In a past course I took, my second year writing course, I experienced some challenges related to locating and managing information. One difficulty I faced was not knowing where to find credible sources, such as academic articles, journals and books. I was not familiar with the valuable OSU Library website and the WorldCat Search for sources. For early drafts of my final paper, I used mostly websites, and I did not have any solid secondary or primary sources.
A second difficulty I faced while taking this online course was that I experienced technical difficulties with my computer. I stored all of my files of notes, research, drafts and source information on my computer. I managed all of my information on my laptop, and I did not have backup files on a flash drive. One day, my computer crashed, and I lost an important set of notes for my paper that I had been working on that day. I ended up wasting valuable time trying to figure out and fix my computer issues by myself. I’m not very technically saavy by nature, so I struggled to solve this problem.
Going forward, I have come up with a few solutions to address these problems. With regard to the first problem, my professor ended up introducing me later in the course to the OSU Library resources, such as WorldCat@OSU. I can use this search for books, articles, journals and other media worldwide. Having access to this resource has allowed me to find much more reliable sources for papers and projects. With regard to the second problem, I should save backup copies of important files on a flash drive and send copies to my own OSU email address. In order to address future computer technical issues, I should visit the OSU BuckeyeBar, to receive personal consultation and fix my computer issues more quickly.