I have learned many things from this course, some things that I will use forever in my writing from here on to the future. The assignments that were required for this course helped my understanding and development as a writer as well as my feelings through the writing process. Most of all however it helped me achieve the course learning objectives, which my learning can be seen as I write.

         I learned to “Explore and analyze, in writing and reading, a variety of genres and rhetorical situations”, through my first work, the language and literacy narrative. In this project, I was given a question that was complicated yet so simple that I never really thought about it. I decided to not focus on what I thought I should write about, but rather focus on language range, and not just for humans. I chose a true story about a lesson I learned from my previous dog Honey, and decided to honor her recent death by sharing the lesson she taught me that was also relevant to the essay topic. I also learned to “examine how attitudes towards linguistic standards empower and oppress language users.”. In “Bark” I share how Honey not only communicates with my other dog Peluche but with me and my entire family as well. Language isn’t just words, rather it’s a mixture of things like experience and love that allow people and animals to truly communicate.

         In my second piece of work, I felt that I learned both “understand and use print and digital technologies to address a range of audiences” and “Compose texts that integrate your stance with appropriate sources using strategies such as summary, critical analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and argumentation”. My Op-Ed and visual argument required me to take a stance for change in my local community so I chose to write about a topic I had been curious about for a while. I wrote about gentrification since I and some family members had talked about it, and it was a real problem that needed addressing. It was also a very difficult essay to write about since I had to write it keeping in mind my audience and my stance on the subject. I had to be careful not to say anything that could cause offense and make sure my evidence was clear and sufficient since I was talking about other religions and cultures. What I learned from “The Rising Tide” is diversity and culture for blandness isn’t a fair trade.

         In my third piece of work, I learned to “Develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing” as well as “Recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations”. In my third piece of writing, I had to choose a Nobel Laureate from City College and write about their work and importance. Out of all the assignments, I would say that this one was the one I was most interested in as quantum mechanics piqued my interest and Leon M. Lederman was the man who paved the road for quantum mechanics. I learned lots of editing strategies as I went through this essay to make sure that I wasn’t using bad information and was honoring his name correctly. I wanted to make sure that his story was told correctly unlike how it was written in his book. He invented something called the god particle, but that isn’t because of how big the particle was, but rather because he said, “goddamn particle” and the editors thought it would be a good idea to remove the damn. I also had to remember to write his name down correctly and remember where to put the period when addressing middle names. I also learned different rhetorical terms which helped the flow of my writing and trusted myself to just write what I had and revise later which is the way I write currently. The way I write will forever be changed for the better due to this piece and the strategies it showed me.

         The last assignment I had to do this semester not only showed me 2 learning outcomes but 3. The Research essay was by far the hardest and longest piece out of this entire year; however, I learned a lot from it and I am glad I did it overall. I learned to “Locate research sources (including academic journal articles, magazine, and newspaper articles) in the library’s databases or archives and on the Internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness, and bias”. Lots of evidence was used in my research essay and all of its citations were included as well. In the past I’ve done APA citations but not to this degree of work as the final paper had to be 5 pages long. It was the first time I had used subtitles and subsections, so I was a bit confused by them at first but learned how to use them correctly over time. I also learned to “Practice systematic application of citation conventions”. Being able to use the citations was a big piece of my learning and this essay gave it a whole new meaning as APA requires most of the essay to be citations. I had to be able to provide my opinions and speak through the citations to present my point and support it. Finally, the last thing I learned was to “Engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes”. I learned this as a huge section of my research essay was about the social aspects of informed consent. Informed consent is a very controversial but important topic to speak about and a patient’s health should always be prioritized. This essay was difficult, but it led to the most growth in my writing and will forever be a lesson that I remember about the gathering and understanding of evidence.

         In conclusion, this semester’s journey has been a long exploration of my growth as a writer and thinker. Each assignment has been a stepping stone, shaping not only my understanding of the course objectives but also my approach to communication and expression. From reflecting on personal experiences in the language and literacy narrative to taking a stand on community issues in the Op-Ed and visual argument, each piece has contributed to my ability to explore diverse genres and rhetorical situations. Exploring the life and work of Nobel Laureate Leon M. Lederman challenged me to develop effective reading, drafting, and editing strategies, transforming how I approach writing. Finally, the important lessons learned from the research essay, were a challenging yet rewarding experience that emphasized the importance of tedious research, the application of citation conventions, and the recognition of collaborative and social aspects in writing processes. I learned a lot this year not just in my writing but also about myself and the ideas I have to offer, these pieces of writing are not just what I decided to write about but truly show my thoughts and my mind within.