Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

In this post I will be responding to questions that will help me reflect further on my writing experiences. 

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?
My biggest challenge was breaking from the strict writing structure that was drilled into my head during high school english courses. The writing pieces and genres involved taking risks and breaking from traditional essay format writing. This was hard at first to change my writing style, but eventually I embraced it and learned how to write more effectively. 

2. What did you learn this semester about your own time managment, writing and editorial skills?
I learned that I have really good time management, I am good at getting things done early and not waiting until the last minute. My writing skills have definitely improved but I still have to work really hard to produce good work. 

3. What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writer.
I have learned how to analyze pieces of work and determine the conventions of a genre. With this analyzing I can then write my own work in the genre. This is important in becoming a better writer because you can write more clearly and effectively if you follow the conventions of a genre. This is also important when I have to write in different genres in the future like in the field of science. 

4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?
I am going to work on my research skills. This is especially important for me because the career I want to pursue is research. While I want to the laboratory research in the science field, this still involves outside research and writing and publishing papers. I will also have to learn the genre and conventions of publishing science research. Lastly, I hope that the revision process will become easier for me as I work on in. 

5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
My most effective moment was writing the rhetorical analysis essay. One aspect of this that was very effective was talking with Sean and realizing that I need to be pushed to take greater writing risks and deigning deeper into making connections between the information in the article and the way the author conveyed his message. This was my most successful piece because I put so much effort into both of these aspects that he wanted me to work on and it paid off. This was my greatest stride in developing my writing skills in this class. 

6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
I struggled with the quick reference guide. This was difficult for me because the topic that I chose was almost too broad. This made it difficult to analyze the groups and opinions involved in the stem cell controversy. I did my best in following the requirements in writing a QRG but I felt too restricted in the content. 

Sharma, Abhi. "Books HD." 27 Aug. 2007 via Flickr. Creative Commons.