JusticeDumlao

Writing2
9June2016
Thinkception
Wowohwow,whatajourneythisquarterhasbeen.Iwasdreadinghavingtotakethis
classbecauseeveryonewhomIhadspokentotoldmethatitwascringeworthy.Idefinitelyhave
nothadtheeasiesttimeinthisclassduetotheintenseconvergenceofvaryingintersectionsin
mylife,whichhassadlyhadaverydetrimentalimpactonmyperformanceinallmyclasses,
howeverthisdoesnotnegatethefactthatIhavegrownalotinthispastquarterandIhavedone
alotofthatgrowthintheareasofwriting,mostlyintermsofthewaythatIthinkaboutwriting
andhowitisliterallyeverywhere,aswellasandnotasmuchintheactualwritingpart.
StartingoutthisquarterIhadverylittleconfidenceinmywritingskills,inhighschoolI
alwaysreallyenjoyedtheenglishclassesIhadbutIalsoneverdidreallywellinthem.SO,we
getintothefirstdayofclassanditisprettyawkward,asthebeginningofclassesusuallyare.
Howevertheclassquicklyturnedaroundaswegottolearnabunchofcoolfactsaboutyouand
thefungroupintroductionactivity.WereadthesyllabusandIsawthattherewasdefinitelyalot
ofworktobedoneforthisclass.InmyheadIthought,Okaywow,thisisalot,butIhavereally
beenwantingtoworkonmywritingskillssoIamdefinitelygonnatrymybesttouseeach
assignmentasawaytofurthermywritingskills,(whatagoodthoughtright?!).Thenwestarted
togetintothemoreeducationalstuff,talkingaboutwhatgenreandhowprettymucheverything
wehadlearnedaboutitwasa
lie
(Whichhasturnedouttobemoretrueinmoresubjectsthan
thisone).Thisideaofgenreasaconceptthatcanbeappliedtolotsofthingshasreallybeen

whathasspurredmostofmyintellectualthought.Iexploredthismoreabstractideaofgenrein
myPB1aontexts.IndoingthisassignmentIwasfullyabletothinkaboutgenremoreabstractly
andIthoughtabouthowgenresfollowpatternsandhaverulesthattheymustfollowinorderto
beconsideredasapartofthatgenre.Itwasquitefunactuallytolookattextmessagesfromsuch
adifferentperspective,doingthatshowedmehowprettymucheverythingcanbelookedatfrom
anacademicperspective.
Ourfirstbigassignmentcameprettyfast,andbecauseIamsodamnindecisiveittookme
forevertofindsomethingthatwasinterestingenough,yetalsohadenoughcontenttobeableto
writeanentirepaperaboutit.IendedupthechoosingUCSBpoliticalcandidatestatements
becauseIa)amoneofthosestrangepeoplewhoreallyenjoypoliticaldiscourseandb)hadnot
beenreadingupontheUCSBpoliticstoomuchatthetimesoIfiguredthatifIwasgoingtodo
anassignmentofmychoosingImightaswellknockouttwobirdswithonestone.Writingthis
projectreallyshowedmehowgenrefunctionsinthisabstractwaybecauseIgottoreallydissect
eachandeverypartofthesestatementsandfigureoutwhyeachofthosecandidateschosetosay
things.IrealizedlaterthatImayhavegottenalittletooexcitedaboutanalyzingthosestatements
andIwrotefarfartoomuch.Thepaperdidnotgetthebestofgrades,whichIwaskinda
expecting,butitshowedmethatIreallyamgettinganunderstandingofhowconventions,
rhetoricalfeatures,andgenreswork.WhenIrevisedmyWP1Ididaninsaneamountofcutting,
whichwasactuallyaverypositiveprocessformebecausewhenIwriteIfeellikeeverything
thatIputonthepaperisimportantandthishelpedmetorealizethatisdefinitelynottrue.Soin
mymindWP1wasasuccessbecauseIgottolearnallaboutthepoliticalcandidatesforour

(then)upcomingelectionsandIdiscoveredthatIwasactuallylearningthethingswhichis
alwaysaveryexcitingmoment.
AfterWP1wejumpedrightintothissuperstrangeconceptsofmoves.AllIcan
rememberfromfirstlearningaboutthatiswewatchedsomeprettyradicalideasofDwaynethe
RockJohnsondoingsomeliteralcoolmovesinWWE.Iwashonestlyprettyconfusedand
almostangryatthisideaofmoveswhenwewerefirstlearningaboutitbecauseitwasfartoo
vagueandIcouldnotgraspwhatthehellitmeant.Thenaftersomeintrospection(bysomeI
meanmanyhours)IrealizedthatIwasonlymadatthisconceptofmovesbecauseIcouldnot
graspit.IusuallygetthingsprettyquicklyandifIdonotthensomehardworkandrealmental
grindingwillhelpmeelucidatewhateveritisthatIwasconfusedabout.Becausethisconcept
tookaverylongtimeformetoget(coupledays)Ibecameupset,butIrealizedthatbeingmad
wouldnothelpmeaccomplishanything.InfactIpostulatedthatitwouldactuallyholdmeback
frombeingabletoprogressfurtheratall.IletmyguarddownandthenbythegraceofthegodsI
wasabletofinallyrealizethatIdonothavetohaveaconcreteideaofwhatmovesareIjust
havetoknowthattheyareafeature(Irefrainedfromusingthingthere)ofwritingthatcan
onlybeexplainedforthespecificsituation.AfterfinallyunderstandingthesemovesIcould
moveonwithmylifeandstartdoingWP2.
IreallyenjoyedthetopicthatIchoose(onlytookforevertopick)forWP2becauseithad
lotsofrelevancetocurrenteventsandbecauseitwasverysocialjusticeoriented,andIamall
aboutjustice(punintended).Ithinkthatenjoyingthistopicwasa
huge
bonus,butitwasalso
kindofhardforthetofocusonthewritingpartofthepaperbecauseallIwantedtodowaswrite
aboutsocialjusticestuff,butthatwasdefinitelynottherighttimeforthat.Ihaverealizedthat

