmates by the following class. Aj. M
At first, before writing the introduction I thought I know quite well about my project. However, as I start to write I just realize how things in my head are not organized and quite messy. But right now, following through with the structure step by step helps me have a clear picture of what my project is and feel more confident that I am on the right track.
ReplyDeleteTo complete the first section of thesis writing, even though it is just the introduction it seems not that hard to write things down but for me, it is already taken a ton of my energy to finish it. I knew before that my writing skills are what I weak and need to be improved. So first of all I looked into the senior’s work to be an example and got an overview of this work. As a low-energy person like me, I started to make bullet points to organize the idea and information which I always do like this because at least it seems I have something on my page. Then, I took my time writing each bullet point in more detail and after that, I join each section together. And that’s how things work for me.
I acknowledge the similar experience while writing the introduction, it is taken so much energy for processing from your mind into words. Therefore, do not forget to take a break sometimes, this would recharge your energy back. Another thing I would like to suggest is to stay hydrate when you are working. It will increase your productivity and helps you to stay active.
DeleteI agree with you on looking at senior's work as a sample, it is a great guideline for all of us. The senior wrote a wonderful paper as a legacy that leaves behind for all of us. I believe that you can go through the writing process without any issues no longer because the more you write the more you understand on your topic. At this point, I am wishing you and who ever visit this comment section for the best.
I feel you Nat. I experience the same thing as you where you have lot of things in your head and don't know how to organise it. It took me forever as well to finish each paragraph. and like Gang said if you run out of energy don't forget to take a break, a cup of tea might help or maybe a kettle lol anyway good luck with your paper!
DeleteOMG! I have a same problem with the organization as well, and your solution is very interesting. Maybe I could apply that to my work as well. Keep it up, you did great :)
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ReplyDeleteThis is a first step of thesis writing, I found that it was a hard time for me to complete the introduction. Because the information from my previous presentation are lacks of importance specific data or examples. Fortunately, I spent my time finding additional relevance information for the introduction. This is a great opportunity for me to explore more about my thesis, rather than focusing on design section. It is a great reminder for me to recap on my main objectives. I am grateful for all comments from peer editing during the seminar1, the classmates have given many useful suggestions for my paper. I took it any edited my paper because I agree on all of the comments. This is clarifying my paper that sometimes I write down confusing and repetitive sentence. I believe that I should recheck on my writing before showing to others.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I believe that this term is going to be tough for me to manage all courses. Writing thesis introduction makes me realized that I have to organize my time more. I am now writing all my tasks into a note to remind and prioritize my time. However, writing thesis introduction helps me to structure and clarify my work to arrange each sentence in logical order. I believe that this term is going to shape me to become more professional and get ready to work in the design field soon.
I faced the same condition as you Gang. it was challenging for me as well to complete the introduction as i don't have enough reliable information to make references. As you mentioned that this term going to be tough for you but i believe that you can do it. Don't forget you have friends to talk to and here to help you na. Good luck with your thesis and don't forget to have some rest !.
DeleteI also have an issue in terms of lacking the information as well Gang and I also agree with you that it is a nice opportunity to learn more and remind myself the objective of the project, so far I think you are doing great. I do not doubt that, at the end, your writing will be complete and well thought : )
DeleteIn my opinion and to be honest, This course is quite hard for me as I am not good at writing, and have a hard time choosing the proper words to make it sounds fluent. There are a lot of things going on in my head so it's quite challenging for me to produce each paragraph. It took me a while to start the sentence and continue writing and expressing my ideas until I meet the minimum requirements. I know that I need to do more research about my topics and my target audience because I think I don’t have enough information to be able to make my paper reliable.
ReplyDeleteHaving senior example papers and peer editing helps me guide myself through some areas that I struggle with like my sentence and choice of words which is very helpful, and very much appreciate it. However, I have to work harder when I receive back the critiques because I know that I wrote pretty bad in this paper so I’ll try my best to improve my next one. Also, I have to carefully plan to do the paper earlier so I have more time to revise and edit it. I hope that at the end of this course I can improve my writing skills (and other skills as well). Thank you :)
You can and you will Tina. I would suggest the searching in the synonyms dictionary because it help me a lot with the word choices. I hope that this will help you too. Good Luck :)
DeleteI also have the same problem as you! I tend to at least reach the minimum words and it took me quite a while to get the words in order and out as a sentence. We can do thiss!!!
DeleteI feel you Tina! all I want to tell you is you can do it don't worry and believe in yourself. And also, I think may be you could divide the whole part and slightly complete it little by little. Good luck my friend.
DeleteIn my process of writing the first section, I do not feel confident about my writing at all, and there always is a thought, is it the right way to write this and what should I write next along the way. I was a little bit overwhelmed by lots of thoughts and ideas that I wanted to express. The process of writing in the first section involves a lot of comparison between the sample structure and my own words because I feel like it is complicated when it is combined with the thesis idea and also I am not really used to this kind of structure, but looking and analyzing the way it was written in the example is really helpful to me and plus it is my guide throughout the whole process.
ReplyDeleteSpending too much time on editing the structure is the main problem that I really want to solve in the next steps. Plus, I am inspired by the techniques from Finding voice by Lee so much. Especially, the third section that I analyzed in class because I saw this method on my friend's draft while peer editing as well and it seems very effective. His work is really well put together and easy to understand, so I planned to use them to improve my writing process and hopefully I won't struggle this much in the next one.
Wipada P.
