Final Reflection

I have never struggled with writing in my academic career. Though that might not seem
so obvious to my peers or my professor, it has always been something that came naturally, as
long as proper planning was conducted. The easiest way for me to elucidate that concept is to
relate it to the quote that was used to introduce our problem-solving projects to the class. It was a
quote from Einstein, and it went along the lines of if I had an hour to solve a problem, I would
spend 55 minutes thinking about the question, and 5 minutes solving the problem. That is
obviously not the direct quote, and likely not even close. However, I went about my writing in
this same fashion. With each topic, all my energy was spent understanding what I wanted to say,
and how I wanted to explain that to my audience. After I had decided what path I would take, the
rest was simply manual labor. I feel I have an above average vocabulary- or at the very least,
possess the ability to string together words in an efficient manner. The assignments I completed
for this class were a labor. However the time spent coming to understand what I wanted to
convey was my true expense for this class.
What I considered to be the most intriguing project we were assigned for the semester,
was the problem-based project. For whatever reason, I was assigned the topic of Finances,
despite my complete lack of interest in researching that subject. Why I chose to research the
details of free college tuition, I have no idea. However instead of choosing an easier, simpler
question, I bit the bullet and began researching. That decision paid off for me, I feel. I exited that
research with a different opinion and view point of a current event in the world. To say a writing
class changed my perspective on anything would be to bold of a statement to make. However,
this specific assignment taught me the value of researching current events, and educating myself
on issues that are relevant to my life.
The narrative on learning project was the assignment which I considered the most
frustrating. The initial idea of it was too narrate a time when I had learned something in my life.
Being stubborn, I didnt accept the idea that the action of learning took place in a single space in
time. I felt strongly that learning is not an event, but a process. How could I be asked to make a
story out of a process? This was confusing initially, and to an extent, still is. However, I realized
that creating a narrative or story is a process, much like learning. There are steps and thresholds
from which I would pass from idea to idea.
As a writer, I do not feel like I have made any leaps in skill, or style. I am perfectly okay
with that. Being only 18 years old, the majority of my writings have been for solely academic
purposes. Ive dabbled in freelance writing, however felt unfulfilled when I was unsatisfied with
my work. This class gave me the opportunity to write often. Though this was stressful initially,
because of my incredibly tight schedule, I found it beneficial to me in the long run. UWRT 1103
was my only General Education class this semester. Amongst 14 other music-centered classes,
this class was my only one which held absolutely no relevance to my major. The typical college
student with a business, or communication major, might have found this obnoxious or
frustrating. Without a doubt, this situation was frustrating for myself as well. However amongst
the dozens of concerts, rehearsals, and practice sessions I was required to participate in during
my week, the homework assignments from this class were actually somewhat of a getaway from

the monotony of music making. How ironic that writing assignments would be an escape from
music making? Though I was frustrated by what I sometimes considered ridiculous assignments,
I still value the opportunity to participate and focus on something that was not aural.
If I were to take this class a second time, I would do so with a different end goal.
Provided the circumstances were right, and I had more time on my hands to focus on general
education classes, I would like to focus more on the way I craft literature. Im comfortable with
the way I present ideas, however there is a clear difference between someone who writes because
they have too, and someone who writes to create an image of their ideas. This concept reminds
me of a quote I saw recently- from a review of a concert I was in myself- Beauty in the
European sense has always had a premeditated quality to itThe beauty of New York rests on a
completely different base. Its unintentional. The papers I wrote for grades are similar to the
beauty of European art- it is premeditated. Though it is organic, it lacks that spark of something
unique. If I had the time, and the ability to dedicate myself to the purpose, I would like to learn
how to write artistically, instead of in a forced manner.
As this is a reflection of the works I have completed this semester, I need to elaborate
upon the processes I used to finish assignments. The incident that jumps out the most for me, is
the way my question changed in the problem-based project. As Ive mentioned multiple times in
this portfolio, my initial question being Why can European countries offer free college tuition
while the United States cant eventually morphed into a statement of These are the reasons
why Americans should not advocate for free public tuition. The difference in my perspective
can be seen in my draft and my final version. From my draft, a direct quote:
My initial thought is that free public college works in other countries because they are smaller
and therefore have smaller populations, making it easy for tax payers to make free public college
available. I also think that it wont work in the United States, because in the current generation, it
is a common conception that everyone should go to college, and this was not the case for past
generations.
Now to contrast that, a quote from my final presentation on my problem:
If college tuition were to be eliminated, it would open a floodgate for almost all capable
members of society to attend college and receive a higher education. On the surface level, this
seems wonderful and as if it were the answer to our countrys problem of it being difficult to earn
a job without a college degree. However, from my research, and of my own opinion, I have
found that eliminating college tuition is not the answer to the problem of creating a better
functioning and educated society.
I used this specific example of a change in stance because it stood out to me the most, in review
of the papers I wrote for this class. It is not alone however, as there was a great many revision
made in my papers, often times occurring after a peer would read my work.
To be as effective as possible with my reflection, I will now list the course goals, or
practices, as outlined by the course description presented to us at the beginning of the semester:

Develop strategies for detailed planning of a writing situation

Develop a clarity of meaningful purpose in a writing situation
Develop strategies for useful revision
Practice using different genres that deepen understanding and
expression for writer and audience
Develop practices for connecting previous knowledge and
experiences to new situations
Develop and practice skills of information literacy
Create finished documents and hone an ability to analyze the
strengths and weaknesses of those documents
Develop skills for competencies needed for success as a student
and citizen

In some way or fashion, I am confident I have improved at least some in each of the
course descriptions goals. Do I feel that I have made great leaps and bounds as a writer? No, not
truthfully. But I do feel now that I have a more secure plan for writing papers and now have more
experience writing papers in a serious academic setting. There will always be room for
improvement, and as I stated earlier, I would like to achieve a different, more artistic style of
writing.

Projection:
As I move onward with my college career, my goals are what I would consider standard. I aspire
to maintain a GPA above a 3.0, and strive for a 4.0 semester. In relation to my experience with
this class, I would like to continue to write. I have written for my own purposes for a long time,
as a sense of expression and venting. As Ive grown and matured, the amount of writing that I do
for myself has decreased greatly. When I find myself in times of self-doubt, or crippling stress, I
hope that I will remember the release that inward expression can provide.

Self-Assessment:

If I were to assign myself a grade for my ePortfolio, I would give myself an 85. It lacks some
required content, however I feel what is present is quality work, and deserving of a grade that is
at the very least, a B. For my final grade in the class, I still find myself deserving of at least a B
grade, likely somewhere in the low 80s range. As much of a plea for mercy as this sounds, and
as little as it might mean to you, I truly am a good student, and do work very hard. I have missed
many meals and slept very little over the course of this semester. My schedule is by no means
easy- I am registered for 14 different classes, and participate in 4 very different music ensembles.
To further prove that my schedule is tight, the music department doesnt even allow music
majors to register for more than 3 music ensembles. However, because I am a percussionist, and
because the percussion studio at this university is so exclusive, I am needed in 4 different

ensembles. Whether or not I should be graded subjectively or objectively is completely and

obviously- at your discretion. Regardless, there are assignments in the grade book which I did
not complete, or did not turn in on time. However what I did complete and labor for, I did so
earnestly, and I feel that is worthy of some merit.