It has definitely been an experience, being able to be a part of this composition class. I personally know that beforehand, I am not a good writer. However, this class changed this thought I had or expectation that I have upon myself, and helped me focus on something different. Rather than focusing on what I think I suck at, I would rather talk about the things that I had learned or that brought different perspectives. I thought at first, this class was just going to be like any other writing class, but I was surprised as more time passed on. The class focused more on me, myself, the writer. One of the main things I did every day at the start of class was getting into an analytic headspace by observing photos or pieces of text which had to deal with the concept of rhetoric. This was so I can understand how things come across intentionally, and how impactful it is. On top of this, I was exploring and understanding multiple different concepts of rhetoric through concrete definitions, and through real-life examples. This was so I can develop my own strategies as the writer whenever it came to writing a piece of work. What was done was providing context and useful information, and what it came down to was how I was going to incorporate what I learned into my own writing style. When it came to writing drafts, I was still stuck in my old ways of writing. But as I continued to learn more concepts and devices, it started to slowly flow and work itself into my writing. This was all done deliberately of course, as I had to make the conscious effect of making my drafts and finals draft be the best it can be for my standards. I had barely ever done revisions in my life when it came to my works of writing, but the objectives of the course had made it so I was perfectly able to look back into my writing, and seeing what I can do to make it better. A good example would be my final inquiry paper. As soon as I was done finalizing it and making it sound and appear presentable, I decided it was a good idea to look back to see if I could make it any better. By adding rhetorical devices in some parts where I saw it to best fit, this is a way for me to say that I have grown as a writer. As I continue to reflect, the content of my writing was never an issue for me. It was always just a matter of getting whatever I am thinking and what to perfectly say onto the sheet itself. But there was a thing that come up during one the days in class, which talked about-excuse me for my language- shitty first drafts. Drafts are always important, but my issue is that I treated a draft the same way I would the finalized product. It needed to be a “good” first draft, but what ends up ultimately happening is that I get stuck looking at a blank sheet. What I had learned was that it is okay if my first drafts are considered terrible. Thats the whole point! What a shitty first draft aimed to do was that I needed to get something-in fact, anything- on that sheet of paper. I never gave myself the proper cushioning I needed to be comfortable as a writer, but now I do. I honestly wish I could have done more shitty first drafts for my main writing projects/assignments throughout the course, but that is 1 takeaway I will make sure to keep as I continue on into future classes. Despite the course being over too soon it feels like (time flies quick!), I know that in the back of my head that the material taught and presented won’t cease to come up or be irrelevant. Writing and reading will continue to be with me as my studies continue; but even a part from that, in everyday life I am surrounded by it. Headlines, social media, advertisements, movements, and so much more are all examples of what I had learned in class. One thing I would like to note though is something I would have liked to do more often, which arguably I would consider not achieving in doing it. That thing is being able to share my writing in collaborative groups or individuals. It is always good to receive feedback on your writing, and likewise share and give feedback back as well; but, I struggled to do this. I personally believed that since my writing is so connected to me, almost personal in a way, I felt that I was giving up something. I am a very reserved and discrete person, and so I didn’t feel comfortable enough to share my writing. It is a weird feeling in retrospect, and so that is one thing I aim to change in the future. Overall, I can now say that I am no longer a “bad writer”, but a better one with even more improvements to make down in the long run. That is all for the writers side of me. For the student side, I for sure could have done a lot of better in general. I let myself down in some aspects when it came to punctuality, something I am well aware of. Nevertheless, it is a good learning experience. For some odd reason, I perform better when I am under pressure (in this case, doing assignments), which is a double edged sword for me. But in the same fashion that I learned to become a better writer by incorporating and developing my own strategies, I will learn to implement ways to better my style of being an academic student. This course was a nice change of pace for me, and as an old saying goes, the first is always the best!

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