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The section about Structure and Clarity in Finding Voice by Monica Lee is actually very interesting. I also feel like it's really useful to keep in mind of when writing another draft or editing the introduction later on down the line. I'll say that I personally learnt about them before, but totally forgot about it until I'm reminded today xD
DeleteThe work of Monica Lee also brought attention for me to identify the structure pattern and signpost that would notify my reader of what this paragraph would be about. Additionally, peer editing is a really useful tool! That you are not alone in your struggles; you have your peers who are also suffering with you. I hope you are doing well in your next writing assignment. Keep fighting and doing good work. <3
DeleteYou did great! I would say keep going and we will get though this together XD
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ReplyDeleteBefore starting my thesis writing journey, I am pretty sure this term would be tough for me to manage all classes and balance everything. I was not really sure about everything related to my project including design solutions, problems, and background. Since my project idea has been changed multiple times that reduce my confidence and how I actually expect this to turnout.
ReplyDeleteI do feel more confident and even worrier at the same time. Since writing is my forever weakness, reading is not my favorite as well. I have completed only 1 novel in my lifetime. However, samples from our seniors are a helpful guide through my first chapter writing with word of choice, structure, and clarification. My messy and random ideas started to form into a clear idea.
In my opinion, I did poorly in my first chapter but it was more than I expected. However, I believe my next chapter will be improved by learning tips like in-class activities and peer editing. The process that I would like to change when continuing writing this is to do a bullet point note, start writing earlier, and be positive toward my own project.
I also would like to thank you, Mr.Matthew, for being extremely patience, and understanding with this super early morning class.
I'm not good at writing and reading same, but I believe that after the end of this course, our writing skills would be better for sure. Also, when I read your introduction, I feel that it's okay as if you had confidence to write it down. It's not poor as you think. We will survive from the thesis together!
DeleteI totally understand because I also used to have no confidence in my project. However, in my opinion, writing the introduction allows us to be clear about what we are doing, and that can make us more confident about our project. So, I hope you feel more confident writing the next chapter ! Ps. Using bullet points and Looking at the seniors' work actually helps me too !
DeleteI really understand you, I am in trouble with time management too. Actually, you are good at writing girl, I like your word choices and style of writing. Don't give up! I believe that in the next time manage time properly could help, you will definitely do it well-done. PS. Don't forget our appointment.
DeleteAfter writing the introduction, I understood more about my thesis like the problem, solution, and the execution which was quite overwhelming and baffling in my head. I think that separating the introduction into 4 sections as background, debate, audience, and intent that guides me to analyze my thesis part by part, which helps me to reduce the confusion in my work. Moreover, it makes me clarify the thesis more and also feel confident to continue the work. The important thing is I gain helpful suggestions from the peer edit and also teacher about the incomplete content and also the wrong structure of writing that enhances my work to develop and be more complete.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also have a problem during completing the first section because I do not know how to describe and add more detail in each part and do not know which content is suitable and reliable to put in the writing. Moreover, I know that I am not good at writing much and I am afraid that readers may not understand what I would like to convey and I am also concerned about the time that is not much to think about the information, complete the introduction, and also peer edit. So, I will try to manage the time for the next writing. Now, I do not plan to change anything but if I find a mistake in the writing, I would edit and make it more complete.
I agree that writing a good essay in a limited amount of time is absolutely challenging ! I totally understand because it also makes me insecure about what I wrote due to the fact that there are many processes to do in order to finish the introduction. It's not just about writing what we know. We have to write to make our work interesting. However, don't be too stressed. I think we still have time to adjust and make it better !
DeleteOMG, I faced the same problem as you, I am struggling with the data organization and also afraid that the reader may feel confused with my writing. Since it is not our mother tongue language, having a foreigner friend and making an outline before writing, it could help. I believe that we can go through this together and writing skill will be definitely better, Keep Fighting!
DeleteI totally agree with you on your second paragraph. Sometimes I think that this information suit this part, but then as I reread it again, it doesn't seem to make any sense. I had to really double-check the things that I wrote. Cheer up and let's pass this together!!
DeleteYeahhh, I feel the same way. Writing in a limited time is very challenging. Because our thesis has changed several times so we kind of lost of information. My suggestion for you is to write down a bullet point. Hope this will help. LUV <3
DeleteWhen I started writing the purpose statement, I do not feel confident about my writing at all. I was still unsure about some part of my thesis but as I start to write the introduction, I started to understand more about what I had to do. But still a little bit confused with the intent part though. I want to show how much this project means to me personally, and so I wrote about the experiences I had and how I grow from it. I had a lot of fun writing the introduction although it is quite a tough subject, words flow like water and before I knew it I had written about 800 words already.
ReplyDeletePer this term, I was scared and worried and was feeling all the uncertainty. I was scared whether I could do well for this term as it is my last term afterall, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to balance all the work that I had while protecting my mental health (I tend to overthink). There's a lot of work for this term but for now, I am able to work out a balance and to be more professional about my work ethics, I set out time for me to do everything. But I am still scared whether I am able to meet my professor's expectations for all the work that I had to show. But I am doing okay for now, hopefully I will be able to keep my work up to date.
I would also like to thank Mr. Matthew for spending time with me and helping me go through my introduction. Thank you for finding the time and having patience with us!
I'm with you on the overthinking and being scared of whether I'd be able to perform well this term or not. I think a lot of us are anxious about that as well so it's very understandable and reasonable too! Both your mental and physical health are very important so don't ever feel bad about giving time for yourself to relax every now and then :>
DeleteWriting assignments often feels very intimidating at first before I finally get to sit down with my thoughts and put them down on a page. Especially having to juggle between equally important assignments, I was a bit disoriented in what to prioritize first and how much effort I should put in before I’m too burnt out to perform adequately in other courses. I have always had an interest in writing, both academically and for recreational purposes, but adjusting to writing with a “voice” of my own in an academic setting feels quite awkward. I struggled to shake away the “monotone” and “dry” ways of writing, but it kept coming back to me like second nature.