myWP2was(very)average.IndoingthisrevisionIrealizedthatwastruebecauseofmyterrible
thesisandmyalsoterriblestructure(WhichalsohappenedtobethetwoareaswhichIgot
markedlowestontherevisionmatrix).IfIhaveaterriblethesisthenprettymucheverythingelse
canonlybemediocrebecausemyargumentswillnotfollowanyactualformtheywilljustbe
kindofrandomthingsthatarebeingsaidhereandthere,whichiswhatitsoundedlike.I
struggled)alotwithtryingtomakemyargumenthavehigherstakesandIhavebeengettingalot
betteratitrecently,butIthinkwhatthrewmeoffwasthatthispapertopicwasfairlydifficultto,
asmyteachersusedtosay,takeastanceon.IfthiswereapaperaboutasocialissuethenI
couldabsolutelyhaveaverystronglywordedargument,butIjustdonotknowhowtohavean
argumentaboutwriting.InrevisingmyWP2Ifinallyfiguredouthowtoseparatemyinsanely
massiveparagraphssothatthereaderdoesnotdrowninthewords.IhonestlythinkthatImight
havegoneoverboardwithit,butitisastart,right?
DamnandthenjustlikethatWP2wasgoneandthenWP3knockingatthedoor.WP3
waswithoutadoubtmyfavoriteassignmentallquarter.Ireallylikedhowtheassignment
incorporatedALLofthethingswehadbeenlearningthroughoutthequarter.Ithinkthatfartoo
oftenmyclasseskindajustendthequarterabruptlyandveryrushed.Ifeltverygoodaboutmy
WP3becauseIfeltthatIwasabletoincorporatemoves,conventions,andgenrewhilecreating
productsthatIthoughtwerefunandquirky.Iprobablyenjoyeditthemostbecauseoftheslight
artisticelementwaspresent.IactuallyjusthadanepiphanyasIwrotethat.
IjustrealizedthatinorderformetotakewritingmoreseriouslyandenjoyitmoreIneed
toseeitasmoreofanartform.Seeingwritingasanartformwillbeincrediblyeasybecause
nowIcanseeartasamorenuancedideabecauseofthewaywehavebeentalkingabout

nuancedtopicsallquarter.Italsomakesensebecauseoftheconceptsofmovesandhowinart
formslikepainting,movesareveryeasytodistinguishbecausetheyarevisible.Inwritingthey
arenotasovert,buttheydefinitelystillhavethesameeffecttotheaudiencethatanartpiece
would.ThishonestlyjustchangedmywholeperspectiveonwritingandIamsuperexcitedtobe
donewithacademicwritingandjustworkonmyproseandpoetryforthesummer.Anyways,I
digress.
Therehasbeenalotofstrugglesformethisquarter,andthatpreventedmefromreally
beingabletodomybestintheclass,whichyesisabummer,butthatdoesnotmeantheclass
wasalossforme.Iknowwhatstepsandtools(allthoseniftywritingtipsandwhatnot)touse
onmyownthatwillhelpmetoenhancemywriting.IvedonethehardestpartwhichIbelieveis
changingyourthinking,andnowallIvegottodo(lolsayingitlikeitseasy)isputitthe
practicetogetmywritingtoreflectthat.
SoIamnotsureifyousawthisalready,butIdefinitelywannamakesureyouseeit,even
ifthatmeanstellingonmyselfthatIturnedthisinsuperlate.Ireallydoappreciateeverything
thatyouhavedoneforourclassandIwanttoespeciallythankyouforthatemailyousentme
awhilebackinresponsetooneofmythlogs.

Iamafullblownmessandhavebeenupfor48+hoursnow,sosurprise,my
metacognitivepaperisnotdoneyet.IwillbedoneverysoonandIamnotsureifyou
willevenreadthisbutIwanttothankyouforbeingtoextremelyunderstandingwithmy
egregiouslackoftimelinessthisquarter.IthasbeenareallyroughoneformeandI
definitelyprocrastinateallthetime,butIwouldusuallyneverturninthingslate(hardto

believeIknow).Sothanksagainforbeingsounderstanding,Iknowmyactionsdonot
comewithoutconsequences,butIwanttomakesureyouknowthatIamthankfulfor
acceptingtheworkthatIhaveturnedinlatebecauseyoudefinitelyneverhadto.(I
totallyunderstandifyougivemea0onthis).