Chad Creutz Mr. Harrell English Composition I 06 Dec.

2013 Composition Reflection Looking back over this semester in Composition 111, it is difficult for me to discern what I have actually learned. I really cannot say for sure that my writing style is any different now than it was going into the semester. My writing process really hasnt changed much. There were some aspects of writing that I learned or became more familiar with, such as using block quotes and how to properly use and set-up a thesis statement, but most of what was covered in this semester I was either already familiar with or would accomplish at least at an innate level. What this semester did do, however, was to allow me to further analyze my own writing. When I write, it is all based off of what sounds good in my own head. Now I can discern why it sounds good. I can now determine what audience the paper is meant for and how quotes and paraphrases incorporate another voice into the paper. Being able to analyze my own writing has also helped me to be able to analyze others writing as well. Ultimately, while I may not have learned much in terms of how I write a paper, I can now more effectively analyze my writing. The most important thing I did learn this semester was about thesis statements. Throughout high school no teacher ever taught what thesis statements are or how important they can be. Whether they didnt feel it was important or it simply wasnt on their curriculum, it left my papers lacking. I found it much more difficult to create a clear and set purpose for my papers.

I would often find my papers wandering from thought to thought leaving the reader confused as to the point I was trying to make. Since learning about thesis statements and their applications, I am able to establish a much clearer purpose and focus. An example of this is in my analytical paper, Higher Learning, in which I used evidence from The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinners Semester at Americas Holiest University to determine the benefits of attending a liberal university versus the benefits of a strict, conservative university. I wrote, Ultimately, while both conservative and liberal forms of education share many of the same benefits as any moderate form of higher learning, each method has benefits unique to itself; therefore it is up to the students to choose the school which best fits their needs. Here, I was able to clearly state the purpose of my writing and establish the direction my paper was heading. It also allowed me to better tie my paper together and not appear sporadic and undefined. I am now able to simply refer back to my thesis if I am unsure of what to write about or what I am trying to say. Using a proper thesis also helps the transition from the introduction to the body of the paper; a process I have always had difficulty with. Writing with an audience in mind is one of the aspects that came much more naturally to me without any instruction. If I were to write a professional paper I would write it to sound professional. If I were to write a story for children I would write it in such a way as to make sense and appeal to children. This all came very naturally to me and I never really had to take time to think about what I was going to say or what type of language to use. Even when writing about subjects I knew most people wouldnt understand, I still instinctively knew that additional information was needed to clear up potential confusion. An example of this was in my personal essay, Happy Birthday, Baby. I wrote:

The fifteen minute bus ride out to post was quiet as everyone was far too tired to waste what little energy they had on talking. Upon arrival we got to play the game of changeover. The rules of the game were simple: the off-going shift would try to screw over the on-coming shift by hiding what new things went wrong with the vehicle and the oncoming shift would try to discover these things so that they wouldnt be held responsible. Here, I knew that most people would have no idea what change-over was or what it meant so I knew I had to find a way to further explain it. As this was the first major essay of the semester, I didnt consciously know that I was writing with a specific audience in mind but now I am able to go back and analyze that that is what I did. The use of quotes and paraphrasing is something I have always been comfortable with using and knew how to use properly but I wasnt aware of all the effects it could have on a paper. I had already known how adding another voice to my writing helps to include a different point of view and add validity to a point being made but I didnt realize the overall effect it could have. In my profile essay I was able to use direct quotations in order to get the reader much more acquainted with the subject of my paper. An example of this is when I wrote: Although Bill dropping out of school so young didnt surprise me, I was left wondering what a boy of only about twelve years would do in a place like Chicago in the late 1920s. Bill went on to explain: Times were tough back then so to help make a little bit of money, I started working on cars for a couple different mechanics whenever they needed a little extra help. Ive always been good with cars. It all just came natural. The mechanics loved having me around too; mostly because I made them look good. I

loved doing it and it certainly helped put food on the table. I was able to get those cars running pretty fast too. This eventually caught the attention of a couple of Capones guys up before Capone got himself sent to Alcatraz. That was really cool. A lot of people used to admire them back then and I was one of them. There were a lot of people back then doing everything they could to just get by and still going hungry. Then there were these guys walking around in nice suits, driving nice cars, smoking nice cigars; who wouldnt want to be like that. In fact, because of that, I started teaching myself how to drive. I got pretty good at that too. But Ill tell you about that in a bit. Watching Bill talk about this era of his life, I could see the pride welling up. Here I was able to tell Bills story in his own words allowing for a deeper connection with the reader. Although my writing process didnt change all that much, the skills I have learned will still help me to become a better writer. I can now better analyze my own writing as well as that of others. This will help me to be able to look back over a paper I have written and better determine how I might make it better. I will be able to determine if my paper is directed towards the correct audience, I will be able to ensure my paper is supportive of my thesis, and I will be able to better determine where quotes and paraphrasing should or should not be used.