ReplyDeleteI may like writing, but it does not mean that I am great at it. I found myself being more afraid of the required amount of word count for this assignment at a very tight schedule. That led me to sometimes catch myself repeating words or sentences a lot which confuses me in the process as well. I still have not honed my skills in structuring my drafts properly yet. Although the materials we looked at in class today reminded me about the useful tips that I should definitely keep in mind. I do a lot of outlines and read my writings aloud to make sure that things make sense, but I usually forget to keep track of where I am. Using hidden headings and signposts might prove useful in up-coming drafts.
I also have the same problem when it comes to giving voice especially when it comes to giving my "voice" in an academic writing. And I think it's a lot to do with the limited approach to the way we can write and expressed ourselves (or at least according to most academic teachers ). I think you have all the quality skills of a good writer though! Reading writings aloud and making outlines is definitely the good first step to improving the way you write. I'm confident that you'll get there!
DeleteIn my opinion, the most difficult thing in writing this essay is writing 1500 words. Although I know everything about my thesis project, and I have some answers for every part of the introduction, I found it is very difficult to make the project interesting through letters.
ReplyDeleteI have always thought about how to draw interestingly, but I do not really think about how to write interestingly. I was afraid that I would rewrite the same content over and over, which might make the essay boring. Besides, It made me feel more pressured because I had to write the importance of my project in every paragraph, which might make readers expect my designs to be able to change the world.
Moreover, I was also worried about how I can make my readers feel that what I was writing is reliable and this project is actually important to us. I feel that environmental issues are something that we talk about a lot, and it might be boring for some people. Therefore, having to write this essay to be interesting, It's been a huge challenge for me.
This reflection made me reflect on many things that I wrote. It helps me know a bit where to fix and add in my introduction. I hope I can do better for the next chapter.
I totally understand when you said "I was afraid that I would rewrite the same content over and over" I felt the same thing but I think planning and taking notes would help you alot. Importantly, don't be too stressed and don't forget to take a break!!
DeleteI believe that your thesis project is interesting and there is potential to create the similar sense when arrange it into words. Everything is possible do not be too hard on yourself when writing the thesis. You can always ask for help from me and others to look at your work.
DeleteWriting the introduction section made me understand a clearer starting point for the design work on the original problem and a more precise solution. This writing part made me aware of some ideas and research that could be overlooked or forgotten during this design process. And this also improves the workflow of ideas step by step. This process allows me to research more, although we are in another process of thesis work. Moreover, dividing into 4 different sections in this introduction made me work systematically and more confident in my writing.
ReplyDeleteHowever, completing the introduction section was more difficult than I thought. To be honest, I do not feel confident about my writing and it is hard for me, I haven't learned to write in a very long time since I finished all of the academic writing classes. So, it took a long time to complete it. I am struggling with the data organization because I am not sure how to compile the information, and whether this information should be placed in the introduction part or not. As a result, the writing was too long than it should be in the first place. Thanks to peer editing and senior paper examples that helped me guide how to connect the writing and structure. Moreover, lecture classes helped me also, I got so many techniques from the professor to develop my work. Hopefully, the next time, I plan to make an outline first then organize my research, understand first how much information each part should have, and manage my time more properly.
Hi Punch I feel you and I truly understand how hard it is when you haven't read or written something in a very long time but I believe as we go through the process of this we will get better and better. A glass of wine will help you too!
DeleteThe identical thought occurs to me as it did to you. During the design stage of my thesis, I believe I may have forgotten several important points that I want to do about my thesis. I hope everything is going well for you in the next section to come. Keep on fighting! <3
DeleteI totally understand and feel you when you mentioned your struggle with your writing. We haven't got a chance to practice our writing skills that much in our design classes and we had already finished our EC classes so long ago. And my word choices are weird and the tone of my writing are inconsistent too! Normal writings are already difficult for me, but this being academic makes things even harder. But let's hope that as we practice more and more, we will be able to get through and gain our confidence back!
DeleteI feel the same when I first write the introduction, I feel like this help me understand a lot more about my work through writing introduction.
DeleteArranging information with tons of data is hard, and I truly understand. However, I suggest you sketch or write down a plan for each section. Therefore, you have a guideline to stick to unless you unintentionally mix information and make it unapprehensive for readers.
DeleteWhen I was assigned to write an introduction for my thesis, I believed I would be okay because I had done all of the research and found all of the information regarding my topic, and I had presented it to other teachers. But then I realized that I was wrong. After a few paragraphs of the purpose statement, I was thrown into a rollercoaster of body-switching from headache to back pain over and over again for the following 1500 words.
ReplyDeleteWhat is maybe the most obvious thing that I learned during the course of writing is the pattern that is followed while writing an introduction. That they not only include background information, an audience, and the thesis's intent, but they also include a debate on the topic. I've discovered that to write a decent writing paper, your topic must be supported by a strong counter-argument that is also relevant to your issue. The other possibilities and uncertainties will assist you in making your paper stronger by providing you with more knowledge and detail about the subject.
To summarize, it is quite challenging to write 1500 words to convey the problem and the solution that I have developed for my thesis. At the end of the day, I did, however, submit it. If there is anything I can do to make this better, it is to read through my work carefully. And if I can turn back time, I will tell my early self to prepare all the information and argument that I need for my thesis. The skills I've gained from this course, I hope, will assist me in being successful not only in writing but also in my design career in the years to come.
after reading your second paragraph I just noticed that too. I also facing the same problem here because I thought I have enough information. Let's learn the mistake and keep up a good work in the future together!
