This class has truly opened my eyes to the capabilities my writing possesses. I began this semester unsure about my writing prowess as college was an entirely different environment when compared to high school. The grading criteria is on a much grander scale, and I was intimidated by the thought of consistently writing “perfect” college papers for my professors when I had only known how to create papers that were sufficient for high school teachers. However, this class has taught me that writing is not about a linear journey to perfection. True writing is based upon building from past errors along with incorporating new skills learned throughout the writing process. 

Initially, my writing was very robotic and clone like. I followed strict guidelines given to me in the beginning of my high school career and was unaware of how to break from this path. Reading’s such as “The Rhetorical Situation” by Lloyd F. Bitzer assisted me greatly in coming to understand that not every assignment should be written the same. Bitzer awakened me to the importance of understanding the rhetorical situation and how each paper should cater to a specific audience. For instance, in my Summary and Response essay titled “No Individual Should Be Shunned for Something Out of Their Control”, it is evident that I have a professional tone, however, it is not robotic, I made my points with conviction. This is a striking contrast to the essay’s I wrote just three months earlier. 

Not only was I made aware of audience, but I now have a greater understanding of genre, a vital portion of the rhetorical situation. As I continue to transition into college, I had the belief that every written assignment that was turned in had to be written in the same professional formatting as an academic essay. Later, I would relinquish this idea and come to understand that different genres of writing require different writing formats. This evident when comparing an early discussion post I had written under the heading “Forum: Bitzer” and one I had written later under the heading “Forum: Hulst’s ‘Grammar, Rhetoric, and Style’”. In my earlier discussion post, I utilize very eloquent statements and vocabulary, while in my later discussion post, though it is still in an academic tone, the vocabulary I use is far less rigid. Such a change was due to me realizing an academic synthesis has a much different structure then an academic essay.  

Though I understood my vocabulary did not have to hold such grandeur in all my writing pieces, my language and use of tone had still improved throughout the semester. In my early writings, such as my Summary and Response essay, I had used more passive language as I was not confident in my writing abilities. In my Critical Research Analysis paper titled “The Raw Power of Artistic Expression in James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues’”, I have grown more confident in my writing and use more assertive and to-the-point statements when stating my claim. It was in this paper, where I utilized my newfound knowledge of how to search for reliable sources. 

The library sessions I had the privilege of attending this semester assisted me greatly when searching for supporting documents for my Critical Research Analysis. In past writing courses, I would simply do random searches on google and search for hours for a reliable source of information. However, in the library session given by Ms. Pagano, I had learned the proper and most efficient way to use City College’s online database. When using this database, I was able to find appropriate, scholarly, peer reviewed sources that had supported my writing. Each source I had used also provided the proper citations to use for my works cited page, which I was very grateful for as I used to write them out myself, a tedious task. 

While I was able to obtain an abundant number of scholarly articles to use for my writings, it was vital that I had cited them correctly throughout my paper. In my beginning works, such as my Exploratory Essay titled “Love Is What Makes the World Go Round”, I would unintentionally paraphrase or give information I perceived as background knowledge when it should have been cited. Later in my Critical Research Analysis essay, I would correct my errors and cite every piece of information I had used I believed needed an in-text citation. An important fact I had learned in this class was that it is better to over-cite a paper then risk plagiarism. 

A main reason I have improved on correcting my errors and building from them is because of peer review sessions. Unlike asking a family member, who is oblivious to the topic of my studies, to review my writing, peer review provided me with knowledgeable and ethical feedback from peers studying the same topic. I knew I could trust the corrections and suggestions being made because they were from fellow students who understood the mechanics of the class. Another key factor that I had valued about peer review was the fact that I received feedback from students who were my age. This made their explanations of my errors much easier to understand, as the language they had used was relatable and not convoluted.  

Though yes, my writing ability had fluctuated throughout the semester, I cannot deny that it has certainly improved. I have grown from an unconfident and skeptical writer into one that is sure of the statements they are making and proud of their work. The various reading assignments had paved the way for new skills to be implemented into my writing. They have also brought to my attention vital features of writing such as the elements of the rhetorical situation. Through this online class, I was able to obtain valuable skills such as searching for reliable supporting sources and how to properly correct my work, skills I will be able to implement in future occupations. By completing this semester, as demonstrated through my portfolio, my skills as a writer have improved greatly and will continue to do so as I advance throughout my college education.