Academic and Intellectual Profile

8/16/10


This summer I have not had the chance to do much reading other than what was assigned to me. The books I read were 1984, The Handmaid's Tale, and How to Read Like a Professor. When I read these books, I look before for a brief summary of what i should expect in the novel. While I was reading this summer, I took notes on major characters, plot events, and possible symbolism. I always make sure there aren't distractions while I am reading so that whatever work I am reading gets my undivided attention. While I am reading I often find myself trying to put myself into the story or point of view that I am reading about. I find that this helps me understand plot and character developments more easily.


I believe that I am a very good creative writer. I can create characters and situations that are relatable. I enjoy writing short stories or poems and I believe that I can write them pretty well. Although I can debate or argue well in person, proving a point in an essay is much more difficult for me to accomplish. I can also analyze literary works, but I am unable to correctly phrase my analytical discoveries in an essay form. Essays in general, are a challenging task for me because I have a lot to say, but I never know quite how to say it. 






REFLECT:


My biggest strength is my ability to see other people's points of view. In doing this I am able to understand their side of the case, and respectfully counter their view to maintain my standpoint in a discussion. I also see this as a strength because in being able to see other people's viewpoints, if someone raises a good point, then I will be able to see where they are coming from and have my mind changed because of what I have heard. Being open minded, in my opinion, has the most promising possibilities  for learning in a discussion. My weakness might be to ask provocative questions. I definitely have a lot of questions in my head, yet I am never sure which of the questions I can learn most from. When it comes to questions, I am also not yet confident that any  of my questions are open ended enough to really take flight in research or a discussion. This is a clear weakness because asking questions is the way you gather information. If poor questions are asked, the information that will be learned is likely to be less useful.