DeleteCan totally relate to the "I submit it!, but I should have reread it more carefully feeling," when you hit that word minimum mark all you think about is that summit button hahaha. Congrats on finishing this one! and I hope you don't need to go through headache and back pain on your next assignment :D
DeleteAs we are still currently working on the design work itself, the problem that I am currently facing is that I feel like I cannot fully concentrate on any of my tasks. While deadlines are due day after another, it is quite difficult for me to commit to one project as I need to jump around working on parts of other projects at times. Additionally, a major problem that I have had since the first term is that my thesis topic has been changed and altered so many times. Throughout my writing, I slowly feel disconnected from my topic and this makes me feel unsure about what my main objective is. And as I noticed so far, this issue has tremendously affected the tone of my writing. Because the topic was changed so many times, some of the research that I did was also unusable and unrelated. To add, it has been so long since I had EC classes and I needed some time to recall and get familiar with the academic paper structure. All of these issues make my writing, currently, feel weak as I lose confidence in my voice.
ReplyDeleteI expect that as I further develop my project, I will be able to reconnect with my topic once again. I believe that the more that I write, the better I will be at understanding my topic and I am looking forward to being able to write my thesis more consistently and confidently. As I revisit and come back to re-read my work at some point, I hope to be able to pinpoint and notice my flaws and improve on my writing.
I get your feeling purim. I hope we can pass this term successfully together. I also believe that thesis writing will help you connect and understand your thesis more.
DeleteI really understand your feeling because I feel the same as you when you describe all the issues that you face and struggle. I hope we can get through this problem and be more confidence in writing. :)
DeleteI feel the same way. I understand how hard it is to write an essay after your topic has changed many time. However, I believe as we go through the process and all the problems. If you're tried, just take a break. It'll help :)
DeleteI feel you Nana, there are lots of tasks we have to manage in this term. I agree that what we learned from EC may help us for this class but I also forget everything as well and try to recall it. However, I hope that we can pass it together. please don't work without rest. fighting!
DeleteI hadn’t written an essay for two years, and when I was assigned to write 1500-2000 words, I felt like I wasn’t ready yet. It was hard to write a good essay in a short amount of time because I didn’t have much vocabulary in my mind, and writing is my weakness. But writing a purpose statement also makes me more explicit about my thesis because while I do my thesis, sometimes I feel blank and don't know what I am doing right now.
ReplyDeleteWriting a purpose statement gives us a better understanding of our own thesis. It's like we're slicing the work into parts and putting every detail in more depth, making my overall picture of the thesis more precise. The difficulties that I face while writing a purpose statement are making redundant sentences, grammar problems, balancing the length of a paragraph, and writing back and forth to complete 500 words.
Lastly, I will do my best to complete all the paragraphs and upcoming chapters. Even if the writing is my weakness, or I feel like 1500-2000 words are like a nightmare, I believe that I can finish it through the end with the help of a peer editing group and Mr. Matthew.
I totally get you, I feel the same when I first known that I have to write in total of more than 10,000 words because writing is my weakest skill and I have not write for a long time.
DeleteI feel you. We kinda faced the same problem. #GoUs #WeWillSurvive
DeleteTotally agree with you that writing the purpose statement help you to understand your thesis project more. It kinda give us that step back to see a clearer picture of our own project. Anyway, good luck on your next one.
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ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I hate writing because I am extremely struggling to write and make it reach the minimum word. The more I write, the more confused I get. But, I can overcome it every time because I had time to pull 100 percent of my effort and concentration to come up with one great thesis. However, After I know that I have to study and write my thesis this semester, I know that my life will be tough!!!! as I still have a bunch of my thesis designs to catch up on, which means I have to alter between two works.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing my introduction, I’m not sure whether I am confident about my project or not. At first, when I wrote my purpose statement, I thought very strongly about my thesis, but after going through each section of the introduction, my confidence started to decrease as the content of my project has been adjusted every time when presenting in the last 2 terms, so I am not confident while writing.
Also, I have a hard time completing the introduction. As I have another assignment due before which is my thesis design, I did not have time to write an outline ,which is the initial and essential part for me to start, to organize my thoughts at the beginning. This is the point I have to fix next time. Even if I have less time, I have to write an outline !
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I feel you Karaboon! I have a hard time managing my time too, there are a lot of assignments to catch up with and I also have to constantly alternate between the project work and the writing. I also agree with you on outline, as I feel like if we are in a rush, doing outlines and bullet points are the easiest way to get our information straight through to the point. Let's finish the design work first so we can continue and give our all to our writing!
DeleteLooking back last week, I saw myself glancing back through all the researched materials from the previous two terms. I thought I came prepared to start writing the introductory page, but then it hit me. As I began to write, my head became blank and messy, with different words springing out in a bubble of thoughts. Sometimes I got lost in thoughts, and my hands started to write something else. There were so many things to do but little time to think through everything. After finishing the introduction parts a few days ago, I believe some parts of this project become more apparent as I step back and look at it.
ReplyDeleteWriting is one of the activities that I don't really enjoy doing, and it's another huge step to take. I'm always worried that the readers might not understand the message I'm about to convey. Thanks to my peers who read and edited my writing, I became a little bit more confident. Hopefully, during the next few months of more writing, I will gain more experiences and skills to be able to give out a good story about my thesis project. I look forward to reading my paper after finishing everything. Again, thank you, everyone, for all the comments and support!
It also hits me too!! I hope I get as confident as you.
DeleteP.S. as I read you reflection, I think you write very clear and I love your writing style. I can cleary see picture in my mind. so keep it up :)
It is a big step to take, especially when you do not want to do what you do not enjoy doing. But, the best way to do this is to do it with friends because they can encourage and notify you of the point that you missed. It is best to have someone watching your back.
