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Christopher Root
Kimberly Strickland
ENGL 1010-412-Su15
16 July 2015
Self-Assessment Paper
Near the beginning of the semester, we were introduced to several short stories and had
been given the assignment to write a short analysis of each. One such story took a statistically
positive stance toward the nuclear waste debate, and I was intrigued. For my Issue Exploration
Paper and Annotated Bibliography, I decided to delve further into the subject and explore the
science, numbers, and reasoning behind proponents of this particular technology and the points
of contention behind its detractors opposition. It was the culmination of a semester of study, and
I was able to utilize critical thinking to decide which sources would provide interesting and
effectual data that would make my paper thought-provoking enough to someone who had
previously held the stance that nuclear technology and the storage of its waste material was not
part of a comprehensive transition to a future of a green energy.
In fact, I had previously been philosophically opposed on similar grounds and my
research led me to believe otherwise. I was able to utilize strategies learned in the class, such as
the rhetorical analysis of my source material in my first ever Annotated Bibliography, which also
taught me to properly cite my resources and give credit where credit was due. At first, the
challenge of writing such a seemingly lengthy paper were somewhat daunting, but I was able to
break it down into pieces through outlining and writing of initial drafts which I had practiced in
previous assignments such as my reflection essay, short story summaries, and peer review. The

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greatest challenge, however, was my own hubris in writing. I had always been competent but had
never really pushed myself to research a difficult subject and explore the opposing point of view.
Given this opportunity, I feel I was able to exercise a muscle that had long been
underutilized, and going forward I am confident that the skills and development of my own
research and writing skills will surely benefit me in a myriad of situations, ranging from
employment opportunities to forging new opinions on subjects where there is seemingly no gray
area. I am proud of the work I have accomplished in this class.