Developing Confidence Through Research: Reflections on TW5221

From Undergraduate to Postgraduate

A decade and an ocean separate the ‘me’ who graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and the ‘me’ who is now a technical writer in Ireland. Throughout high school and college, I relied on surface learning, but the ten-year gap and the international move pushed me to become more driven and motivated. I now had a clear goal: complete my master’s program and graduate not only with strong grades but with an improved skillset that would help me stand out in a competitive job market.

The First Challenge: A Literature Review

My first real challenge arrived in week 5 of TW5221, when we had to write a literature review. Although my undergraduate degree was in English, I had never written one before. After receiving constructive feedback on earlier assignments, I set high expectations for myself. I didn’t just want to improve. I wanted to excel. Unlike the surface learning I once relied on, this task forced me out of my comfort zone. I struggled at first and felt stressed and afraid, but as I made progress, those feelings turned into pride and accomplishment.

Identifying the route of my problem, surface vs deep learning, helped fuel my motivation. (Source: https://www.pattishank.com/) 

I read article after article, chapter after chapter, filling pages with notes and learning far more about my topic than I expected. I broke the overwhelming project into smaller steps: read, take notes, highlight, repeat. With each piece of new information, my analysis began to take shape. I experienced lows—such as realizing I had read an entire book that added very little to my review—but also highs, like finding the perfect article that strengthened my argument or introduced a useful contrast. What began as an intimidating assignment soon turned into a mission to produce a cohesive, well‑referenced, well‑informed review.

Moving Forward

Even after reading the lectures and recommended literature, I felt overwhelmed. The hardest part was just starting to write, as in the back of my mind I worried that I wouldn’t be able to meet all the requirements. And in the end, I didn’t meet every expectation perfectly, but I submitted a solid piece of work and received valuable feedback that continues to help me grow.