DeleteWhen I initially start writing the introduction, I struggle with the number of words I need to write because 1500 seems like a lot. I was too concentrated on how many words I wrote, and I seem to have forgotten that the context and structure should have been my priority, not how many words I produced. As a result, now that I know what I should be focusing on, writing the introduction appears to be easier because following the format allows me to obtain additional ideas for each section of the introduction.
ReplyDeleteFollowing the pattern helps me a lot in order to finish the introduction and obtain new ideas about what to write, which is something I have learnt from writing introductions. The pattern assists me in summarizing the information for each paragraph. As a result, I can develop more thoughts and specifics for each paragraph. To explain, at first I struggled with how to construct the ideas for my essay, but as I understood the pattern of the essay, everything became much easier for me. I've realized that the pattern is really important in essay writing because it helps me organize my thoughts chronologically. I've learned the significance of the essay structure and how to produce ideas through opening writing.
I now know who to reach for when im stuck on organising my thoughts into paragraphs. #MyGoToPerson
DeleteI also feel the same way in terms of concerning myself more on reaching the 1500 words, I find that the questions, that are in the presentation slides of ajarn Matthew, asking what need to be answer and put in the paragraph, they do help me when I cannot think of anything more to write. You should look into these questions maybe it will help you too with the context to be more complete and able to finish the 1500 words ; )
DeleteSame here, reaching 1500 words is on my mind all the time writing this. The problem is I focus on writing more and more unnecessary words and mislead the content.
DeleteNot until after mid-week last week, when I’ve finally realised how broad my thesis topic is. I’ve always thought my thesis topic was ‘fine' all along. BUT it’s not! The topic of Fashion stereotyping isn’t as direct as my classmate’s. My topic alone relates to around 101 things (such as self-confidence, body image, gender identity, social class, adolescents’ growth and developments, mental well-being, impacts from the Thai culture, how it leads to discrimination and so on…) I could mention about. I’ve really dig myself a hole, choosing a really complicated topic to talk about. Hence how I was stuck on my purpose statement for ages. My first draft on the purpose statement was a total mess, I was going on and on, in a loop, repeating the same message line after line. The first seminar directed me onto the right path but still I couldn’t manage to do it alone by myself. After hours of help from my peers and roughly 5 glasses of Starbucks’ Frappuccino worth of discussion, WE (as a group) successfully came up with the focal point for each parts to MY purpose statement. The introduction was less frustrating as I can continue working from the purpose statement, adding bits and pieces, elaborating further on. Overall, I personally believe that I cannot write. I’m a person who already struggle with putting my thoughts into words on a daily basis, not to mention the fact that people find it hard to understand me when I speak as I don’t really make any sense. AND the thing is this class is basically putting my whole thesis project into a written report. I can only pray to pass this class.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see that you find the focal point and push through with your writing. I hope that after this, it will become easier for you as you have found the main point of your thesis essay.
DeleteMydearrrrr, you have such an interesting choice of topic with lots of personal connection to it. Your experience makes this thesis topic stronger than ever and knowing you, you have a very strong passion for this topic. You have all the ideas, it was just a matter of sorting it out into distinct sections of the writing parts, which you successfully did! I have to agree that your topic was hard to understand at first, but with this class, I am positive that you will be able to express your purpose very clearly. You have to admit that by doing a topic that is harder to understand means that you are doing something new and unfamiliar to many people. This is great news! you are introducing a new perspective and you are successfully doing your job as a designer by doing so. You WILL pass this class AND do well, I have no doubt at all :) Here with you until the end! You got this, it's the last pushhhh.
DeleteI knew about the controversy on using the world "I" in academic writing before , but I did forgot about when I wrote my the draft for my thesis introduction essay. Although I want to making my thesis writing to sound more "academic leaning," I still go with a more personal approach because the reason I chose to work on this topic is because of my personal concern after all. When Aj Matthew have a whole class lecture dedicated to this topic, I felt a lot more relief. However, I still felt like I need to go back and rework on my balance on personal and academic voice in my draft some time in the future.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think 1500-2000 words essay are not that bad because after I got around 600 words down the rest pretty quick . HOWEVER, I spent so much time on making an outline line and writing that first few hundred words.
It's nice to see other people writing and thesis project again during the peers editing and review session, since we didn't really get that much chance to see other people work due to the online learning situation. It's also interesting to hear comment and critique from someone that's not your close friends or professors, so thank you all for that :D
I forgot about the whole 'i' in academic writing, as I have not written an academic essay for quite a long time, but it is significant that he talked about it and made it clear for us. I also thought the same that 1500 is a lot, but it did flow quite nicely when I got into it.
DeleteI agree with you about using "I". As we've been told to avoid it for many years but we forgot to deliver our own voice to the reader. 1500-2000words was also taken a day from me, but it was challenging from the beginning to the end.
