Carolina Gonzalez

Professor Doutherd
English 5M
Theory of Writing
As a student in this English 5M class, I have come face to face with countless amounts of
struggles. I have overcome many, but still struggle with many. This is completely acceptable for I
will grow from them. Every good writer learn from these struggles and grow from their
accomplishments.
One of the main struggles I cannot escape within every writing is my language and
sentence structure. I tend to be quite wordy and have a bad habit of making my sentence go on
and on. This kills me on every assignment. I may be a college student, but I still struggle with
grammar and punctuation as well. Aside from struggles, I have accomplished the ability to read
with a different intent, rhetorically and with a highlighter in hand. In relation to my field of
study, and as seen in my rhetorical analysis, I hold a different aspect towards writing. I have
learned to that one must be straight to the point and provide evidence. It is expected that students
integrate figures, graphs, and tables into reports flawlessly. Having the ability to assemble
figures, graphs, and tables is a vital part of the craft of scientific writing (DeGraffenreid 106).
Although most English writing does not call for graphs and tables, we must still provide concrete
examples like quotes and paraphrase from other articles.
The beautiful thing is that with every piece of writing comes different expectations,
structure, voice, language, purpose, intended audience, and other elements. No two piece of
writing will ever be the same, which makes each piece of writing unique in its own way. With
each piece of writing confronted, comes a new notion and aspect. Which then comes
development as a person, student, and intellect.
Although some of the readings and writings assigned were a bit tedious to unravel, they
have definitely shaped my apprehension through the learning outcomes. Readings like Shitty
First Drafts by Anne Lamott, What is a multilingual writer? by Dana Ferris, Reading and
Writing without Authority by Ann Penrose and Cheryl Geisler, and a few other readings have
expanded my knowledge of new techniques, explanations, and limitations to reading and writing.
To further expand that knowledge, the weekly reading response assignments clarified my
understanding of the readings and helped me engage with them. They reassured me that I fully
comprehended the reading and my own thought processes through the summaries and
connection.
To explore my identity as a writer in relation to politics of language is definitely an
outcome I can walk away with and carry to other classes. With readings like What is a
multilingual writer? and Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language, I have
identified myself with the people the authors are referring to and have learned from the
expectations they are conveying. From the writings I have been assigned like the literary
narrative and the feedback I receive, I have been able to find my voice and identity as a creative
language, descriptive writer. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to compose rhetorically effective
texts, informally and informally. Each writing asked of different things, but they have all
challenged me to think differently and in distinct perspectives. This will then prepare me for the
writing expected of other classes and their goals.
Developing awareness of how communities shape reading, writing, and research is an
outcome reached with the help of my peers. We all come from similar backgrounds and confront
similar challenges with our reading and writing. Coming together and expressing the ideas of
how other communities shape their reading and writing in the group discussions, have definitely
awaken a sense of awareness towards what is expected of other communities reading and
writing. I now have an open-mind and am at ease when confronted with these forms of literature.
Not only will I leave this class with reaching the learning outcomes, but I will also
transfer these skills and knowledge I have gained towards other classes. I apply the same
methods of pre-writing and analyzing certain texts from this class when it comes to assignments
in other classes like philosophy and anthropology. When reviewing others papers, I know what
and how to address their mistakes and aid them in building a stronger paper. Overall, I have
reached the course goals and will continue applying them to outside communities.
In this class we have encountered numerous pieces of writing that are made up of
different elements. These elements are what develops us as a person, student, and intellect. I
remember walking into this class not knowing how to rhetorically analyze correctly or even
composing a research paper of papers I have myself composed. It is easy to say that there was
not one time I was not challenged.
I could honestly say that for the first few drafts of most of my pieces a lot more things
went wrong rather than well. I say this because I struggled very much with getting my ideas to
flow and finding the purpose of this writing. My ideas were not very well organized making it
difficult for my audience to pick up the notion of my writing. It was unclear and all over the
place, a complete mess. But one thing that always went well in my essays is the picking up of my
mistakes and further developing my writing to make it a stronger one. The cover letters are what
made reflect on my own writing and realize that I have learned from these mistakes and grown
from it.
I will admit that I have always had a disliking for writing. But that was because I did not
know exactly what it meant to write. As Strasser states, writing and education are useless tools
if they fail to speak to a students life, experience, and passions (Strasser 200). Someone can
write their entire educational career, and not know what it means to write. Confronting different
forms of writing, structure, and language, has developed a different notion and aspect in me
towards writing.
Every single prompt, article, reading, lesson have been part of my growth as a reader,
writer, and critical thinker. Not only will I carry every notion to writing in future courses, but I
will carry the notion of writing within my future profession. I have learned to stay woke when
reading, to read with a enlightened perspective. I have learned to think differently with each
genre of writing. English 5M has prepared me for any obstacles I may face as a a person, student,
and intellect in reading and writing. After doubting myself so much, this is something I never
thought I could accomplish. I am forever grateful.