Grayson Ward

Final portfolio essay

UWRT 1102 has been a very useful class for me. As a college freshman

in the engineering department, writing is very important for my major. This

class helped me learn how to complete writing assignments on a college

level. On the course syllabus, there is a list of 10 skills that will be developed

in the course including curiosity & inquiry, critical reflection, and stretching

your comfort zone. I chose to list these three because I feel like the course

helped me with them more than the others.

Curiosity and Inquiry are the focus topics of UWRT 1102. The class is

based around developing a research project, which is designed to help

students develop their curiosity. Before the class I was already a curious

person but through the class I learned how to do more careful research. I also

learned how to conduct research through scholarly sources. Critical reflection

Is another topic I learned through this class. Before taking UWRT I did not

understand the value of reflection upon my work. I never learned from it and

I would continue to make the same mistakes in other writing assignments.

When being made to write reflections on my work I realized how important

self-reflection is. The class also helped me to stretch my comfort zone. I am

typically a very reserved person but the peer workshops dont allow you to

be reserved. Talking to people I dont really know about my work used to

make me very uncomfortable but I am becoming more comfortable with it by

doing these peer workshops.

Editing and revision are also important concepts in this class. A draft of

each major writing assignment was due early to allow for revision. Whoever
 Grayson Ward
Final portfolio essay

workshopped the draft left helpful comments to guide the writer in the

editing process. I found this very helpful because I rarely get a second

opinion on my work. I would look at my work and proofread it but not truly

revise it. I learned that revision changes the content of the work and

proofreading just fixes errors. A combination of the two should be used to

create the best work possible.

Overall I have Improved upon my writing skills by taking the UWRT

classes. As an engineering student, I will have many writing assignments in

the future and the skills I learned through this class will apply to these

assignments.