I began my first semester of my Freshman year a blinding unchanneled light. I struggled initially because my conceptual eagerness overshadowed my basic writing skills. I promptly learned that the complexity of an argument does not matter if you do not employ proper writing techniques. Simply put, in my first few months, I discovered how truly flawed my writing was. The process of tearing down my writing confidence instilled a sense of humility in me unlike anything I have ever known.
At the closure of my first semester, I see myself as a light in the process of being concentrated. This first semester of college has served to focus my attention on improving and developing my writing. The result, is a simplified and matured version of my former self.
I have reworked the very approach that I take to writing. Instead of showcasing the extremes of my vocabulary, I now work to simplify and perfect my sentence structures. Throughout this semester, I have learned that in the writing process, less is more.
Rather than pumping out essays with complex theses, and lackluster follow through- I now work to produce solid, well rounded pieces of writing. I specifically worked to make my writing into something more relatable to my audience. I have learned to use ordinary language to communicate extraordinary ideas. At the start of this class, the professor promised to expose us to a variety of literary styles and to teach us the basics of rhetoric. This promise was surely delivered upon.
Never before had I been exposed to such foundational level teaching.
Unlike other professors, Dr. Williams assumed that her students knew nothing. She worked from the foundational level of literature and composition before allowing us to embark on individualistic approaches. This ‘bottom-up’ mindset is one that I think will help me over my next few years at Howard University. Freshman Composition has taught me to look first to the foundation of study, before moving onwards. Simple as this concept may be, it had never before been something I practiced. I plan to apply the teachings of this course to all of my future classes.
A Self Reflection at the End of the Freshman Composition Course. (2021, Dec 21). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/a-self-reflection-at-the-end-of-the-freshman-composition-course/