In a general overview, I believe my level of writing has maintained and slightly improved based on the course learning objectives this semester. All my life, writing has seemed like a task. It has always been an inefficient and “overly formal” way to put down my thoughts. The more I wrote, the more tiring it became, and that is what I dreaded coming into this course. When the first writing assignment came around, that feeling didn’t go away entirely, but I was surprised with the way we were eased into writing as opposed to being assigned an essay to write and submit in one attempt. Instead, we were given a light topic, an informal introduction, and were allowed to formulate our response based on not very strict guidelines and only as we saw fit as students. Then, we gradually turned it into a formal introduction by improving on the draft based on feedback, reflection, and grading criteria.  

My process of writing has evolved throughout the course of this semester. I feel that I have gotten better at breaking down my writing into smaller, more manageable steps. I created drafts for each of the four major essays. Then, I went back and “almost final” drafted them by elaborating on the ideas already on the page and making the language more sophisticated. Finally, I perfected each essay by proofreading and fixing minor details. This goes to show that setting smaller, more attainable goals through the writing process helps to produce better results. 

An example of this writing process in seen in the Scientific Controversy Essay. My first draft was a list of bullet points and color-coded ideas that went along with different paragraphs and guidelines/points I wanted to achieve throughout the essay. It also included possible sources that may have been able to help with the topic I initially brainstormed. My “almost final” draft was a more cohesive response and began to incorporate different sources into the writing and was an almost complete rough draft. Finally, the essay was complete once I had reviewed and made minor edits to perfect it. These drafts and final version can be found in my portfolio.  

To add to another course guideline, I feel that I’ve learned to better analyze the sources that different readings and writings come from. Rhetorical analysis has allowed me to look into authors as much as I look into their writing. This was done through the NYT Section Rhetorical Analysis Essay. On the same note, sourcing and researching became a little easier through the course, especially after the library session. I learned how to search for more scholarly articles through different databases, including CCNY OneSearch and Google Scholar.  

Something I noticed about my writing, especially with reflections, is the longer I waited to write it, the more different my reflection got. I would do an immediate draft reflection after the main essay but would save it to go back at a different time. This allowed me time to include any other ideas or points to reflect on that I didn’t think of the first time. The more I thought back on an essay I had written, the more feedback I had on it.  

An aspect of this writing course that I appreciated was the use of peer-feedback. Through the peer-reviews on our drafted essays, I received constructive criticism on what I needed to improve in my writing and what I did well. This was also a way for me to see what worked in other students’ writing and learn more about them, and sometimes apply similar strategies to my own writing.  

One goal I can say I didn’t achieve was managing my time better. I started the semester strong and completed everything on time. As the semester progressed and coursework got heavier, I delayed writing drafts, which then turned into delayed essays and delayed feedback. Unfortunately, I fell back into the cycle of late work and late nights, but I hope that acknowledging this is taking one step closer to improving on it during the next semester.  

Overall, I feel like my writing has improved slightly in some areas and maintained in others, but no decrease in my level of writing. The intention-setting journal and course guidelines that we went over in the beginning of the semester were helpful in setting goals that I may or may not have achieved throughout the course. I have enjoyed my experience in this class and hope that what I’ve learned will follow me into the future.