DeleteWell, i know you irl, so I'm rooting for you. Let's goooooooooo!!!! You'll do well, or at least better than me FOR SURE. I mean you got all that drafting and outlining going on, that's a behavior of someone with a bright future. WOOPWOOP
DeleteI thought I understood and loved my thesis project, but working on one topic for a long time took a toll on you. I may have lost my passion and love for this thesis project for quite some time. Writing the purpose statement made me look back to the beginning of this journey, how passionate I was about this topic, and how much I wanted to do this project. First, it was an extreme challenge when I got the assignment to write over 1,500 words just for an introduction. I thought I couldn’t write a 1,500 words introduction for this project, and it was difficult. Still, in the end, I accomplished it. Writing an extended essay has been my weak point for a long time. I have been finding it challenging for me to find the thing to talk about or write about; however, I find it easier to find something to talk about. It may be because I have been working and researching this one topic for over half a year, and I know what to look for; it was easier than it might have been before. The challenge of writing an essay is still there, but with the passion that I have found again, looking back to where it started, and the love for the topic came back all over again.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty and how real your comment is. The thing is, I completely agree with you Finn, I did feel like working on it for 2 trimesters repetitively did make me a little sick of the topic too. The thesis writing really did help bring it back and helped me understand more about my own topic. I'm glad that you chose a topic that you truly love and have aa strong passion for, I believe that you will definitely do really well when you love your topic! Keep it up Finn, stay strong and don't forget why you started. I believe in youuuu:)
DeleteWriting the purpose statement for the thesis essay was the part that I needed to focus on the most. I have no idea what to start with and having a hard time planning my writing format and the information inside. The title should be broad enough so that my paper can explain more about other ranges. To begin with the purpose statement, it seems like the structure of the essay relies on and refers to it. Every part needed to emphasize the purpose statement. The introduction part, for example, needs to follow all the topics mentioned in the purpose statement. The information needs to be explained more, but not too specific as it is just an introduction part.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, unlike other people's projects, my paper is all about the Alzheimer's disease, which is too scientific for my major. Several specific words are out of my academic knowledge and hard to understand. Thus, it makes me spend more time researching and understanding some new words, for instance, a neurodegenerative disease. A few of the reactions to the disease are complex for me to understand. Before writing down the information, I have to double-check the fact from the scientific paper and friends in science majors to ensure the reliability.
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DeleteI totally understand your point. Organizing all the information and concise them into writing format is my difficult part as well. I understand the hard time for you in research, the research about the disease was not easy at all. But, I hope you will enjoy new words you have learned from another field of study.
DeleteFrom Asawin 6180176
DeleteI understand you really, at first my purpose is to get away from the mark and have to redo 80% of it.
My topic is also quite weird, about Fung Shui, so I have to look in other fields that are not close to. Hope we are doing well.
I thought I knew very well about my thesis,however, since I was assigned to write the introduction of my thesis, I found that it is very challenging for me to make my thesis sound interesting by using letters.As all of us said, our topic has been changed multiple times. This reduces my confidence in my thesis. Moreover, I had not written an essay for almost the last 2 trimesters. And when I was assigned to write 1500 words, I felt like I was going to hell. I felt blank and had no ideas of what I should write. Writing is always my nightmare. I can write, but I’m not good at it.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, after reading our senior examples and friend’s work, it really helped me to go through my first chapters. Writing a purpose statement helps me understand my topic bit by bit. It gives me an overall picture of what I am doing. Even though my writing of the first chapter is not good, I hope the next chapter will be better. I would like to thank both Mr.Matthew for the suggestion and My peers for reading and editing my writing.
P.S. To be honest, It is a super early class, and I always feel sleepy.
Oh my I love your comment. It's a sad truth thesis writing is really hard. I felt the same that when I started writing the purpose statement I stared blankly at the screen for hours hahahaTT. But you're right, the propose statement is a big support towards our next stage of thesis writing. I wish your writing a success. I see your attempts and I believe you will do it well!
DeletePs. I agree that the class is so early and my eyes always try to shut themselves.
Feel you sis, ain't got much to tell you, but fighting i guess
DeleteOnce I was assigned to write an introduction paragraph, I thought I would be able to write it as I am the one who assembled the project together, but the truth is, it is not as simple and easy as I thought. I find that in order for me to successfully write an introduction chapter, the information that is required inside the paragraph needs to be extremely in depth and there is always a risk of me constantly repeating myself. I find that as an owner of the project, I have lacked much important information that required to be put in the paragraph, as much of the information has already been forgotten or that I did not get a chance to yet do the in depth research. During the thesis process, even though I already presented my project many times to the CDP professors; however, when it comes to the introduction chapter, I still find myself lacking the ability to answer some in-depth information. Nevertheless, due to this unfortunate result, it leads me to realise that thesis writing class can help me to become even more thorough with the research and this will also allow my project to earn more credibility as this class helps me to ask the questions that I never thought about. As I completed the chapter, I noticed that my writing is still far from perfect; nevertheless, I hope that in the next chapter I will keep up in what I already did great; storytelling, learning more techniques to better my writing, and also acquiring a lot more information, so that the next chapter will be more finesse and complete.
ReplyDeleteLacking the information to write is definitely one of my concerns when going into the introduction section. While it's not necessary the section where you share your research, I think it's important to display some sort of legitimacy as the project owner. Best wishes for the future writings that await us!
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ReplyDeleteThis is the longest introduction writing ever since I have written in EC class. To be frank, I have no confidence in my essay writing anymore, and one reason is that I do not have much chance for long English writing since I had been away from English writing a long time ago. On the other hand, online studying affects my English so much. I didn't use my English outside the classroom and the environment has affected my English skills since my family and surrounding people speak Thai all the time. I did not have much chance to use my English skills. While I was writing the introduction paragaph, and purpose statement, I was not concerned with the number of words as much as the idea that I want to communicate. I'm not quite good at communication both by speaking and texting even if it was in Thai. It seems like I cannot organize the sentences I want to speak, and I found that some people have faced these problems as well. However, my thesis topic was a bit broad, for me, to understand the objectives, the main purpose, and the real problems until the effects problems are quite difficult to arrange everything into the structure of an essay to describe each. Although I was confused while writing, it helps a lot to deeply understand what my thesis topic is about.
Totally having the same language and organising thoughts problem Y_Y But I love that you focus on your idea rather than word count. I think that's the right thing to do and i encourage you to continue what you've been doing. You're going to have a great thesis writing, i believe!
