What I enjoyed most about this research unit was how we were allowed to choose our own topics within the big umbrella of “respect,” instead of being told which topics to study and write about. I feel like I write better about a subject when it’s of my own choosing because I feel personal connection and passion towards the matter, rather than having to write a paper on something I didn’t understand or have much care about.

The most difficult part of this unit was keeping myself motivated on studying and writing the research paper. I have a lot of trouble with keeping myself from procrastinating on most projects and assignments I have due, which is something I am currently working on.

To help someone else with this paper, I would recommend asking questions if you’re unsure about something or reread the handouts your teachers give you during the lesson in case they have the information you need. Citations and research papers can be hard for some people to understand, especially correctly following the rules of a proper MLA citation. At first, I struggled with the MLA citation format, but after I asked my peers working on the same project, they helped me quickly understand how to properly complete it.

One of the most important things I learned about research was that every piece of information is useful, even if you don’t see the significance at first. I often found myself having to go back to the articles and books that I was studying because I remembered of a certain sentence or paragraph that would help me finish my paper. It helps to write down everything that you find that fits in your topic, because if you read your notes and find something you like, you can quickly select it as a point in your essay rather than having to go back and read the article again to find it.