Reflective Statement
BEFORE ENC2135
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.
DURING ENC2135
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.
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.
AFTER ENC2135
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.