The University Writing Program at Davis is, at its core, a class that looks at language as

a whole, and the processes that go into effectively translating thoughts into words. This essay
will describe what UWP has done for me, how it has changed the way I write, and what I have
learned from our two main writing projects, the research paper and the genre essay.

In this class we have uncovered the meanings of rhetorical knowledge, knowledge of

conventions, research, processes, and metacognition. Our two main projects were a research
paper and a genre paper. Obviously the purpose of the two are very different. For one it was to
inform and teach others what I had discovered through research. For the genre, however, my
purpose was to paint a picture of a meaningful day. My goal was to make others feel what I felt
though descriptive words and images. They both shared a purpose in trying to convince the
reader that my findings and experiences are meaningful, but because of existing conventions
within each genre, I had to approach these persuasions in two very different manners. For
research papers I had to present facts from which I would build my argument. Research papers
have a very logical style, and I titled different sections to clearly outline my argument and train of
thought. However, it would be awkward and chunky to do this in a narrative. For the narrative I
used descriptive words to pull the audience in. I did not reveal the subject of the paper until half
way through my writing, as I wanted the unfolding of the subject to part of the experience. One
particular challenge was bridging the gap between my own writing style and the discourse
surrounding research papers. Learning to research, introduce quotes, and cite sources while
also trying to maintain flow in my essay was difficult. By analyzing primary and secondary
sources I was able to get a better understanding of the conventions and apply it to my own
research. A major portion of the process of writing in this course was revision, and it was
required for us to change entire ideas in each revision. For the research paper this was useful
because I was aware in my first draft that my ideas were scattered and unorganized, and this
was an extra reminder to work on my paper. It mainly allowed me to become aware that the
audience I was targeting was not as informed with our evolutionary past as I was, and that I
needed to explain our evolution in a way everyone could understand. For the narrative, I was
very pleased with my first draft and did not want to change anything, nor would I had it not been
a requirement. It was an interesting and uncomfortable situation because since it was a
narrative I could not simply change the story, and instead I was forced to reflect on the rhetorical
choices I made. As a result, I changed perspectives, I changed tones, and I even tweaked my
audience. This requirement caused me to truly understand the different effects different
rhetorical strategies have on a paper. Each cover letter was another force that helped me see
where I was at and became a useful tool in creating a second draft.

Throughout this class, mainly through the creation of cover letters, I was able to find my
strengths and weaknesses in writing. One of my biggest weaknesses is my sentences tend to
get very wordy. I have trouble being concise and I will throw in a lot of unnecessary words and
phrases into my essays. Furthermore, through the composition of cover letters and our time
spent studying writing, I have realized that I often begin to write before I have a clear idea on
what my purpose and goals are. For me, getting my scattered thoughts down on paper is the
first step in forming my opinion. However this often leaves me with only jumbled thoughts to
work with. Through our continuous revision and through myself continually revising others I
have learned how to cut down my cluttered descriptions. The more revisions we did the more I
began to truly understand how I think. My strengths lie in the revision processes and also
choosing topics I am passionate about. I’ve also realized I am good at revising other papers,
even more so than I am revising my own.

If I had more time I would continue to work on both projects. With midterms, quizzes, lab
practicals, and finals in my other subjects I cannot spend as much time as I would like on the
revision processes, and sadly there is a due date. For my research paper I would, first and
foremost, conduct more research and continue to explore my ideas. I would ask Biology and
Evolution and Ecology professors what it means to be male and female in the scientific world. I
would conduct polls on what my peers believe to be the general rules of both males and
females. I would gather more information and continue to revise my essay for a clear and
concise paper. I would continue to research well renowned Feminists, such as Judith Butler,
have to say and also continue to research the brain, and how it functions. If would also spend
more time taking the edits given to me into account. For my narrative I would continue to
explore the best way to portray my thoughts and feelings. I would ask peers which perspective
they liked better and which brought my emotions and experiences to life.

The writing skills I have learned in UWP but more importantly the way I have learned to
look at language, knowledge, and groups of people can be applied to my future. Much of this
class was structured around discourse and what it means to be in different discourses. I have
learned that my discourse speaks through my writing and that I see the world through it. One’s
discourse dictates how they think and how they interpret the world, and when you read
another's writing, or try to understand another's argument, you must take into account their
discourse and become aware of your own. Our writings and exercises have made me more
aware of the world around me and of the people around me; of what makes us the same and
what makes us different. All of this can be applied anywhere from job interviews to conducting
research to my day to day conversations. I now have knowledge that allows me to situate
myself in different positions and adjust myself accordingly. As a scientist I can and will take the
skills learned in writing a research paper. In the near future I plan to be conducting my own
research, and the knowledge I have gained in this class will be extremely helpful. UWP 1 has
given me many tools to be successful in my future.