I really didn’t think I’d learn anything much in Writing 150 when I learned at the beginning of the year I’d have to take it. By the turn of the semester and my actual enrolling, I was hoping it could help me write an analytical paper. I’ve never really had to do that before college, and my comparative literature class required almost exclusively that. Frankly, I was desperate.
And the class helped me figure out how to organize such a paper. I never thought about establishing my authority and ethical appeal. I also hadn’t realized what fun a writing class could be. The stories, the joking examples, the random movie clips. Even some of the assignments were a surprise. A blog? I hadn’t ever considered having one—I only got a Facebook account in October, so the blog was on my never touch list. Now I know how to follow one and how to create one. Course, that running assignment was also a source of hair tearing out—for more than one reason—but it was still exciting to have a blog and finally being in the internet social conversation.
But the biggest surprise that I learned was that I tend to ramble when I type. My thoughts always lead to me adding words that aren’t needed, or simply repeat what I just said. I also learned that, while I usually can whip out a perfect copy if the paper is a story, when it is an analytical or research essay I need to write multiple drafts and cut parts as well as add them. Honestly, I never had to do that. I’ve also been raised being told my way of writing (with no prewriting stage but going straight to drafting) was wrong and I had to “at least do the outline.”
Now I know that I don’t have to do it that way. My way is just as good—it’s how my brain functions, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s so nice to know that now. I can be myself when I write! That’s probably my best lesson.
