Blog #1: A Reflection of AP Research

Before this class, I couldn't have seen myself write a 5,000 word paper on any issue, including one I feel passionately about. Now, at the end of the entire course, it doesn't feel like I've written that much, and that amount (5000) doesn't seem that intimidating or long. I think this reflects my success in the class. It makes me feel like I've grown a lot. This year, I choose to study prisons and psychology. Through AP Research I’ve tracked everything I drafted to design my original work along with my research paper. I’ve researched the current standards in Texas facilities and private centers and saw if they hit the guidelines the state department calls essential. I observed how Facility Security Levels, Facilities designations, administrations, specific practices for inmates, and standard procedure must operate, and that allowed me to get an idea of how facilities should be managed. I mapped out the qualitative differences among centers and recognized patterns, whether it be changing quality due to wealth per capita, race differences, or other social categories. I got a grip on how to create an original analysis and what aspects I need to focus on to write a professional paper. Aside from academics, I’ve learnt how to network by observing my peers and finding real-world uses of my work in school. I’ve met with professionals, of which most are acclaimed psychiatrists and psychologists, and those connections have given me valuable relationships for the future. I’ve stopped to relying on my traditional textbook resources to solve my problems, and I’ve expanded my horizons through the learning style AP research has habituated me to. In the future, I hope my subject of study and thinking style both influence my career path.