Ah Sue 1

Jeremy Ah Sue
Christopher Blankenship
English 1010
6 August, 2016
Semester Reflection
I have learned several different principles and practices that have helped improve my writing.
During the three major projects, I was given the opportunity to revise them after receiving feedback
from the instructor, which helped not only point out the weak points in the paper, but learn how to fix
them. I also learned valuable analysis skills that help me make observations of other people's works,
and comment intelligently on the use of rhetoric and its efficiency. With these newfound analysis skills,
I am able to apply things into my own writing that will make for a strong, well-developed piece of
writing.
Throughout High School I never got the highest possible grade on an essay. I was an A student
for the most part, but when it came to a writing I was never able to create something that my instructor
would consider excellent. During this course, if and when we turned in a report that fell short of an
'Exceptional' grade, we were given feedback, and the opportunity to make the changes. Unlike in High
School, I was able to see my weaknesses and fix them. Issues and bad habits that had been perpetuated
throughout my High School career were finally pointed out and addressed. This has already had
profound effects on me as a writer, which is apparent in the grades I received throughout this eight
week course. The first major project I received a 'Needs Revision' grade, which after several support
visits and revisions, I was able to move up to an 'Exceptional' evaluation. The second project I wrote
received a 'Satisfactory' evaluation, and after a rewrite and support visit, moved up to an 'Exceptional'.
The final project I turned in received an 'Exceptional' evaluation the first time I turned it in. Through
only an eight week period I was able to learn how to better follow a rubric, create a cohesive essay, and

Ah Sue 2
write my ideas in a way that was easy to read and follow.
The single most valuable thing I learned in this course is a true understanding of what rhetoric
is, and how it is used in daily life. To be an effective writer, one does not start thinking immediately
about the best opening hook, or even the best reasons or facts to share. A successful writer first looks at
his rhetorical situation: who is the intended audience, and what is the purpose of the piece of writing.
Armed with this knowledge, a writer can craft information in a way that makes the greatest impact
amount the intended audience. This is a skill that I hope to continue to hone, because relaying
information efficiently in varying situations is a skill that can be very valuable in one's life, both in the
personal and professional sense.
In this course I did not learn a whole lot about literature , or study vocabulary words, or go over
in detail what a correct sentence was. These skills are important, but secondary to being a successful
writer. One must know how to adjust language, tone, level of formality and reason to appeal to and
intrigue the audience your work will reach. Knowing this, I will be more capable of using rhetoric not
only in writing, but in almost any human communication I take part in.