From the beginning of this semester, I have been presented with all types of challenging writing assignments, all of which have made me adapt as a writer, researcher, and reader. One assignment that resonated with me was the first unit paper in which I was required to write a four-page minimum paper narrative speaking of something I have come to no longer believe. This essay allowed me to channel myself into an essay in a way I have never done before, allowing all my emotions to spill out upon the paper in front of me as well as methodically planning how each paragraph was to be organized to appeal to the reader. That assignment stands to me as the best piece of writing I have ever produced, where every little string tied right back to the center, and as a bonus, it profoundly utilized the rhetorical devices we had been learning about in class. Additionally, it was an assignment that placed me in a new environment of peer critiquing when it came to our drafts. All and all, this was an experience that has greatly strengthened my writing capabilities.
One aspect of this class that was quite common that occurred very often was reflection assignments, memorably the first ever assignment was a reflection on ourselves as readers up to the beginning of college thus far. This assignment forced me to come to terms with what I knew I was lacking in the English scene but also allowed me to brandish many of the skills and writing that I did bring with me to colleges, such as narrative and poetic writing. I did also realize that although my reading was adequate when it came to reading more informational writing, it came short when it came to more rhetorical and fictional writing. I am always happy to make further strides in my reading and writing though.
In terms of writing, I have found that with more narrative or poetic writing I don’t feel the monotonous drag of informational or persuasive writing, in which I am to rhythmically include evidence, but a certain anticipation of a great new iteration of my abilities. I do end up struggling at the start though because I want to craft the writing so perfectly, and I become worried that if I can’t start that way, as well as how could I hope to maintain it. Feedback has often been helpful as it stood as a test of whether or not my structural plans worked to my benefit with the reader.
With research, I have found that instantly assuring the reliability of a source is very effective to get the exact evidence you are looking for in a nearly unquestionable way. Unfortunately, high school hadn’t particularly prepared me for the level of research I needed to engage in at the college level. Having had a whole year of online learning as well surely didn’t help me in finding the will to do such in-depth writing, but this only led me to become more prepared and prevail.
This semester has provided me with one very main key thing which is a broad understanding of all the different rhetorical techniques one could find or use in writing. Some techniques of which I had heard but never quite understood and others had names that I didn’t even know were words. Thus, the greatest improvement was going from only just hearing of these devices to using them abundantly in the papers I wrote for this class. Moreover, we learned about appeals and how best to appeal to an audience if one attends to interest them or appeal to them. Whether this is in a logical, emotional, or ethical way of trying to convince the reader of the significance of your ideas.
This semester has truly been a great opportunity to grow in reading and writing and has allowed me to understand the many ways to approach writing my future college essays rather than the previously perceived boring persuasive format. I am quite excited to work on these skills and near a level of near perfection at writing.
