Writing 140 has come to a close, and now it is time for a look back on the semester.
There was a lot to be learned in this course, and it feels difficult to condense into one short blog post. I will do my best.
Academic inquiry requires an intense amount of pre-writing, thoughtful planning, hard work, and research. There is a certain necessity to make sure that you've covered all possible angles in your inquiry, meaning one must be keen to explore possible counterarguments and flesh out presented facts with reasonable and credible evidence. Evidence leads us to the next big point here: research.
Research is key, crucial, the crux of an academic paper. Without research, a paper is just a collection of ideas and thoughts. It is necessary to back up your opinion with others in order to strengthen the argument and find a way for the audience to place your paper in an established school of thought or niche. On top of that, research allows for knowledge of what has been said before so you know that you are not treading on already-worn ground, but carving a new path. What's more, reading the opinions and thoughts of others informs and can help spawn ideas of your own (as long as proper citation is given, of course).
The process of collaboration is one that I believe in immensely given my background in filmmaking. Making a good film is a process that requires the input of many individuals, and that, I have learned, is true of papers as well. I believe this to be the single greatest lesson I learned from this course: allow others to help, as they will see things and suggest routes that you could never have thought of.
I will take what I've learned in this class and apply it to all future classes in some way. Academically, the value of research has been instilled in me. Filmmaking wise, the lesson of collaboration is key; that it can be useful across academia only strengthens it as an institution for me.
This class has been extremely beneficial, and one that I will carry for the rest of my USC career.
