One of the first assignments we did this year involved quite a lot of reading. We were asked to read four texts that seemed completely discounted at first, but then we were asked to create mind maps and list connecting the texts. Only when I was required to right down summaries of the texts side by side did I find connections. It is a technique I will take with me.

One of the four texts we read particularly stuck with me. The New York Times article called In Protest, the power of Place resonated the most with me. The content of this article stuck with me throughout the semester. It got me to think a lot about the importance of physical space, and how we associate major events with the spaces they occurred at.

A technique I used often this semester was the use of mind maps, which helped organize my scattered thoughts. I also discovered that mind maps weren’t enough when it came to organizing my thoughts for assignments such as essay writing. They helped when it came to outlining, but didn’t get me far.

I discovered that ethnography is my favorite form of research. After of countless trips to Union Square. I learnt that experiencing an atmosphere or space brings something extra to one’s research. There is always a lot to talk about even in the least interactive of spaces. I had not thought about how interactions and spaces were connected before this semester. A trip I found memorable was our Union Square trip were we were asked to categorize the different groups interactions on Union Square.

 Organic Outlining is officially my favorite type of outlining. What I love most about this technique is the fluidity of it. One is not stuck with one structure and physically moving different thoughts almost brings the paper to life. It gives you the ability to picture your paper going in varying directions. With our big research paper, my ideas were really all over the place, even though this technique helped me I was not able to completely organize my thought, but it made a huge difference for me.