So far I’ve really enjoyed the topics of our journals. They really help me understand and think more deeply about the material we cover in the class. Usually when I write journals I just sit and write them at once, not really taking breaks. My ideas sort of flow from the prompt and I write down the thoughts that come to mind. The summary journals are an exception; I usually read the piece a few paragraphs at a time and pause to summarize each section I read. One thing I like about my journals is that they flow pretty well. They are also fairly easy to follow despite not having an outline or anything done beforehand. One thing I dislike is that sometimes I feel that I don’t take my time to really separate my thoughts so some ideas get mixed together. Note taking is very different than journaling because when I take notes, I’m mostly trying to take down as much important information as fast as possible, while journaling doesn’t have a time constraint. Journaling also involves coming up with your own ideas, which note taking does not. Overall I like writing journals because even though they could be hard to get through sometimes, in the end they really do help me understand the material in new ways and are thought-provoking.
