Reflection on the Research Paper

My frustrations and how I overcame them:

Just the word research is a scary word for me, or I should say-was a scary word. At first I felt dizzy-yes, dizzy- because it is not something I do on a daily basis. Research takes years of experience and practice, and I was asked, among many other students, to do one. I made sure to choose my topic carefully. I have chosen a topic I am interested in; that way I would not be bored, or at least not quickly. Well, I was surprised that I was not bored at all; I was in fact very engaged in my topic. I first felt I was a non-swimmer who was thrown in a pool. What I did? I did my best not to drown; and I am a good swimmer now. I know how to manage my time. But with this research my time management skill was pretty challenged. I encountered obstacles while doing my paper. Obstacles are meant to be surpassed. With effort and patience it is possible to do so.

What I learn about myself as a researcher; what are my strengths and weaknesses:

How to control anxiety and stress levels are both issues I learned to deal with during this research. I take pride in everything I do; I do not believe in failure any more. I do not want to be my number one enemy; therefore I breathe more often and ask for help whenever I feel overwhelmed. My mother always tells me “Rome was not built in a day”- true- neither in a semester.