I believe that I have made substantial progress over the course of this semester.

After

taking a variety of courses in high school, mostly AP and honors level english courses, I was

taught a very strict way to write on pre-selected topics, mostly centralized around literature or a

variety of written works. Despite taking two years of Honors Creative writing, I locked in my

habit of writing about pre-selected topics in the correct and expected matter.

In this course, English level 100, I was able to explore who I am as I writer and what

I was triggered to write about. Each assignment assisted me to discover more about myself as a

writer as they each presented their own challenges. From a general standpoint, I at first found it

difficult, with so many discourses I maintained, and experiences I nurtured, it was not easy to

select a topic or view. I was taught to maintain a certain structure, length, and write in the style

that my teacher expected and desired. Without the lack of personal freedom, my writing felt

concrete and seemed to lack personal interest or care. I believe that that is a necessity to make a

paper successful, because if the author is passionate and connected to the piece, the argument or

plot will be more intriguing or convincing for the intended audience. Although I found the

preselected topics interesting, there was no genuine heart or emotion in my pieces. Yet, through

this course, guided by Professor Ferrara, I learned to be confident in my writing as discovered to

write without restriction and learned what empowered me to write. When I was given the
freedom to choose topics or issues that I was passionate about, or maintained knowledge on to

make a brawny argument, I found my pieces not only more convincing and passionate, but more

articulate as well. My ideas and purposes became clearer and more to the point. I did not require

flowery language, because with comprehension on the topic, I could effectively write a lot on my

topic while getting straight to the point. My biggest struggle in high school was hopping around

my point and just missing the interpretation of a piece or taking a while to get to my point.

Armed with these facts, the privilege to write about the topics or problems that excited or

concerned me allowed me to be concise and effective. Despite my rhetorical analysis and

argument tasks improving I also learned to channel my creative side. Similarly, with the freedom

to write about any issue, choosing a narrative topic allowed me to discover more about my own

self as well as discover who I am as a person and a writer. At first, with so many discourses, was

difficult to see my own primary discourses and effectively convey them without wanting to go

off topic and write a whole novel. Therefore, I learned to be concise and not drag on ideas or be

redundant. Despite my knowledge and getting to the point during more formal papers, the

narrative was so dear and personal to me that it was hard not to go into detail and distract from

the purpose of the grief and Italian-American discourse. The narrative’s bildungsroman style

made it difficult to not get too caught up in nostalgic memories. Despite that roadblock, I learned
that an outline is an effective strategy to use to organize my ideas and make my paper concise

and more enjoyable to read. It taught me how to clarify my topic and purpose for writing.

My experiences in this course, ENW 100, taught me that writing is a way to not only

discover more about who you are as a person, but the importance and best writing comes from

when you are emotionally attached or charged to write about something. When this is the case,

the content of the piece is much clearer, easier to follow and keeps the attention of the reader.

This is because if the author is not passionate about the topic, then why would the reader care if

the mood of the piece does not reflect a fervent purpose that resonates behind the piece.

In consideration of my experience and development in this course I have several pieces

of advice for incoming pupils who want to take this precise course. My first is do not be afraid to

brainstorm your ideas and go into each piece with an open mind. I found this crucial in my

writing because it allows for an author to have a more well rounded and educated argument, and

to be concise in any genre that are writing in. My next and last piece of advice is to think of

everything or anything that excites you or gets you emotionally bothered and think of it from an

ignorant or uninformed person’s view.By doing this you can make your piece approachable and

convincing by presenting yourself and your piece in a simplified and convincing manner that is
filled with heart. If this course taught me on things the most, it is to find what you care about

most and find a way to write about it with concision carried with a passionate tone.