Nichols

Talcott Nichols
Professor Rines
UWRT 1101
12 April 2015
Final Reflection
This semester has been long but also informative. I have learned so much about writing
over these past few months. Some of the assignments were very interesting while others I just
couldnt wait to be done with (and its still not over). Even if it wasnt a pleasing assignment,
breaking them down, I still learned a lot from them.
The in-class experience was fairly enjoyable. It was fun to have conversations about
different topics (even though sometimes no one wanted to speak). Peer workshops were also

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:12 PM

Comment [1]: Solid introduction however I
think it would be very beneficial for you to
name specific examples of which assignments
you did or did not like as sort of a thesis
statement, therefore you can begin each body
paragraph with one element of your topic
sentence

helpful to me because the people who reviewed my papers usually caught things I had not and
also gave pretty good help.
The smallest of the assignments, the Daybook Entries, was a bumpy road. I enjoyed the
ones that elicited opinionate responses from everyone. Hearing and sharing different opinions on

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:13 PM

Comment [2]: Yet again try and cite
specific examples so it is easier for you to
expand on these points throughout the rest of
your paper

these subjects was very eye opening not only to the variety of people in the world but also the
variety in the way that they think. For me the daybook entries didnt feel like they were helping
my writing at first. Looking back though, they forced me to come up with ideas faster than I am
used to. I typically take forever to start a paper because I want to know what I am going to write
about. These assignments helped me see that I just needed to start writing anything at all, and
then form it later.
The Discussion forums were a similar assignment to the daybook entries as far as
interest; they had their ups and downs. They were more interesting in the beginning of the

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:14 PM

Comment [3]: This paragraph is excellent,
you did a very good job of using a specific
example and explaining the positives and
negatives of your experience

 Nichols 2

semester because I had never participated in an online forum before, especially for a grade. It
was fun to see how far I could with play on words and still show understanding of the topic in
question. Shortly into the semester though, this became far more taxing than enjoyable. As other
class work piled up, it became harder and harder to put more time into the forum posts.
Although, they were still a great way to constantly see writing from other students. This was
helpful to see how others constructed sentences and made ideas flow.
The Genre Analysis was the first paper that really tested how good (or bad) my writing
was. I have never been very confident in my writing and it was a great start to becoming a better
writer. This paper was the most enjoyable assignment because I felt like I could write about what
I wanted to, while also fulfilling assignment requirements. The whole genre topic was a huge
paradigm shift for me. It was interesting breaking down what a genre is while also completely

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:17 PM

Comment [4]: Expand on this a bit, I
understand the point you are trying to prove
however it is a little vague, it could also help
with your word count issue

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:17 PM

Comment [5]: Great topic sentence, you
addressed your concerns with your writing
and by using a specific example it should be
easy to expand on your trials and successes
with your genre analysis paper

changing the meaning of the word. The depth that we can go into analyzing a genre is almost
infinite. The Genre Analysis was a great start to working on my writing abilities. It also taught
me that there is no right way, but more the understandable and accepted ways to write.
Working through the Micro-Ethnography seemed endless. This assignment was my least
favorite due to the type of study. Im not to keen on studying people or cultures. I also felt I
didnt have enough time to pick a community that I felt more interested in and also have easy
access to. That being said, the study was very interesting breaking down all of the communities
into easily recognizable pieces. Much like the Genre Analysis, the break down of a community
was very informative. I believe the Micro-Ethnography helped expand my writing style
knowledge. Having to use recorded interviews as well as field notes was very new to me. Not
only that, having to actually perform the interviews and observations was new. Every new
technique I learn can be used at a later time.

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:19 PM

Comment [6]: Explain what you mean
here, how was this assignment informative,
what did you learn that was totally new this
year. You set yourself up excellently you just
need to expand

 Nichols 3

As a writer, I think I have learned a lot of new techniques to make my writing better and
easier. At the beginning of the semester I was dreading taking a writing class. This class has
definitely helped me with my writing. When I started to work on the very first assignment, it
would take me forever to even start writing. Now starting has become much easier. I would have
to say that is the biggest thing I will take-away from this class. There is obviously a ton more I
need to work on as far as my writing goes, but this semester has definitely been a big knowledge
bump for me.

I think your paper has a fantastic skeleton. What I mean by that is you have done a most
excellent job of outlining your specific examples and setting yourself up for expansion. The most
blatant issue within your paper is unfortunately the length, you have all the tools at your disposal
with the way youve organized and outlined your paper however there is so much room for
explanation. All your ideas here are very good and I do believe you will be able to crush this
paper as long as you take your broad vague claims and further them, citing specific accurate
relevant information you have learned from this course.

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:19 PM

Comment [7]: How did it help? What
techniques did you learn? Plenty of room for
expansion here

Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:20 PM

Comment [8]: What was so hard about
starting for you, how did this class improve
your struggles that you had with writing
Vitaly O'Connor 4/14/2015 6:21 PM
Comment [9]: Hate to beat a dead horse
but you must expand on all your ideas in order
to meet the word count/page count.