English Final reflection

Aidan Ward

English 170

Heather Christy-Robinson

5/3/24

 

Dear reader,

Heading into English 170, I considered myself an adept writer, having done numerous comprehensive research projects in years past. I came into the class with a personal goal of learning as much as I could on a specific topic, aiming to create a paper with more depth than I had in the past. I believe I largely accomplished this with my research project, delving into the science and political implications of depleting levels of groundwater seen across the world. Although I don’t believe it is my best work, as the writing aspect fell short, I found the process of researching to be incredibly enjoyable. Throughout the process, I tumbled down numerous rabbit-holes, garnering a more nuanced perspective on the intricate process of groundwater depletion, while investigating the resulting conflicts and their respective geopolitical implications. I believe the writing and rhetoric lessons throughout the course assisted me most in facilitating a cohesive and coherent narrative through my research paper, clearly conveying the topics in a digestible manner. These lessons carried over into my other courses, as I continue to engage in discourse communities that value articulating cohesive perspectives, being able to convey these ideas appropriately is incredibly valuable. The continuous development in my conceptual understanding of the English language has proven valuable in all my writings, specifically as I write cover letters for internship applications, making me self-assured in my ability to advocate for my own perspective to potential employers. This growth largely took place during the review portion of my draft, developing alternative insights on rhetoric theory and narrative development. Furthermore, the research skills developed during the initial paper proved useful in the creation of the multi-modal proposal alongside my own independent research projects.

In reference to writing strategies developed, many of them carried over from English 160, which I took last semester. These strategies, as developed and documented in my previous Hawksite continue to assist in my collegiate level writings. More directly, my participation in this class has continued to directly impact the way I annotate text as I research, consolidating complex concepts in concise summaries to develop my knowledge and streamline the research process. Furthermore, the practice in developing a research outline prior to engaging in the research itself proved incredibly useful in my other research endeavors. This tangible improvement is likely caused by the strides in Metacognition I have undergone whilst studying under the direct tutelage of Professor Heather Christy-Robinson (Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing (2011)). Furthermore, this improvement can largely be attributed to the textbook readings (Lunsford) undergone throughout the semester, with the book acting as a seminal text I have embodied throughout my literary works.

Through this guidance, I believe I have improved in several ways. Firstly, this improvement has manifested in an improvement in overall tone. As I have learned to write in other, diverse styles, my ability to convey tones (sarcasm, ambivalence, etc) has drastically improved. By working with these different mediums and improving my tone, I can convey my opinions more directly into my writing. Alongside this improvement in tone, I have witnessed a slight decrease in clarity, as certain course requirements seem monotonous and inefficient. More specifically, the course hasn’t inhibited my ability to be concise or clear, but instead has inspired me to integrate a more spontaneous and jubilant lexicon to elucidate the larger grandeur of my machinations.

Upon completion of this course, I feel prepared for all college writing situations. Although the mediums involved didn’t entirely pertain to my career aspirations, the guidance provided has improved my writing in numerous avenues that I’m sure will pay dividends throughout my future. This course has allowed me to feel confident in my research practices, facilitating a mindset that allows me to utilize appropriate research methods with adequate execution. This notion is exemplified by my research paper (Aidan Ward – English 170, 2024). The largest struggle regarding these research practices would have to be conveying complex sentiments and ecological processes in simple, concise paragraph. As mentioned earlier, this skill was largely utilized throughout the research phase of the class, and as is the case with the utilization of any skill, continued use lends to improvement. These research processes were not particularly confusing, as all were covered in relative depth by my high school writing courses. Furthermore, the in-person library instructional session also proved to be an inefficient use of time, as it was entirely review. This is as to be expected, as an ENG160 graduate, much of the course content overlapped.

Thank you for your time.

 

Best,

Aidan Ward

 

 

 

 

Works Cited:

Aidan Ward – English 170. hawksites.newpaltz.edu/awardeng170.

Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing (2011). wpacouncil.org/aws/cwpa/pt/sd/news_article/242845/_parent/layout_details/false.

Lunsford, Andrea A. Everyone’s an Author. W. W. Norton, 2012.