The researched argument paper was more difficult than I was expecting. When we first got the assignment, I was expecting to write a relatively simple essay and then add in some quotes where they fit best. That wasn’t how it worked out.
It could have been because of my topic, which was how the start of coeducation impacted Santa Clara University’s campus life and the attitudes of the men who were already attending. It’s a mouthful, isn’t it? My topic most definitely could have been why I found this project more difficult than I had expected.
In addition, finding sources was a feat in itself. Because my topic was so specific, it took dozens of searches on multiple databases to find enough sources to back up my argument. Here are several of the ones that I found.
Sources
- Dating and Gating: The Moral Regulation of Men and Women at Victoria and University Colleges, University of Toronto, 1920-1960.
- “Babes in Boyland: a Personal History.”
- Effects of coresidential living on the attitudes, self-image, and role expectations of college women.
- Effects of coeducation on the attitudes of male college students.
- Single sex and coeducational schooling: Relationships to socioemotional and academic development.
As you can see, the sources are difficult enough to understand by themselves. Putting them in an essay, in which I have to use them as arguments, while still managing to sound coherent was intricate and challenging.
When I was done, though, I was very happy with my work. After finding quotes in my sources that I felt would work well with my argument, I started to write around them. I took certain ideas from the quotes and expanded upon them until they started to make sense as a unit. Surprisingly, it worked.
Source: Giphy
All in all, the researched argument assignment was a success. No matter the grade, I’m proud of the work I did because I was so confused about it to begin with. Whether I get an A+ or an F- (not really) I managed to figure out what I was doing with a minimum amount of panic (only about 60% of the time). For the sake of my dignity and mental health, I’m very pleased with the results.