As I sit here staring at the blank screen, thoughts race through my mind as I contemplate what lies ahead. Is my topic clear? Is it appropriate? What is it that I want to say? Finally the fear sets in, what lie ahead is a minefield of self-doubt and criticism, one misstep could lead to a personal catastrophe. I take each step with caution, slowly putting my thoughts on paper, exposing myself to scrutiny. The answers do not present themselves with the concrete certainty of mathematics and science, they are subjective and open to interpretation. Writing for me is an uncomfortable experience filled with irrational fear and trepidation. The first obstacle on my journey confronts me, the topic. It is an auspicious occasion when the topic is preselected, it is one less obstacle for me to overcome. Unfortunately, when I am required to select a topic an internal struggle takes place. I immediately begin contemplating subjects of interest and their relationship to the present exercise. Is there a subject that I would like to know more about? Will this subject fulfill the requirements for the exercise? After a day or two of reflection, I present myself with a short list of topics that I find appealing and appropriate. I review my list of topics and select the one that I believe to be of the greatest interest to me. The selection of my writing topic is not a task taken lightly, it is a process requiring great care and consideration. Once the daunting task of selecting a topic is
The first stage in the quest of writing a paper is thinking about writing a paper. Notions are tossed about
Advancing in my critical thinking skills is as important as my writing skills. I have to take the appropriate steps in continuing to engage the readers throughout the writing process. Writing is crucial as a student and everyday life because it is a form of communication. I will utilize the necessary resources to assist me in applying the lessons being instructed for completion of each assignment in accordance with the University guidelines. Allowing myself to create an outline for the topic before the rough draft is setting
While I appreciated that one of my peers provided feedback on my work, I feel that the feedback that was provided did not fulfill the assignment. My peer did not provide detailed feedback on my paper that could be adequately incorporated in my review and revisions. Most of the information that was provided as feedback were simply statements that reiterated what the prompt question was. Please see the below feedback provided to me by my peer.
Going back to reading the first thought piece I wrote during this course made me realize how much I have improved as a writer. I now understand the nature of writing, and my own experiences with writing. Writing the Rhetorical Analysis helped me in improving my writing based on my previous writing experiences. I now also know what questions to ask when entering a new rhetorical situation, in order to deal with the situation in the right way. The List of 10 made this easier for me, the first thing I do now before entering a new rhetorical situation is ask myself the ten questions I wrote for The List of 10. This course also made me more of a reflective writer. I am now a more self-aware, thoughtful, and mindful
When beginning any writing assignment, it can be a rocky start. It involves critical thinking and applying to your writing. First, you have to be skilled and be prepared in writing to get where you want to be. Therefore, my writing was complicated until I got into writing better than before. There comes a time when you have to start from scratch and work until you earn what you deserved. It was complicated to figure out what to write about, and to be precise. At first, I had adequate writing skills, but as I progressed through middle and high school, I have made vast improvements in my writing.
Since I have always considered that starting writing is the most challenging step, I found the getting started methods just inspiring. So according to the contexts I must anticipate reader’s questions, create a traditional outline, use the brainstorm outline, or try a free writing.
| |the intellectual conversation of topics that were discussed. I also enjoyed the learning |
To overcome anxiety and writer´s block, I decided to follow the strategy of choosing a particular aspect of the topic
Explain how you were able to use your existing knowledge and competencies from many subjects to succeed in your task.
Let me start off by saying that everyone has a topic they thoroughly enjoy throughout their academic "career". Some people love working out pages worth of brain melting math equations, while others tend to enjoy the study of space and the vast mysteries that shroud it. Throughout my life, writing assignments have been tossed at me left and right and let me just say that these writing assignments haven't exactly been my cup of tea.
The comforting sound of the click-clack of the keys, the smell of freshly printed words, the crisp feeling of having finished writing a master piece. For some, the art of writing is a frightening feat that has the equivalent appeal of being water-boarded. If you would have told me five years ago that I would be forced to write a five-paged essay with the use of scholarly books as well as peer-reviewed articles, I would have silently wept tears of fear. My writing is something that has taken me years to evolve and continues to be a learning process. From a young age I had always done everything in my power to escape having to write. I felt as if I lacked some magical ability to connect. I feared that my readers would not be able to grasp my message. For some obscure reason I felt that I was not capable of reaching pass the margins of the page and into my reader’s minds. But if this class has taught me anything it is how to push past my own mind and enter a world of ambiguity, obscurity, and creativity.
In Aug. 2010, I completed my B.S. in Environmental science concentration in biology at Taylor University. Courses I have taken, allowed me to be familiar with different aspects of biology, ecology and geology. As a result, I was able to experience the tangibility of these fields, for example gathering and analyzing field samples. Furthermore, one summer was spent taking and examining water quality samples, as well as examining plants and animal specimens. For my senior project, I designed and completed a practicum, where I removed invasives plants from a local forest near my hometown. After accomplishing the objectives, the superintendent offer me the position of a natural resource specialist.
Improvement takes time, effort, and often times late nights. Many evenings I have labored overtime to improve myself. Often times staying awake till midnight to ensure that my daybook notes were the definition of perfection or even adding an extra paragraph to my essays to ensure that it would support my thesis. In English class, I explored my ability to read literature, writing essays, collaborating on discussions, and most importantly, learning. Regardless of my extensive background in each of these areas, I recieved the opportunity to expand and develop my skills more in some way as a reader, a writer, a collaborator, and especially a learner. Perfection is not always attainable, yet I should strive for the best adaption of my work.
When I write for pleasure, the words seem to come naturally and easily…my thoughts and ideas are more focused and generally in logical sequence. When I am faced with the task of writing within given parameters, about a subject that has been dictated and not of my own choosing, writing becomes an unwelcome chore. Reflecting on this problem, I have concluded that there are a number of reasons for my difficulty.
Over the course of my lifetime in the real-world and the academic classroom, language has played a significant role. Attending Spanish classes throughout my high school tenure into my first semester at Quinnipiac University has enabled me to expand and develop my communication and reasoning skills in the Spanish language. With this genuine self-reflection, I will discuss my capabilities and experiences regarding language learning, regarding the Spanish language course