👋🏼 A little about myself:
Outside of school, I love to crochet, walk my dog, and play Sims 4. With interest in Political Science, Public Administration, and Environmental Science, I hope to become an Urban Planner. My writing style and time management have drastically changed from my senior year of high school. Last year, my assignments were mainly personal due to college admission essays. Now, I am researching topics and writing 10-page papers. Despite focusing on research rather than stories, I can still write my articles as if I am conversing with my audience.
📚 Theory of Writing
Before entering my FIQWS class, I had a different Theory of Writing. I saw English compositions as merely an assignment; Just write what the teacher wants, give it in, and go to the next task. However, now that I have had the opportunity to write creatively and research intriguing concepts, my viewpoint has changed. Now, I see writing as a way to use my skills and reflect on current issues. For example, if I were to write the Rhetorical Analysis paper last year, I would have seen it as a tedious endeavor. However, when I read it this semester, I began to brainstorm exciting topics to write about that night.
Throughout this semester, I have learned the importance of time management. Since the Inquiry-Based Essay was ten pages long, I knew that I needed to plan accordingly to ensure that I would get it done in time. For example, I initially aimed to have one paragraph done each day. However, I realized that I couldn’t plan, research, and write a whole section in 24 hours as time went on. I needed to pace myself to have the best outcome. I realized that certain days had to be dedicated to researching, planning, writing, citing, and editing. So, since I started early enough, I could give myself a time limit of 3 days per paragraph. While I did tend to write the paragraphs sooner, it helped me not get stressed about deadlines. This helped me tremendously with procrastination.
In my high school, any form of casual writing was seen as improper. My teachers took off multiple points if I used contractions. I did not think it was fair to be so harsh on small grammar. So, when entering this semester, my mentality was still of that harsh caliber. However, after discussing the importance of lowering linguistic standards with my peers, I realized that formal grammar does not equal good writing. Essays should be more focused on the central concept rather than the words used to explain the said concept. For example, in my Inquiry-Based Research Paper, my main goal was not to have perfect grammar; Instead, my priority was to articulate my main points so that all audiences could understand. By basing my paper on my model essay, I spent more time on my topic than correcting minor syntax errors.
The audience is now the first thing I think of while outlining an essay. Who will be reading my paper? Will using formal or informal vernacular help me get my point across? For my Inquiry-Based Research Paper, I considered my audience to be Millennial and Gen-X women. I chose this because they’re the main groups of people targeted by Multilevel Markets. However, if I were to write an essay on the dangers of social media, my focus would be on Genz students. For example, I had an interview to work at a company in New York. A technique I use going into an interview is to talk about common interests. The interest I pick is usually the pros and cons of living/working in the city. However, I found out that my interviewer lived in Pennsylvania, so I changed my tactic. Instead, I chatted about the differences between one-on-one tutoring and tutoring in groups. Altering vernacular helps you persuade, inform, and gain a connection with your audience.
Outlining an essay is now a fun activity for me. I never liked doing it before because I did not have a beneficial technique. Now, I first write a casual paragraph expressing the goals I want to reach in this essay, which occasionally turns into my introduction. Next, I start outlining my sections by asking myself questions. For example, for my paragraph discussing MLM products, I labeled it as, what are some of the products that MLMs sell, and how is their quality? This method helps me write my paragraph and ensures that I always stay on track.
I also learned how to analyze court documents. I knew that I did not want to say that all MLM products are harmful vaguely; I wanted actual court cases to back up my claims. What I found in the document is that lawyers tend to make their claims like bullet points. They also separate information into sections; For example, in the Nature of the Action section, Trisha Whitmore explains why MONAT is being brought to court and sheds light on what her client has gone through with them. There was a brief overview of MONAT in the common fact section and why many people do not like MLMs in general. As I scrolled down the document, I noticed a lot of picture evidence of how MONAT’s shampoos negatively affect one’s hair follicles and natural oils. Learning about how court cases are documented made me more intrigued to look at other court cases and find similarities.
In my Rhetorical Analysis Essay, I learned the importance of having a variety of sources. First, I wanted to find an academic article that was almost like a textbook. Afterward, I did not know what else to look up because I did not want my paper to be repetitive. Then, as I sign into Blackboard, I see a memo regarding online scams occurring at CUNY. The message was different enough to write a paragraph without proving the same point. So, I decided that the following source should be more out of the box than just describing internet scams. So, I researched stories/interviews of people affected by internet scams. Finding different points of view also helps diversify your sources.
These will not be the last assignments I will have to write in my academic career. The lessons I learned in my FIQWS class will help in all my future endeavors. For example, I want to write the public policy after I graduate; knowing how to read court documents is a step in the right direction. With my new writing schedule, I can adequately plan to have an essay done before the deadline. I will effectively use everything I’ve learned in my seminar class in school and the workforce.
