Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

In the following post, I will further reflect on my writing experiences this semester by considering my past blogs, projects, and reviews throughout the course.

ibangfotografi "Nature Reflection" 4/8/2014 via flickr. CC0 Public Domain License.

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?

My biggest challenge was in the "newness" of the projects and coursework. The blogposts were initially something that I struggled in, as they were entirely unfamiliar to me. The format of the projects was also unfamiliar to me. My experience in writing courses has been heavily focused on literary analyses. The emphasis on different genres and their conventions was very different and challenging to me. 

2. What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?

time management - Though I believe every college student's time management could use some improvement, I can definitely say I was successful in this aspect. I learned that procrastination is absolutely your worst enemy. No matter the circumstances, it will always be best to bid your time in the most productive manner.

writing skills - I wouldn't say my writing skills have changed; however, I can definitely say I learned a lot about writing skills in different genres. I learned about the conventions of public arguments, blog posts, QRGs, etc.

editorial skills - I've learned a lot about the complexity of the editing process. My past writing classes consisted mostly of in-class written assignments, meaning editing was never an option. This class placed a heavy emphasis on the editing process. 

3. What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writing. 

Genre is something that must be considered in all written pieces. It is the first and foremost characteristic of a piece and helps to predict the conventions of the paper. Genre and its conventions help to differentiate between written pieces, which in turn helps to write and analyze in that genre. 

4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?

I've found this course to be very helpful in terms of learning about technology. The course was very technologically based, as have been most of my other courses as well. The emphasis on different genres in our fields will also obviously be very helpful. Having researching arguments in my field, I am now well-versed in the academic writings within my aspiring career.

5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H?

I would say my most effective moment was in our second project, on analyzing an argument in our field. Not only did I feel I had a more firm grasp on this project, I also enjoyed it more than the first. From the beginning I felt I was better able to succeed. In the drafting process, Kelly remarked that my draft was very well-put-together. This was my most effective moment in the course.

6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H?

My least effective moment was 100% the QRG. In contrast to the Public Argument project, I was extremely uncertain about the parameters of this project. I credit part of this to the fact that my topic was extremely broad. I didn't have a solid foundation for success. There are multiple other faucets that negatively affected my grade, which I will discuss further in my final letter. This was my least effective moment from this semester in 109H.