Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

Reflecting on the specific strategies that I used for my writing throughout the semester will help me hone my writing skills for future assignments.

Campbell-Jones, Andi "Reflected in the Raybans" 08/27/2013 via Flickr CC BY-BC-ND 2.0

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

My biggest challenges this semester were adhering to the course structure by completing process work in blog posts before composing drafts for major projects.

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

I learned that I am fairly good at estimating how long it will take me to complete an assignment. I often have difficulty motivating myself to start work on an assignment, but once I start I tend to complete a large portion of it at once. My first drafts have been generally effective, but I learned that structured editing and revision is necessary for me to compose A level work.

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

Genres are part of the rhetorical situation of a piece of writing. They dictate the format and style of a text. Understanding how to identify conventions of a genre allows a writer to be versatile and able to adapt to any type of assignment or work.

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

My time management skills, ability to use rhetorical strategies, and ability to adapt to different genres have improved the most significantly. I will be able to apply these skills to my future coursework and career.

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

My rhetorical analysis for project two was particularly successful. Out of the three projects we have done at this point, I had the most prior experience with the type of work needed for project two. I am used to doing rhetorical analysis.

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

My quick reference guide was not quite as effective as my other two projects. I had a lot of difficulty condensing the vast amount of information that I collected in my research.