DeleteAlso facing hard time on language as well. I couldn't express myself as I plan but it is fine. Your essay is clear and well written.
DeleteYou have a good point about the lack of practicing our English skills. Since our major requires more creativity, we probably focus on the way to develop our thesis projects instead. Anyway, don't give up :)))
DeleteHaving not learn English for a really long time really makes us take a step back on how to write and actually convey our thoughts, so I definitely understand your struggle because I am having the same issue as you. Let's continue to work hard on the thesis writings together!
DeleteThesis writing seminar is an interesting class but it’s also worrying at the same time . To think I have to write over ten thousand words about my project, honestly I was really scared. Before the thesis writing seminar started, I was kind of lost. Whenever people asked me about my thesis, I don’t have the final picture of where my thesis was heading nor a clear explanation about my project. I could never describe it within two sentences. However, after we started writing our purpose statement, I can see the picture a lot better. I reckon my thoughts, which were all over the place, are being put together, organised, and sorted out where they belong. The writing process helped me a lot, in terms of stepping back a few steps to see the entire perspective and to spot the most important parts of it. Therefore, writing it out not only helping me understand my project more thoroughly but also others to be able to get what I am doing as well.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was struggling with the fist draft of introduction writing as my thoughts are often messy and redundant, I noticed that peer reviewing, reading the samples from seniors, and studying Monica Lee’s article are a big help. I also agree that putting the author’s voice in our writing makes it so much more interesting. It helps both readers and writers to be able to finish the long text without too much boredom and give a chance for each side to get to know and understand each other more. I hope to develop my thought process and writing skills by the end of this class. More importantly, I also aim to be able to tell people about my project confidently and professionally and look forward to other people's projects as well.
I agree with you on writing can really help in thesis explaination, it's hard to tell what we have done about our thesis. But, after we tried to write it in sentences, we can summarize what is the main objective of it. The way you have learned samples from seniors, peer reviewing and Monica's Lee are well done. I'll learn to do that same as you, keep it up ! we will make it this thesis writing :))
DeleteI could definitely relate with you! It was fascinating that without physically writing down our thesis ideas, we would not be able to properly sort out the knowledge we know and what we need to find further. Without the peer reviews and samples from seniors, I would not have been able to complete this part with ease. Despite the future hardships, hope we can all make it through this writing! :)
DeleteHonestly, I was struggling to write an introduction writing so much. For the introduction writing, I overpressure myself to reach 1500 words too much, but the peer editing groups give me a number of suggestions. Turns out my essay was going away from the main idea I wanted to present. Thus, I have to spend more time refining my sentences and ideas which took days to do. Furthermore, I couldn't express the details deeply on some topics I wrote, this makes me realize how I was lost in my own thesis project even though I have been through a research part for the whole semester.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I was surprised when I heard that first-person writing is allowed in thesis writing. As I was taught to avoid using "I" in my essays. Thankfully, this means I can state my opinion honestly and I feel more dynamic and less formal to read.
One last thing, I am appreciated to read and comment on a friend's essay. As of the pandemic situation, my friends and I were spread, and I barely know what the other's topic is related to. From the assignment, I have a chance to look at them and receive deeper ideas from those writing, which I think is a great opportunity to comprehend both my friends and my own project.
I agree with you about using I in the essay, this makes me feel more comfortable with essay writing, because we can express our personal opinion on things. Also, I thought the same as you about this course can help us learn other projects as well.
DeleteDear Siripitch Sangsairoj 6180055
DeleteThe thesis writing seminar has become one of the classes that helped me understand my own thesis and its purpose. It helped me to pinpoint my work clearly and prioritise the order of what is most important to me as the designer and to the users.
When people drop the question "what are you doing for your thesis project" at me, I used to struggle to answer in one clear sentence what I am actually doing. This stressed me out because I have been working on this for 2 whole trimesters, but still can not answer the most obvious question. After the introduction, I am definitely more confident about my project and can clearly tell others what I am doing.
The introduction gave me a clearer view of many perspectives, both supporting and debating my thesis. This was certainly very interesting to explore because, in order to have a strong thesis, I have to be able to understand both sides of the argument yet, still suggest why my thesis is valid. Although it was challenging, I am glad that we looked deeply into this matter.
I personally did not have a problem with the purpose statement, however, when it came to the introduction, I realised that there were many details that I had to wrap up in 1500-2000 words. The challenge was to not loop what I said earlier in other parts and distinguish the information clearly between each section. I found myself coming back and forth checking whether I had written about something in other parts or not. Nonetheless, it helped me to sort out my thoughts in more detail.
It was great to have friends who helped me recheck and made sure that I was writing something others would understand, not just me. It was also really nice to have moral support from them; it helps to know that we are going (suffering) through it together.
Going into the introduction writing, I had a somewhat positive expectation going in writing that section. However, unlike the purpose statement, I struggled to expand my thoughts on the subject and found myself in situations where I had to backtrack a lot of my thoughts because the writing was going off track. I had even written notes for every section of the introduction. But in the end, I had barely followed the outline that I’d made for myself.
ReplyDeleteI had struggled writing my introduction because I was never really used to putting myself into my writing this much before. Or rather, I was afraid of putting too much of my thoughts into my writing which everyone else could see. I like to think that I have some valid points to express to the readers, however, it's a challege to express my thoughts into actual paragraphs. Sometime these expressions lack the impact as it had when i was thinking about it in my head. When I had finished my essay and read it over, I was definitely not statisfy with the finished product.
I think what I could've done better in the future was making clearer outline, or even subheads to help me straying from the topics. I also feel like I should avoid stressing on early grammar corrections since I tend to get stuck on how to make my sentence flow more smoothly to the other. And most important of all, I feel like I need a bit more confidence in my writing help me get through the essay much better.
