For Writing and Rhetoric, I got to use the skills I learned in this class for my other classes. We had about four to five major assignments that taught us how to properly argue a point, how to research effectively, and even how to write a speech. I combined all those skills to write a paper for my anthropology class. It was an interview report that required me to write a speech based on the differences of the person I was interviewing, to argue on those differences with them, then I had to research why those differences were so influential in my subject’s upbringing. This helped me pass my anthropology class, because I was definitely struggling.

   Within the class, we would often have draft deadlines and finalized paper deadlines. This promoted a change in the way I schedule my work schedule and enabled me to have a lot of time to complete the task assigned. I began giving myself my own deadlines to get other assignments outside of English done with the same amount of time and care that I got to give my papers within my English class. One takeaway from ENG170 is that it takes time to write a good paper, and a lot of time to write an excellent paper. It helped me realize rushing through things only hurts my grade. I wish we had covered more about different types of speeches, when they should be used, and how to address different audiences for those types of speeches. In our speech assignment, there was a part II where we got a chance to analyze and explain our own work. This part of the essay helped me realize by sitting back and just reading my paper as an outsider rather than the author makes my work better. It helps me understand the way I write better as I would always rush to get the assignment turned in once I was done. 

   Another example of my writing strategies changing was the process of writing the research paper. I have never written an annotated bibliography before and was able to layer my understanding of my research topic and have an easier time of writing my essay. This has been extremely valuable to me because it allows me to write out the steps of the assignment before even writing, giving me time to have a plan. Now after having taken ENG160 and ENG170, I feel as if I’m a stronger writer than before I came to college. I have more patience while writing, and I’m more thorough in my preparation and research for all my papers. I do feel that I still have a lot to learn in terms of organization and how to write a conclusion, but I have 6 more semesters to learn those skills gradually and apply them to my life.