Reflective Statement
BEFORE ENC2135
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Coming into ENC2135, my writing perspective was narrow. I did not study one topic thoroughly in high school, and so I did not exactly understand how I was going to complete four projects all on the same topic. I can say that my composition skills have greatly increased since the beginning of this class all because I have been writing reflections, proposals, and project papers consistently. When I sit down to write, I am able to write more fluently and professional than before. I have learned to be patient during the writing process and trust my gut instinct. In the past, I have had the tendency to overthink and take hours just to complete on paragraph and spend an absurd amount of time on a simple sentence. I have been surprised in my ability to move along quickly despite my confidence in my writing. I have taken this skill and applied it to each of the projects by continuously writing and then going back to revise.
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DURING ENC2135
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This class has also helped me truly understand what genres are and the genre conventions that are appropriate for each genre. I used to think that I knew exactly what a genre was- nonfiction, fiction, country music, etc. However, the QQC activity where the class responded to Kerry Dirk’s “Navigating Genres” really opened my eyes. I realized that genres can be anything around us that has clear expectations, a purpose, and an exigence. There is so much more that goes into genre theory, but I learned that these three components are stately in a genre. I was surprised to learn that a genre could be a plaque hanging in a professor’s office or even a business card.
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I have taken my knowledge about genres and my composition skills and applied them to each project. For Project 1, I was hesitant in composing an essay topic that was brand new. However, I followed the genre conventions that go along with essays, and I conducted in-depth research from credible, peer-reviewed articles for two opposing sides. As for Project 2, I was more confident in composition skills now that I had one project under my belt. I was more fluid in my writing and was able to write more freely because I had the option to take a stand. I used my knowledge about genre​ conventions and researched each of my two artifacts to make sure that they met each unspoken rule.
In regard to rhetorical analysis, I learned that rhetorical situations are everything. My concept of rhetorical analysis has shifted over the course of this class as I have realized that rhetoric is a medium for authors to express themselves to their audience. Just like genre conventions, I was surprised that there are specific rules that must be maintained in order for the rhetorical appeal to be effective. I used this knowledge and applied it to Project 3 and 4 especially as I created three unique genres. I made sure to stay within the genre convention lines as well as be intentional with the rhetoric used. Researching secondary sources all throughout the semester has been eye-opening for me. I thought that credible resources associated with my topic would be easy to find. However, I have had to think outside the box when it came to scholarly works. I started with the FSU online library and branched out to Stanford HAI and TED articles and talks. Non-scholarly works were much more abundant, but less trustworthy and consistent in their ideas. I have found that the scholarly articles contained more thorough information and provided depth to my research and argument.
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AFTER ENC2135
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These skills have shaped my writing and opened my perspective to see the rhetoric and genres that surround me each and every day. I am going to transfer my knowledge on each of these skills to future FSU courses by being intentional with my writing and focusing on key rhetorical strategies. I believe that by doing this, I will sharpen my writing skills more and more throughout my college career and beyond.