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ReplyDeletePitikorn Siripornsawan 6180538
ReplyDeleteAt first, it is very hard to me to complete the introduction parts because the information of my thesis project have a lot of detail and I do not know how to manage it. That makes me confuse what should be in the fist paragraph. When I following through with the structure step by step, it helps me a lot. Because it make me have clear picture of what each paragraph should be about and it also limit the frame work of each paragraph.
Actually, I think that introduction is the easiest part of thesis writing but it is not the easiest part. It is the hardest part because the introduction should attract the audiences or the readers. I consume a plenty of time to finish the introduction. When I write introduction, I know what I weak and have to improve writing skills. Therefore, I looked into senior work to be an example and finally I got hints to my thesis writing. I begin with bullet point and following structure that make me write introduction easily. I connect each section together and when I read all of introduction, all paragraph are related because of the structure.
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ReplyDeleteIt’s a lot more difficult than I anticipated to put thoughts into words and to have it sound somewhat professional. I have a pretty good idea of what my thesis project was going to be about and its objectives and stuff like that. And there were actually a lot of things I wanted to include, but then again, I was having a hard time putting it into words and even harder was organizing them into something at least coherent enough that it doesn’t sound like ramblings. However despite the problems i had typing it out it was okay i guess, wasn’t the end of the world. But what really has me quaking in my boots is what is about to come later. I wish I could say that it was not about to have none of that but, unfortunately, it's essential to get this done.
ReplyDeleteSo far it has been stressful, anxious, tired and meh. Not because of the writing, but because I don't have enough time to do anything. Well I know why he doesn't have enough time and where a lot of it is wasted along with my energy, but hey what can I do, I already paid for that class and it just so happen to be a required major class. I felt scammed lolol.
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ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective, I think that this project is difficult for me since I am not good at writing at all. I felt worried about this project but I chose the topic that I am used to and interested in, making me feel more comfortable. When it comes to the introduction part, there are several points that pop up in my mind but I did not know where to start. It is important for me to draft those points and reorganize them to make it a better way. It is very challenging for me to make this project perfect. I have to take time to generate the ideas and do more research about my topic which is e sport.
ReplyDeletePeer reviews and senior’s sample work help me a lot to point out the starting point. However, I will try my best to complete this project as best as I can. I know that I should start the work earlier so I can have more time to review and edit in a better version. I will try my best not only with my writing skill, but also the information within this project. I started researching this topic to avoid missing ideas and information along with reviewing senior’s sample work as well.
#Ayut 6280697
It is challenging for me that I just had a chance to write 2,000 words essay after leaving my professionalism in writing for two years after EC classes. At first, I felt overwhelmed but the number of words that I needed to type. But after I finished my purpose statement, this essay restored my professionalism. After I completed the purpose statement, I started to work on the research parts to back up my theories and thoughts. Even though my topic sounds inapplicable to us, you will understand the true meaning behind my project if you look closely. My prediction is when someone plays the survival board game that I made. Their survival skills will increase significantly. Therefore, they can apply this knowledge in the worst-case scenarios. Although my topic lacks information about apocalyptic situation statistics, I tried my best to relate my topic to essential skills in life and philosophy because no one can predict what will happen in the future. Human survivability depends on raw instincts, which are fading in this modern era.
ReplyDeleteChartcharnmon Singmano 6181156
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ReplyDeleteEver since young, I would always try to express how I feel or think in the form of writing, and that I feel more at ease and free explaining to someone my emotions through text. Therefore, as academic writing requires a proper structure and formal words, it has always been a challenge for me that wasn’t able to overcome up to this day. I was unable to distinguish properly the difference between formal and informal words and whether in what situations should I be using them respectively. After knowing that we had to write an essay alongside making our thesis design, I found it to be extremely overwhelming. I thought that I would not be able to complete with the busy schedule I already have for the design aspect of my thesis.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as a person who likes to write a lot in general, I was confident that I would be able to portray my thesis idea clearly for the first part from my own experience. However, writing a lot does not exactly mean that my thesis would be clear, in fact, it made me realize I still lack the knowledge in certain areas of my thesis. Thinking back, the introduction section allowed me to process my thinking slowly and dedicate my time to finding researches while summarizing into main points which really helped my thesis become clearer both in terms of the thought process and the main concept. Of course it was difficult to channel all my thoughts into writing now as I have not been writing for a long time, but with the introduction part now completed, I feel that my feel for writing is starting to return and now have a clearer end goal for this writing. All in all, this experience has been really useful for me and I wished I would’ve done this sooner so I could explore new opportunities or ideas that could arise from my thesis.
Suphakan Samnianglam 6280690
Chanakan Rojanapenkul 6180030
ReplyDeleteDuring the personal statement, I felt confident with what I wanted to tell the audience. I was super precise and knew what I want; how I wanted to communicate the story or mood and tone. I even got compliments for the personal statement, which boosted confidence immediately.
But then, introduction hit. The amount of words didn't shock me, it seemed reasonable. Until it hit me with how difficult it is to explain my topic. It's a very controversial topic and the definition is very cultural, I never realized that before. It came from such an personal experience that I forgot that not everybody goes through it the same way. And that's when everything went down hill. While I was trying to explain the thesis topic, a tragic event happened and my schedule became chaotic. If you imagined stress as a knotted string, I was a bundle of knotted strings. Everybody was calling me, texting for me, asking me to do stuff, ALOT HAPPENED, which lead me forgetting my assignment. But at the end of the day, if there weren't any obstacles along the way, I think would have written the introduction a whole lot better.