Portfolio Cover Letter
Starting off my first semester of college I decided to take ENC1102 or English Composition 2. I figured it would be a simple addition to my courses that semester, and would just be something I had to take to get out of the way. I had taken three college english courses before while in high school, and I was sure this would be something of the same. Quickly I realized I was wrong as the class became my most time-consuming class within the first week of my first semester. Despite all the work, I was able to continue my studies in environmental affairs which I thought were all behind me through literary work.
The start of the class consisted of discussing how to choose an open-ended question to research. I had the goal in mind of finding some kind of research topic that peaked my interest, but would still be somewhat of a challenge. I explored a few ideas, some about fishing or surfing, and I even thought about going back into the field to continue my studies on coral reefs. Originally I wanted to eliminate as much computer/reading time as possible, but I soon accepted that I was going to have to put some serious effort in if I wanted a good grade. So, I began to look into other options. Initially my research proposal was very general as I wanted to analyze the overall eco-friendliness of UCF students and the surrounding community. My plan was to look at local recycling statistics. It’s always troubled me how Florida, a state whose economy and livelihood is based on our natural environment, can be so anti-eco friendly.
Eventually, after a few sessions of trial and error, I concluded that the most practical idea would be to create a short survey in which I could see how students perceived environmental events, how they supported an environmental worldview, and if they practiced environmentally responsible behaviors.
My annotated bibliography was easily one of the trickiest portions of the class. In previous research most everything I had done was performing actual fieldwork where you learn as you go and record observations and data. The annotated bibliography and literature review to me was like analyzing and recording your observations and data all at once and then figuring out how they all match up. However, putting extra effort into my annotated bibliography proved very useful for my literature review as having detailed knowledge about my sources in memory made them much easier to relate and synthesize. This part of the project is what had the greatest impact on my writing skills, hopefully I will be able to contribute these literary research skills to my future scientific work.
ENC 1102 turned out to be a much greater challenge than I expected. It was fast-paced, slightly vague, but frustratingly intriguing. This class provided me with an opportunity to research and write about something I care about, and learn how to become a better writer at the same time. I’m almost glad I didn't get enough college credit in high school to skip this class because if I did I may not have learned the writing skills I have now which will hopefully guide me through my college career.
