The first reading assignment I did for Intermediate Composition was a syllabus review. As a second semester sophomore, I understood the function of a syllabus and deemed it unnecessary for me to thoroughly read the five-page outline. Instead, I quickly skimmed through looking for the most important part, the assignments. Three essays, no tests, no final. That’s not bad, I thought. I can write an essay. My confidence began to waver when I read on. I understood that in these essays, I would be required to uncover the meaning behind my connection to three topics: literacy, genre, and discourse communities. I felt a sinking feeling. This class isn’t going to be as easy as I thought. A nervous feeling began to creep in. I barely understood what literacy, genre, and discourse community meant, let alone have the ability to analyze them and write 5+ pages!

 

As I suspected when reading the syllabus, this English class was not as easy as I expected it to be, but through the challenges presented with each essay I was able to further develop my writing skills and competencies. The structure of the class gave me a foundation to understand the meaning of literacy, genre, and discourse community. This structure with an emphasis on in class discussions, peer reviews, and instructor feedback allowed me to reshape the way I approach writing an essay.

 

The first marker of my development as a more experienced writer can be seen through a change in the way I approach introductions. I remember the first assignment for Intermediate Composition asked me to outline my previous writing experience. My high school curriculum taught me that an introduction for rhetorical analysis or research projects was to be short and to the point. This heavily structured formatting influenced the way I approached writing coming into college. In this initial assignment, I remember expressing that I prefer creative writing over academic writing because I find it more fun to write when there are few limitations to creativity. From high school, it was ingrained in my mind that I was expected to have a one-sentence, catchy hook followed by explicit definition my topic and thesis. When looking at my third draft of the second essay assignment, it is evident I closely followed this system:

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Vertical farming is an agricultural growing method gaining a lot of traction in recent years. It differs widely from familiar farming practices through its use of vertical, indoor growing methods. Proponents of this new method praise its potential as a sustainable, reliable, and efficient farming technique to get crops in the hands of urban consumers. Three sources in particular support its continued investment.” (1)

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Through the in-class peer review process, I was exposed to a new way to approach introductions using a creative writing style. Learning this completely changed my outlook on formal writing because I understood that it does not have to be stuffy when creative methods can easily be introduced. This understanding truly helped me grow as a writer and enabled me to create something with personalization and flare. This is evident when looking at the final draft of my second essay where I write:

 

When you think of a farm, I bet you imagine multi-layered, stacked rows of crops growing vertically in a highly controlled environment. The farm you are picturing is probably also a quick stroll downtown to the heart of the urban core. The cubicles in a converted office building have been replaced with rows of herbs and leafy greens sprouting upwards towards a mechanical sky of LEDs. If this image does not come to mind when you think of farming, it is time to join the movement of the future: vertical farming. (1)

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As can be seen when comparing these two introductions, I learned how to add excitement to formal writing. This skill is something I will take with me into my career. As someone entering the business world after graduation, being able to weave compelling stories into a framework of data is extremely important when it comes to creating a compelling argument. I know I will take what I have learned about introductions with me and get rid of my stale habits.

 

After the introduction comes the main portion of an essay, the findings and research. To support all of my essays, I had to learn how to integrate research into a variety of genres including a personal narrative, rhetorical analysis, and research paper. Each of these genres presented a new challenge when it came to collecting and analyzing sources, but the class structure taught me how to read like an academic. The required readings and discussion board assignments allowed me to substantially develop my critical thinking skills and taught me how to read academic writing at a deeper level. When it came time to write my own research proposal, I understood not only how to find sources to support my conclusions but establish a niche using my own research. Although I do not expect to write many formal essays for my classes, presentations are often a part of every single business class I take. The ability to read a high-level piece of research, conceptualize it, and use it to support my own conclusions is an extremely valuable lesson that is transferable to my class projects. As a student and professional, it is important to be able to take information and adjust it so it can be applicable to my purposes.

 

The final section of an essay is the conclusion. One thing that stood out to me most when I first read the syllabus, was the emphasis placed on our ability to create meaning through our writing. I wasn’t sure what this meant at first, but through the process of writing the three essays covering literacies, genres, and discourse communities, I began to understand how to write with purpose and form valuable conclusions.

 

It is evidenced through the feedback on my first essay, about the literacy of teaching, that I became lost in the story. The main comments on my work pointed out that the flow was misleading, and the purpose was lost at times. I became tangled in the fluff of descriptors and storytelling. The purpose of the assignment was to analyze literacy requirements and how literacy is developed with a focus on the skills required. It took me multiple revisions to understand how to create a focused essay. I believe it required a better development of my initial draft to begin to accomplish this task.

 

When approaching my second and third essays, I explicitly wrote the purpose on my rough drafts. On the first draft of essay two I wrote, “How demonstrate expectations of the genre” (1). With a little more emphasis on my draft of essay three I wrote, “WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A LITERATE MEMBER OF GROUP X” (1). Using these focused descriptions gave me a clear vision when approaching each essay. After each successive draft and peer review, I was able to understand how to effectively analyze at a micro level and then extend that analysis out to consider the topic more broadly. Developing this critical thinking and being able to communicate with purpose is something applicable beyond my academic or professional career. In life, and in writing, it is easy to get bogged down by the small details of the prompt or problem in front of me, but meaning is created from looking outwards and considering the broader purpose and goal.

 

Understanding how to create engaging, research focused, and meaningful writing is truly a valuable skill. I look forward to continuing to develop these key literacies throughout the rest of my experience at UC. Although this class was not as easy as initially expected, in my experience it is the challenging classes that bring the most reward. I leave this course with a better understanding of my writing style and the ability to not only understand the meaning of literacy, genre, and discourse community, but the ability to effectively analyze and write 5+ pages.